Herff College of Engineering

STILL TIME TO SIGN UP ⏱️ Starting this fall, the Polytechnic@UofM is offering courses in Applied AI that might be of interest to both graduate and undergraduate students.

The fee payment deadline is Monday, August 10.

Find your path at the Polytechnic@UofM and learn how you can use tomorrow's technology to impact an ever-changing world >> https://tinyurl.com/AppliedAIInterestForm

EXPLORE MORE AT eDAY 🔬

Herff's Fall eDay caters exclusively to students in grades 3-8, introducing them to the world of engineering and the many ways it impacts the world around us.

Don't miss out on the full day of educational fun. Register your class today >> https://tinyurl.com/yj9scm6b

📅 Friday, October 23, 2026
🕰️ 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
📍 Herff College of Engineering
3795 Central Avenue, Memphis

Herff's regularly scheduled eDay will return in February and cater exclusively to students in grades 9-12, offering them a chance to learn about more complex engineering concepts and future career opportunities.

Every summer, the City of Memphis offers a unique opportunity to dozens of college students across the city.

The Urban Fellows Program provides students with a 10-week internship and offers students a chance to get directly involved in the city government’s work of improving the lives of citizens. Students from the Herff College of Engineering made up 10 of the 23 participants who were placed in the city’s division of engineering.

The program, part of a broader workforce and talent strategy, aims to encourage students to pursue careers in public service, regardless of their degree. Of course, engineers touch all branches of city government, even the mayor’s office, with Memphis Mayor Paul Young holding a degree in electrical engineering.

Herff College of Engineering sophomore Talib Fifer is also majoring in electrical engineering. Much like the city’s desired pipeline into public service, Fifer joined the Urban Fellows Program after being introduced to it in his Herff Horizons mentoring program.

That’s where he met Urban Fellows co-organizer, Herff alum and City of Memphis Interim Land Development Manager and Prevailing Wage Project Manager Matthew J. McBride. When McBride told Fifer about the opportunity to join Urban Fellows and serve the City of Memphis, Fifer jumped at the chance.

“What attracted me was being able to help out with the city, being born and raised in Memphis,” Fifer said. “So, having the shot to be in a program where I get to work closely with the engineers of Memphis, it was like gold for me.”

See what other Herff students said about their intensive 10-week internship >> https://tinyurl.com/HerffUrbanFellows

CHOOSE YOUR PATH AT THE POLYTECHNIC@UOFM 🐯

Take your career to the next level by earning your certificate in manufacturing leadership at the Polytechnic@UofM. This 12-credit course offers a practical approach to supervisory management, methods for work improvement, including lean concepts, quality analysis and improvement, and planning and controlling production and distribution operations.

Learn more about your pathway to success >> https://tinyurl.com/nhz9cwx5

🔬 Now Hiring: Biomedical Engineering Technician 🔬
Join the Herff College of Engineering at the University of Memphis and make a direct impact on student success, research innovation, and hands-on engineering education.

Our Biomedical Engineering Technician will:
✅ Support and maintain research and teaching laboratories
✅ Train students, faculty, and staff on biomedical research equipment and instrumentation
✅ Assist with laboratory and project setup for courses and research activities
✅ Support senior design teams and college initiatives
✅ Manage laboratory inventory, safety, and hazardous waste compliance programs

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working in a collaborative academic environment and helping students and researchers bring ideas to life.

📍 Memphis, Tennessee
🔗 Apply Here >> https://tinyurl.com/HerffBMETech

Cristian Fernandez graduated from high school in 2019 and went straight to work in the construction industry, but he always knew that he’d need to continue his education to earn the role he sought, a position in management.

“I didn’t know what to pursue. I knew that civil engineering was an option, but thankfully I ran into this program at the University of Memphis and it seemed a lot faster than pursuing a four-year degree. I’ve always wanted to transition into a leadership role in construction management,” Fernandez said.

Now 25 and a full-time field engineer at Flintco, Fernandez is just one semester away from earning his certificate in construction management. As a working adult responsible for paying his own mortgage and utilities, along with other various bills, Fernandez said the program’s flexibility helped him earn that education without distracting from his daily duties.

See how Fernandez said Herff's Construction Management Certificate program helped him gain a more complete understanding of the construction industry and why he feels better prepared for his future >> https://tinyurl.com/CristianFernandez

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 🌟 Incoming Herff College of Engineering senior Kenzie Slakans already has more industry experience than most engineering students do by the time they graduate, thanks to her ongoing internships with Barnhart Crane & Rigging, a company that assists with the moving and installation of heavy equipment of all sizes.

At 19 years old, Slakans returned to Barnhart in the summer of 2026 for her second internship with the company, a paid research and design intern position that allows her to work on her own projects while learning from seasoned engineers. She also worked for the company part-time during her junior year.

“I think this has been the best learning experience I’ve ever had,” Slakans said. “I’ve been in school my entire life and I’ve never learned so much in such a short amount of time than I have by being in this place, because you have industry experts sitting next to you, across from you, and these people with decades of experience will literally sit right next to you and show you the correct way to model something.”

See how Slakans says her time at Barnhart has better prepared her for the classroom, her future and the advice she has for other students seeking their first internship >> https://tinyurl.com/KenzieSlakansBarnhart