Features by Toby Weber and Lindsay Lewis
 

Just fifty years ago, while in a heated competition with the Soviet Union following the country’s launch of Sputnik in 1957, the United States began a major push in science and technology research. The entire movement, known as the Space Race, had a profound impact on graduate programs nationwide, including many at the University of Houston. After educating doctoral candidates for a half century, the UH Cullen College of Engineering will grant its 1,000th doctoral degree this year.

While an impressive milestone, that number is dwarfed by the approximately 1.5 million bachelor’s degrees that will be conferred in the U.S. during the 2007–2008 academic year alone, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Less than three percent of students enrolled this year will be working toward a doctoral degree, making the path to the Ph.D., unquestionably, the road less traveled. The time, commitment and energy required to earn the degree—as well as the opportunities one must forego during the process—prevent many smart, hard working people from ever giving it serious consideration.

The demand for professional engineers is so high that lucrative job offers are being extended to undergraduate engineering students—often $70,000 a year or more—long before graduation.

So what would compel someone to pursue a doctorate in engineering? What’s the benefit of spending an extra half-decade of one’s life earning a degree that demands so much of those who pursue it?

The exact motivations behind pursuing a Ph.D. vary from person to person, of course. A common refrain among those who have earned a doctorate from the Cullen College of Engineering is that the process equipped them with important skills outside of the technical realm, such as the ability to communicate, persuade, think creatively, and work independently, as well as part of a team.

These skills have served Cullen College of Engineering alumni well. Some of the individuals who have earned a doctorate from the college play a role in space exploration. Others have gone on to successful careers as entrepreneurs, politicians, industry leaders and, of course, academicians, scientists and researchers. What follows is just a sampling of these alumni, demonstrating conclusively that while the path to the Ph.D. is a long one, both the destination and points beyond make the journey’s time and effort well spent.

» Inspiring Students—Bonnie Dunbar (1983 PhD BioE)
» Building Cleaner Engines—Feng Zhang (2005 PhD ME)
» Educating Engineers—Victor Zaloom (1970 PhD IE)
» Exploring Space—Patrick Fink (2002 PhD EE)
» Developing Energy Technology—Xiuli Wang (2000 PhD ChE)
» Serving the Community—Daniel Wong (1983 BSCE, 1985 MSCE, 1988 PhD CE)
» Consulting for Industry—Ven Pinjala (1981 MSChE, 1985 PhD ChE)