INDIANAPOLIS – Marian University’s new E. S. Witchger School of Engineering has received formal approval from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the accrediting body for degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the central United States. With the HLC’s full accreditation, Marian University will officially begin enrolling its first class of engineering students for the fall 2022 semester.

The E. S. Witcher School of Engineering will offer engineering degrees in Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, as well as Engineering Physics.

“We are pleased to receive the Higher Learning Commission’s full approval of Marian University’s five new engineering degree programs,” said Binh Q. Tran, Ph.D., Founding Dean of the E. S. Witchger School of Engineering. “HLC accreditation is a critical step in our preparation for welcoming our first class of engineering students to Marian’s campus this fall. I’m looking forward to mentoring and guiding the academic careers of our next generation of future engineers who will serve Indiana’s growing economy.”

Dr. Tran is nationally recognized for his research and academic areas of focus in telehealth/ telemedicine, health information technologies, biomedical instrumentation, and imaging and cardio-pulmonary biomechanics. He also serves as a Biomedical Engineering Program Evaluator for the global Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) and on the editorial boards of several engineering journals.

Recent reports by the Brookings Institution, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization, and a study by Ginovus for Marian University show a shortage of engineering and technical talent impacting central Indiana’s ability to compete in a global marketplace. The Witchger School of Engineering will develop homegrown talent to serve Indiana’s strong manufacturing base, as well as attract new companies to the area.