INDUSTRY

The MathWorks today announced further growth in the education market as two more universities standardized on its software. Joining hundreds of institutions around the globe that base much of their technical coursework on MATLAB and Simulink, the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Canada have recently deployed the industry- leading platforms for technical computing, modeling, and simulation. Just as many other institutions have done, these universities will use The MathWorks products to deliver leading-edge engineering and science curricula that better prepare students for their future professional careers in industry. "MATLAB is helping to accelerate the learning process for Vanderbilt's incoming freshmen, as they can more quickly grasp the basic concepts of technical computation than with traditional tools like C++," said Dr. Richard Shiavi, a professor at Vanderbilt's School of Engineering who is using MATLAB. "Bypassing some of the more detailed, lower-level development tasks, our students are leveraging MATLAB and Simulink for complex applications and attaining more competitive engineering skills." The MATLAB software environment, which has been in widespread and consistent use by students and professors since 1989, is the basis for introductory courses in computing principles that are taught to approximately 330 incoming Vanderbilt students each year. MATLAB fulfilled the need for a computing language that makes it easy to express and solve engineering and scientific problems. Professors also recognized that MATLAB is an essential tool for engineers and scientists in industry, further enabling them to prepare their students for professional careers. Opening its doors to the first freshman class in September 2003, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology is utilizing MATLAB Student Version to construct a strong applied science and research-focused curriculum. The School of Science and the School of Engineering are incorporating MATLAB Student Version along with other technology applications into curricula beginning in the first year of studies. Leveraging laptops within the school's wired classrooms and wireless campus environment, science and engineering students are using MATLAB for courses such as Scientific Computing Tools and Linear Algebra. While professors utilize MATLAB to conduct in-class demonstrations, students can further explore their visuals at the time of presentation by accessing the files within the shared environment, enabling greater understanding of the underlying math and science principles. In addition, the School of Science has developed a minor in Computational Science, which professors indicate will be heavily dependent on MATLAB. "MATLAB has become an indispensable tool in the science and engineering world, and it has become critical that students learn this application from the very beginning of their university education," said Dr. William Smith, dean of science at UOIT. "Students in the Schools of Science and Engineering are benefiting greatly by using MathWorks tools, which provide the technical skills they'll need for professional careers in the workplace." "The MathWorks was founded with deep roots in academia, and is enriched on a continuing basis through strong technology partnerships with leading education institutions across the globe," said Cleve Moler, founder and chief scientist of The MathWorks. "This latest adoption of our solutions into technical curricula reflects our strength both in the academic market and industry. By utilizing MATLAB and Simulink in their coursework, professors are able to provide students with the best tools for learning, as well as skills that will position them for futures as inventors, scientists, and engineers."