Naval research

Peter Cho pays it forward as an adjunct professor

Teresa Donnellan — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 17:30:20 +0000

Peter Cho pays it forward as an adjunct professor Teresa Donnellan Wed, 09/18/2024 - 13:30

Learn More About Mechanical Engineering

Earn a Certificate in Naval Ship Design

Adjunct Professor Peter Cho attributes his successful career to a series of well-informed advisers. He appreciates the opportunity to pay forward that kindness as an adjunct professor of mechanical engineering.

“Advising is very, very important, because at certain points of life, you cannot make an easy decision, but somebody–your friend or your parents or your pastor or somebody– can give you the advice you need,” said Cho.

Peter Cho, Photo Provided

When Cho immigrated to the United States from South Korea just before 1980, he found work as a janitor. A friend suggested he become a car mechanic instead, so Cho enrolled in a vocational school for training. There, an instructor offered to write him a recommendation to pursue an associate’s degree at the local community college.

At Middlesex Community College in Bedford, Massachusetts, a calculus teacher suggested Cho continue beyond his associate’s degree to pursue a bachelor’s in engineering at University of Massachusetts – Lowell.

Cho said that while he didn’t exactly choose his specialty, “it was kind of a natural progression, step by step.” He added, “It was a blessing, because I had really wonderful teachers and friends.”

Until graduating with a master’s degree, Cho was employed part-time in addition to being a student.

“I understand the students who have part-time jobs and are pursuing school,” he said. “I love George Mason University, because there are a lot of students doing that. I understand how difficult that is, and, sometimes vice versa, how fulfilling that is.”

As an undergraduate, Cho chose to switch to electrical engineering from mechanical engineering upon the advice of some fellow Korean immigrants, who informed him that the field was booming in the Boston area. As Cho approached graduation for his master’s in electrical engineering, a professor suggested he stay on for a PhD.

As a PhD student with a wife and two small children, when Cho was struggling financially with only the graduate student stipend, a recruiter from the United States Navy’s Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, Rhode Island, informed him that, as a civilian engineer, Cho could complete his degree on salary. The opportunity entailed an obligation to work for U.S. Naval Warfare Centers for a number of years, which Cho saw as job security.

He worked in Providence, Rhode Island, while earning his PhD in electrical engineering, and he chose to continue working for the U.S. Navy for the following 28 years. Now, Cho relishes sharing all he’s learned with the engineers of the future, especially at George Mason.

Cho teaches the Naval Engineering course, among others. His courses incorporate elements of business education to prepare students for the practical demands of professional engineering.

Cho has a unique perspective on being an adjunct member of faculty. He explained that, although adjuncts don’t make a lot of money, the position affords him the freedom to choose whether he wants to teach any given class. Moreover, he finds the position extremely fulfilling. He is passionate about instilling confidence about the future in his students.

“They need the future, and the future means hope after they graduate,” explained Cho. He tries to provide his students with an idea of the job market and roles available to them upon graduation. In addition, Cho seeks to give his students a feeling of accomplishment.

“Every class, every semester, I got a gift. It's all these gifts from potentially the best country in the world that gave me opportunities.” said Cho. “Now I get to give it to the next generation.”

Topics

mechanical engineering

Naval research

Adjunct Faculty

The future at Fuse: Naval engineering

Teresa Donnellan — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 16:50:41 +0000

The future at Fuse: Naval engineering Teresa Donnellan Fri, 01/27/2023 - 11:50

In This Story

Leigh McCue-Weil

Getting to Mason Square

Students taking a Mason Square class may benefit from Mason’s free hourly shuttles between Fairfax and Mason Square. Moreover, students with a Fairfax/Scitech general parking permit or higher (except West Campus and Lot M/P permits) can obtain a complimentary supplemental parking permit for the Vernon Smith garage at Mason Square.

As part of its commitment to meeting emerging workforce needs, George Mason University's College of Engineering and Computing is offering a Naval Ship Design Graduate Certificate Program at Mason Square in Arlington. It's one of 16 classes across seven different departments at Mason Square, where nearly 150 graduate students are enrolled.

