161 Belk Building
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC 28723
828-227-2159
828-227-7838 (FAX)
Here at WCU, course content is brought to life through collaborative projects at our Center for Rapid Product Realization. You’ll learn to integrate facts and skills with good engineering and management habits and get a taste of independent achievement and professional conduct while being guided and supported by your professors.
The School’s students learn to apply their theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience to real-world situations alongside industry partners in a high-tech, cutting-edge environment. They have the opportunity to use state-of-the art equipment and work with exceptional faculty as they learn to apply problem-solving skills in the classroom and in the field with industry leaders.
Academic Programs
The Kimmel School offers six degree programs between its two constituent departments: Construction Management and Engineering and Technology. Offerings include two graduate-level programs and select courses for adult learners across the Western North Carolina region.
Facilities
The School’s primary facilities, the Center for Applied Technology and the Belk Building, contain sixteen different laboratories equipped with high-tech instruments specifically designed to prepare students for careers in industry. These include the Construction Estimating and Surveying Lab, the Optoelectronics Lab, the Automations Lab, and the Engineering Design Lab among others.
Faculty
The Kimmel School faculty members excel in fields that include automation, robotics, optoelectronics, lasers, computer graphics, construction management, telecommunications, and product design. Their industry experience and continuing contacts with industry partners gives their teaching a practical foundation.
Partnerships
The Kimmel School offers a joint degree in electrical engineering with UNC-Charlotte. The Kimmel School has numerous industry partnerships, including Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and is a partner with the Carolinas MicroOptics Triangle, a collaboration of WCU, UNC-Charlotte, and Clemson University.
Funding
Named for businessman Joe W. Kimmel (right) in recognition of a pledge of $6.92 million from Kimmel & Associates, a leading construction industry executive search company, the Kimmel School also has benefited from external funding of projects such as grants from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
To learn more about the college, visit the Office of the Dean or contact us with your questions.