Welding Engineering Program at Ohio State Celebrates 75 Years: 1948-2023
Warren Morrison was the first Buckeye to graduate with a welding engineering degree in spring 1948. There were two welding engineering students in the graduating class. Warren’s surname preceded the other student’s last name by way of the alphabet, so he proudly considers himself the first welding engineering graduate that year. 98-year-old Morrison is one of nearly 3,000 welding engineering alumni whose unique skill set remains one of the most in-demand among engineering disciplines.
The welding engineering program at Ohio State celebrates 75 years this year. Its roots stretch back to 1938 when arc welding became the prominent means of joining iron and steel in the post-war era and was first recognized as a manufacturing technique. Its role in the repair and manufacturing of equipment was vital to the country's defense program, but the science behind joining needed refined.
Ohio State embraced the challenge and created the B.S. in Industrial/Welding Engineering. Nearly 10 years later, the viability of welding engineering sparked additional curriculum that included processes, materials, and design. The Department of Welding Engineering was created along with a unique academic discipline that mixed physics, chemistry, metallurgy, mechanics and strength of materials, machine design, structural design, and electrical engineering. Today’s multidisciplinary program is still based on these fundamental areas.
Now 75 years old, welding engineering at Ohio State is a complex engineering discipline blending materials science, design, inspection, mechanical and welding systems, lasers, and robots. Welding engineers understand the properties and processes behind welds, and their expertise is used in the production of nearly every manufactured product. Making the field more challenging is a constantly evolving manufacturing and materials landscape requiring researchers, engineers, and scientists to be fluent in materials interaction. The program’s commitment to education and research in the science and technology of materials joining is vital to advancing the competitiveness of the nation’s economy and security.
The Welding Engineering Program has been a part of four departments, including a standalone department: Department of Industrial Engineering (as a combined welding engineering-industrial engineering degree), 1938; Department of Welding Engineering, 1948; Department of Industrial, Welding and Systems Engineering, 1995; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2010.
While attending an international welding engineering conference in China recently, faculty and students of another institution with a highly regarded program remarked that they consider Ohio State’s program number one in the world. “I knew we were well known in the United States but to hear that from members of another respectable institution blew my mind,” recalls Professor David Phillips.
Ohio State is the only institution in the country to offer B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in welding engineering. The college’s first fully online M.S. program was launched by welding engineering faculty in 2003. Each milestone throughout the 75-year history reflects an adaptation aligning curriculum, student preparedness and industry.
Ohio State’s online welding engineering degree program was created for people already working in a welding-related field. Liz Lekarczyk is a Joining Quality Supervisor with Stellantis (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) and a student in the online graduate program. “Ohio State’s Welding Engineering distance online learning program allows me to build welding and joining engineering knowledge while advancing my career and completing my degree at my own pace.”
Students enrolled in the online graduate program have been as far away as the Middle East, South America and New Zealand. It is one of the college’s three online graduate degree programs and is consistently ranked in the nation’s top 20 online graduate engineering programs.
Ohio State’s welding engineering program has grown to include research groups related to weldability evaluation, computational materials engineering, advanced manufacturing processes, and degradation. Ohio State hosts the Manufacturing and Materials Joining Innovation Center (Ma2JIC), an Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) approved by the National Science Foundation in 2010. Ma2JIC includes four partner institutions that perform materials joining and additive manufacturing research for member companies representing energy generation, aerospace, automotive, and defense among others. Welding Engineering Professor Antonio Ramirez is the director.
The historical significance of the welding engineering program at Ohio State is reflected in growth, collaboration, innovations, and advancements that collectively earn the program world-renowned status. It’s a well-oiled program enriched by a sound network of people who value the discipline. Faculty refine curriculum and research that include real-world, experiential learning. Industry companies sponsor capstones complimenting students’ research interests. Mentorship opportunities and financial support are generously provided by alumni, industry companies, and the American Welding Society. The program is a static fixture among the timelines of Ohio State and the College of Engineering. 75 years of Buckeye greatness has provided people like Warren and Liz immeasurable opportunities in careers anchored by job security.
The semi sesquicentennial of Ohio State’s welding engineering program includes a celebration and symposium at FABTECH, a reception during homecoming weekend, invited speakers for the colloquium series, regional receptions around the country, the Welding Automation Expo and Conference at Ohio State, and opportunities to support the program. Events will be added and updated throughout the year.