The Washington, D.C., metropolitan area is home to at least five major U.S. Navy laboratories. NAVSEA, for example, has about 15,000 civilian employees, about 9,000 of which are engineers and scientists. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory has about 3,000 engineers.

“If Mason is trying to influence those [people] for the sake of the success of the Navy, Mason Square is the perfect place to focus,” said former naval engineer and current adjunct professor Peter Cho, who teaches a core class for the Graduate Certificate in Naval Ship Design. The certificate program was developed by mechanical engineering chair Leigh McCue in collaboration with several naval research experts.

“The Naval Ship Design Graduate Certificate Program provides practicing engineers hands-on experience in ship design and project management through a mixture of synchronous online and hybrid course offerings,” McCue said. “Starting this spring, we opted to base the certificate out of Mason Square. The location, just a mile from the Office of Naval Research, for example, provides unique opportunities to grow this program in support of the future naval workforce.”

The four core courses required to earn the certificate are ME 551: Naval Engineering, ME 552: Fundamentals of Naval Architecture, ME 553: Ship Design Process and Tools, and ME 554: Defense Industry Project Management. Cho’s class, ME 554: Defense Industry Project Management, gives students the skills to process an engineering project from conception to completion.

“Now you understand why we need these systems and how to design and analyze all these techniques you learned," Cho said of his class. "Lastly, now, how are you going to manage it? How are you going to work with the people? How are you going to connect or engage with your sponsors and the stakeholders around it? Project management is the last step.”

With degrees in electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering, Cho worked as a civilian engineer in the Navy for about 15 years before his boss sent him to earn a master’s in business administration to “inject a business perspective” into his engineering mindset, Cho said. After business school, he gained more responsibility, spending his final 13 years in the industry as a program officer at the Office of Naval Research in Arlington, Virginia, overseeing several multimillion-dollar projects involving various defense contractors and hundreds of people. Cho noted that learning about business helped him perform better as a naval researcher.

“I learned how to initiate projects, … how to conduct research and how to measure success, and then finally how to close,” Cho said. “We cannot just drop the ball and say, ‘Hey, you got what you wanted, and I'm going home,’ he explained, adding, “I have to leave lots of documentation on lessons learned, all the publications and briefings, and possible [future] work.”

This final step is especially important in connecting a project to the broader engineering research landscape, Cho said. “No one can achieve a great thing by themselves.”

Topics

Naval research

Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division

Office of Naval Research

Fuse at Mason Square

Mason Square

Project Management

mechanical engineering

Campus News

Workshop offers opportunity to learn about jobs and research for the Navy

Nanci Hellmich — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 15:25:18 +0000

Workshop offers opportunity to learn about jobs and research for the Navy Nanci Hellmich Tue, 02/18/2020 - 10:25

Leigh McCue, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, says Mason students are invited to attend a workshop that gives students insights into jobs with the Navy, as well as research opportunities.

George Mason faculty and students who are interested in naval research and civilian careers with the Navy are invited to attend a workshop on March 6 at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division in Bethesda, Maryland.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is organizing the Workshop to Enhance Opportunities for Naval Workforce Development, as part of a related Office of Naval Research grant. Registration is free.

Students will be able to engage in dialogue with Carderock department heads, local university deans and department chairs, and rising stars in the Navy and academia as they share their thoughts on how to build the naval workforce of the future, says Leigh McCue, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The day’s events include a keynote lecture, panel discussions, and a poster session in which faculty and students will showcase their Navy-relevant research.

The ONR grant supports efforts for students to become part of the Navy career talent pipeline and provides an opportunity for faculty to engage in cutting-edge research that supports the mission of the Navy and Marine Corps, says Mechanical Engineering Department Chair Oscar Barton, Jr, the grant’s principal investigator.

More information and the agenda are online.

If you are interested in showcasing your classroom or research projects in the poster session, please reach out to McCue.