When Dr. Kais Jribi, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Florida Polytechnic University, invited standout students to join him at the industry-leading CAMX, The Composites and Advanced Materials Expo recently in Orlando, his goal went beyond exposing them to learn the latest in advanced manufacturing and composite materials.
Jribi aimed to encourage students to build real connections with engineers, business leaders and researchers shaping the future of the field.
The result was exactly what he’d hoped for. Senior Michelle Velasquez, junior Joseph LaForte, and graduate student Christian Eroschenko gained expert insight directly from the industry leaders – and began forming relationships with potential internship providers, supply partners, research collaborators and employers.
“A key advantage of attending industry expos where companies showcase their products is learning about their research and development (R&D) departments because R&D is the backbone of their existence, and a company that fails to innovate quickly becomes stagnant,” said Jribi, who was also a conference moderator. “The idea is to see what their R&D is doing now, what kind of projects are next, and explore opportunities to collaborate.”
Company representatives are often eager to talk about their work with interested students, Jribi added. It was the first time he took students to a conference and expo for this purpose.
Eroschenko, a Fulbright fellow from Germany, is pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Florida Poly.
“My goal was to find a company that would cooperate with us to do research, and I think it went very well,” said Eroschenko, Jribi’s graduate assistant. “I am in contact with about 10 companies. Some will provide materials, while two or three are open to doing research with us.”
The interest companies showed was surprising, he said.
“They were open to connecting with me and Florida Poly to work together,” Eroschenko said. “In Germany, you couldn’t just talk to companies like that as a student.”
Velasquez said she spoke with an aerospace CEO interested in working with her and another company open to pursuing research with the University.
“This was the best thing that could have happened to me,” she said. “Speaking to people in leadership and engineers who are passionate about their work made me even more excited to get into the field.”
LaForte, who met with many companies, praised Jribi’s networking approach. He is already working with two companies interested in providing materials or funding for his independent projects.
“Even though it seems unorthodox, it’s very valuable,” said LaForte, from West Palm Beach, Florida. “You’re connecting with people who actually do the work, and that can help you figure out if it’s right for you – and since you’re meeting someone from the field you want to work in, that connection can be even more productive than meeting someone from HR at a career fair.”
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Lydia Guzmán
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