Chris Simpson Engineers His Future

Three plus two equal five. Or in sophomore Chris Simpson's case, they add up to a greater opportunity for success.

Simpson, who aspires to become a mechanical engineer, entered UAlbany's unique 3+2 Engineering Program in the spring of his freshman year. Through the program, he'll study at UAlbany for three years and then two at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, just across the Hudson River in Troy, N.Y., and emerge with two bachelor's degrees, one in physics from UAlbany and another in engineering from Rensselaer.

"I've been interested in engineering from the start," said Simpson, a well-rounded scholar-athlete who plays linebacker on the University's Division I football team while carrying a 3.91 GPA. A native of Victor, N.Y., near Rochester, he also handles the more rigorous academic program of the Honors College, and is a Presidential and National Merit Foundation Scholar. The advantage of the UAlbany 3+2 program is "you get a broader education in physics than in the typical engineering program," Simpson said, which he believes will give him a firm foundation for the future.

"The program is challenging, but we find that disciplined and motivated students handle it well," said physics professor Ariel Caticha, Simpson's 3+2 adviser. "Several graduates say that they found our program extremely valuable because it brought a richer perspective to their engineering and physics in terms of real-world experience."

UAlbany's 3+2 P rogram, which is also open to chemistry majors, is also available with Clarkson University, SUNY at New Paltz, and Binghamton University.

By Greta Petry