TROY debuts new academic college, announces new degree

TROY Ala. (TROJANVISION) — Troy University is expanding its reach into the world of polymer chemistry research with the creation of a new academic college.

Wednesday morning, Troy University officials gathered outside of the Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences (CMMS) building to announce the creation of the College of Science and Engineering.

Along with its creation came the school’s first undergraduate engineering degree.

As the world progresses further into an era of technology, electronics, and AI, there is a growing emphasis on STEM education, and it has not gone unnoticed by Troy University. According to university officials, the opening of the College of Science and Engineering is a way to keep up with societal shifts.

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“I think [it] is really just a leap forward for Troy University,” Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Kerry Palmer said. “Over its entire history, Troy has tried to change and evolve with the needs of the state and right now we’re seeing an increased demand for STEM fields.”

“The soft sciences, the social sciences, have moved on to other locations and what remains is just nothing but the hard sciences,” College of Science and Engineering Dean Govind Menon told TrojanVision. “The College of Science and Engineering will be involved only in those hard sciences. This is important as we advance our curriculum, as we bring on more engineering programs, very technical programs, we cannot teach out of old textbooks. We have to advance knowledge.”

Palmer expects the newly-established college will also grow university enrollment.

“I think this move, in creating the engineering program, will help us attract students to this institution that, I think, in the past have not even given us a look. If they find out we don’t have engineering, that’s where the interest stops.”

Executive Vice President of the Business Council of Alabama Clay Scofield believes this new development will benefit the futures of both Troy students and the entire state of Alabama.

“This is the future,” Scofield said. “This represents jobs of today and jobs of tomorrow. Troy being on the front end and ahead of the curve to make sure that they’re preparing students is impressive, and it’s important, and it’s forward thinking.”

Part of the morning’s press conference included the announcement of a new undergraduate program, the Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. The new degree will be available for students starting in the Fall 2025.