LU College of Engineering introduces leadership program

Eighty senior engineering students from the College of Engineering will have the opportunity to earn a leadership certificate from CAVU through a newly introduced program. Sponsored by the college, the students can participate in CAVU's online leadership training, Leadership Pro, beginning in the 2024/2025 academic year.

CAVU is a company formed from retired U.S. military personnel with leadership expertise spanning the range of military ranks. They have packaged their real-world experience into short manageable lessons in Leadership Pro with the intended audience of people working in engineering-related industries.

"CAVU was born from the idea that substandard performance and catastrophic events are the result of human factors that are often misunderstood: leadership deficiencies resulting in inadequate safety training, decreased moral, retention and reduced revenue," Dell D. Bull, CAVU executive vice president of business development said. "With years of leadership and tactical experience at the highest levels of the U.S. Navy, we bring the leadership strategies that have proven effective in the most high-pressure environments to organizations and individuals looking to elevate their performance."

"I want to add a strong leadership training component to my senior design course because post-pandemic I have been seeing leadership and teamwork-related problems emerging as a bigger issue than technical challenges for my teams," Dr. Robert K. Bradley, industrial engineering assistant professor said. " I am hearing more frequently that executives and hiring managers say they need engineers with stronger soft skills."

In addition to the Leadership Pro program, Rear Admiral Dell Bull, VP Business Development, who was over the Navy's flight training wings and the Blue Angels, has volunteered to visit LU and help implement Leadership Pro for the students.

The implementation of this program department-wide reaffirms the commitment to producing career-ready graduates.

"The College of Engineering (COE) is committed to provide outstanding academic preparation for all of our students that provides them the tools they need to graduate as the career-ready graduates that employers have told us that they are looking for in new engineering graduates," Dr. Brian Craig, dean of the College of Engineering said. "Much of this preparation is in the traditional classroom and laboratory setting, but in today's world it is extremely important to provide students with additional tools and certificates that can really provide our graduates with a competitive advantage before and while entering the job market. Our focus in the LU COE is on our students' needs and providing them the tools they need to be able to carry that toolbox of skills into their first job and job opportunities that will follow."

Students who complete the program will be awarded a certificate of completion from CAVU.

"I believe Leadership Pro is crucial for engineering students and people in the industry because the most successful industries demand more than technical expertise. These exceptional industries need leaders who can guide teams, make timely decisions, innovate under pressure and navigate complex challenges. Our program draws on real-world lessons from leaders who've excelled in environments where human performance is key to success," Bull said. "By introducing these future engineers to leadership strategies early on, we're giving them the tools to not only excel technically but step confidently into leadership roles as they enter the workforce."

To learn more about the College of Engineering, visit www.lamar.edu/engineering.

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