Lehigh University: Undergraduate Admissions

Matt Culik

As a high school senior, Matt Culik, ’07, struggled to decide what college he should attend. Lehigh stood out amongst the other schools.

“It is an excellent school with an excellent reputation,” Matt said, “not just for engineering, but business and the sciences as well. A tough combination to beat.”

During his sophomore year, Matt, a marketing major, noticed several posters around campus advertising a new program: the engineering minor.

“The engineering minor,” Matt said, “is a product of Lehigh’s desire for constant improvement of our graduates. It is designed to allow non-engineers to communicate better with engineers, as is necessary in the real world.”

Students in the minor program are required to take both lecture-style and lab classes, which provide a broad perspective on engineering. The classes introduce students to the problem solving and modeling tools used by engineers. Since joining the program, Matt has learned, among other things, how to operate AutoCAD, a computer-based drafting program.

Students in the minor also take several field trips a year. Last year, they toured Lehigh Valley International Airport and Mack Trucks. The students learned how large-scale operations run and what role engineers play in such companies.

Since becoming involved with the minor, Matt has already applied the concepts he has learned as a member on Lehigh’s Formula SAE team. The students on the Formula SAE team design, build and race a small car. Each May they compete against other teams from schools around the world. Team members are responsible for one part of the car. Several students work on the engine, the brakes, electronics and suspension. Matt regulates the team’s costs and prepares a cost report. During the competition, the judges, who are engineers, examines the cost report, which is a lengthy list of expenses. Matt also creates a manufacturing presentation, demonstrating how cost effective the car was.

“The engineering minor program, in allowing me to present my ideas more clearly to engineers, has helped propel Lehigh’s cost report to two best ever finishes in 2004 and 2005,” Matt said.

After graduation, Matt dreams of working in automobile advertising. He knows that his training in engineering will allow him to communicate better with both customers and engineers.

“In a word, the engineering minor program is great,” Matt said. “It has already helped me and is yet another way that Lehigh stands out as an excellent school that is always focused on building better students.”