»
Not-so-distant
EDUCATION by Andrew Careaga (acareaga@umr.edu)
r
“ T h e U M R Engineering Education Center program was technically challenging, interesting, and worked w ell for my schedule. Doug Heinrich
Even in the era of satellites and the Internet, programs like UMR’s Engineering Education Center (EEC) in St. Louis remain an ideal resource for students like Doug Heinrich, MS EE’03, of St. Louis. An engineer/scientist involved in developing the guidance control and navigation systems for Boeing’s Joint Unmanned Combat Air System (J-UCAS) in St. Louis, Heinrich found the EEC’s evening course offerings “fit with my family schedule.” Heinrich has three young children, ages 8, 6 and 2'A, and tries to spend as much time at home as possible. Taking courses one night a week at the EEC worked out just fine. With bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois, Heinrich also opted for a broader career path when he pursued the UMR master’s degree. Even before he received his diploma, the coursework had already helped Heinrich with a career move. After using his aerospace engineering degrees for more than eight years, Heinrich used his new skills to transition to the unmanned combat air vehicle guidance, navigation and control group in January 2002. He credits the UMR program with preparing him for the move. Heinrich enrolled in the EEC master’s program in January 2000 and took courses one night a week for three years. “I studied on the weekends and after the kids had been put to bed,” he adds. Even with the added burden of night school, Heinrich still managed to stay
Photo by DeFilippo Photography
involved in several projects with his church, including serving in the nursery and shuttle ministries and playing trombone in the church’s praise band and orchestra. Now, with the UMR degree behind him, he also spends much of his time “watching, training and having fun with my three kids” as well as taking them to baseball, hockey, ballet and gymnastics practices. “The UMR Engineering Education Center program was technically challenging, interesting, and worked well for my schedule,” Heinrich says. The program apparently worked well for his family and career, too.
MSM-UMR ALUMNUS / Fall 2004
17
>