Industry recognitions boost NIU engineering students’ career path

Northern Illinois University recently set the stage for its Department of Engineering Technology students to gain two industrial-based certifications after their graduation from the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) program.

Those certifications can play pivotal roles in helping students launch into positions of greater responsibility and successful careers.

This past fall, the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM) recognized the department, which is within the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (CEET), for having a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) approved curriculum.

That qualifies students for the Student CHMM (ST/CHMM) credential. Separately, IHMM also approved the EHS program as a Student ASHM school, which qualifies students for the ST/ASHM credential. ST/ASHM stands for Student Associate Safety & Health Manager.

These recognitions build on the Engineering Technology department gaining a crucial approval in 2022 from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) as a Qualified Academic Program (QAP). That enables graduates of the program to apply for the Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) credential within a year of graduation. Doing so accelerates their ability to distinguish themselves from other engineers, providing a competitive edge in the marketplace.

The developments demonstrate that the Engineering Technology department is training students in a relevant, practical and holistic way that is aligned with industry needs, said Mohammad Saadeh, chair of the Department of Engineering Technology.

“So much of our work centers on the well-being of people and that includes the environments in which they work and live,” said Saadeh. “This CHMM program is in great alignment with the whole ecosystem of industry. It goes hand in hand with technology and engineering, the safety of the workplace, the safety of people, and the effect that innovations have on different aspects of our lives.”

Dr. William Mills and Dr. Ted Hogan, CEET professors who each have over 40 years of professional experience, initiated the process of securing the QAP recognition in 2019. At that time, they received input from Engineering Technology graduates who said companies highly valued candidates who had obtained the certifications.

“These recognitions—for our program and for students in our program–provides tremendous opportunities for our students to advance in their careers,” Mills said. “As they move up the ranks of highly respected companies like Amazon and UL Solutions, we regularly hear from our graduates about the relevance and impact of the wide-ranging education they receive here.”

Courses taken by Engineering Technology students cover a broad area, from technical knowledge to management to human resources principles, and prepares students to develop their people skills and interact effectively with “everyone from the shop floor to senior management,” said Hogan.

A recent graduate whose career has benefited from the department’s industry-aligned focus is Nicholas Caravello, who works for UL Solutions as an environmental health and safety specialist.

NIU’s Environmental Health and Safety program “has been instrumental in providing me with the knowledge and expertise to succeed,” he said.

“The program offers a robust curriculum that helped shaped my critical thinking and approach needed for the EHS profession,” Caravello noted. “In EHS, it is our job to navigate possible hazards and help mitigate risk that can be found in the workplace. You are always looking out for the safety and well-being of your colleagues.

“Jobsites are all different– at one site, you may see chemicals, at another heavy machinery, and at another radioactive material (and often, not just one of these),” he added. “The NIU EHS program helps prepare you to handle all these situations and much more.”

The ST/ CHMM and ST/AHSM programs are backed by IHMM’s Dr. John H. Frick Memorial Scholarship program. Annually, the program makes $32,000 available to eligible Student CHMMs and Student ASHMs (Associate Safety and Health Manager).

NIU joins 12 other colleges who have joined the Student CHMM program. For context, there are about 360 engineering schools that are ABET-accredited.

NIU College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (CEET) provides affordable access to a world-class engineering education. Our fully accredited programs emphasize hands-on experience, with small classes taught by experienced, dedicated faculty that help a diverse array of students explore and ignite their passions in bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. Learn more by visiting our website.