Xavier University, the historically Black educational institution in New Orleans, has announced that it is establishing a new bachelor’s degree program in robotics and mechatronics engineering. The university states that the program, which will launch in the spring 2022 semester, is the first of its kind at a historically Black university.
The curriculum is designed for students interested in applying intelligent systems to improve the quality and performance of technology and products. Program graduates will be valuable to employers in various industrial sectors such as aerospace, automotive, or defense.
The program will use laboratories and classrooms within the department of physics and computer science. Two additional campus spaces will be renovated to provide a 1,150-square foot mechatronics laboratory and a 965-square foot robotics laboratory.
“We need more people of color in engineering because we want to create a society that is more just and humane,” said the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Anderson Sunda-Meya. “Robotics and mechatronics are focused on the fundamentals necessary for the design of intelligent systems, including automation of computation and mechanization. We want our students to be at the forefront of this developing area because it will certainly affect us all as the industry continues to evolve.”
