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The Visionary Course Pairing

Design, Creativity, Innovation and Engineering (EG 103)

The pyramids and Gothic cathedrals as well as transportation, communication, and sanitation systems are just some examples of our engineered world. Students explore what makes engineering unique from the sciences-the elements of design and creative problem-solving. Emphasis is given to the historical and social contents of engineering design and its impact on our society. Students also explore the connections engineering has to visual thinking-graphic and industrial design.

Faculty biography

Dr. Suzanne Keilson has been at Loyola for 25 years. She created this course as a unique offering for the Messina program. Her PhD is in Applied Physics and her research interests are in engineering education, design and innovation, as well as biomedical engineering, assisstive technologies, and signal processing. Her other interests include family, community, STEM outreach and the usual array of films, books, and health activities.

Effective Writing (WR 100)

Throughout the semester, we will explore what it means to be a critical thinker, reader, and writer. We will think about the stories we tell, and how these narratives influence our lives and perceptions. We will take risks and ask open-ended questions. What kinds of narratives do we construct to make sense of the world, and to persuade others of our points of view? In turn, how do we recognize the narratives we encounter, evaluating their contents for fact, and fiction? How do we decide what to listen to, who to believe? We will read essays closely and analyze how authors develop and support their ideas in a meaningful way. As writers, we refine our skills through practice. In a series of written assignments, you will test out different approaches to analysis and experiment as you develop your own writer’s voice. The central goals of this class are to cultivate confidence, curiosity, and commitment to process as a community of writers, working to participate in creative, intellectual exchange.

Faculty biography

Professor Helen Hofling is a writer, editor, and teacher. She received a BA in philosophy from Vassar College and an MFA in creative writing from The Writer's Foundry at St. Joseph's College. Her poetry and fiction have appeared in Berkeley Poetry Review, the Columbia Review, Electric Literature, Epiphany, Fugue, New South, Passages North, Prelude, and elsewhere. She is a member of the PEN Prison and Justice Writing Committee and serves as a poetry judge for their annual writing competition. She teaches in the Writing Department at Loyola University Maryland.

Mentor biography

Brian Loeffler is Head Coach for the Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving team. He earned a Loyola undergraduate degree in Information Systems in 1991, and a MBA in 1994. Brian has coached Paralympic swimmers in the 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021 Paralympic Games. He has worked at Loyola for 31 years, and has mentored hundreds of students through the years.

Diane Roche is an Assistant Director in the Office of Financial Aid.  She has worked in the Financial Aid office since January 2001. Diane received both of her degrees from Loyola - BA in History in 2011 and MA LS in 2018. This will be her second year as a Messina Mentor

Virtual Advisor

Students considering a major in Engineering are strongly recommended to preference this course pairing. EG 103 satisifes the natural science core requirement. WR 100 satisfies the Composition core requirement for all students.