Peter Sheldon is a professor of physics and engineering at Randolph College and has worked there since 1998. He first started teaching physics in 1995 at Wake Forest University and Davidson College as a visiting professor. He has undergraduate degrees in mathematics and physics from Amherst College and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Massachusetts.

Shortly after he began his career at Randolph College (originally Randolph-Macon Woman’s College) he restarted the dual-degree engineering program, which allows students to complete two degrees in the time it takes many to complete one. Students participating in the program take classes at both Randolph and one of the partner schools: University of Virginia and Washington University in St. Louis.

Sheldon has been active in developing programs on campus, the most recent being the robotics and mechatronics engineering degree program, which is starting this Fall Semester and is the focus of Randolph College’s GO Virginia Region 2 project. Sheldon’s first foray into engineering at Randolph College was developing a curriculum around a car created by Oliver Kuttner that won the XPRIZE in 2010.

1. What is your favorite part of your job as professor of physics and engineering at Randolph College?

My favorite part of my job is getting to know the students and getting them excited about physics. Students often come to college saying they want to be an engineer. They come to realize that being an engineer requires a lot of academics – a lot of physics and math. So it’s essential to get the students excited about their academics and keep them engaged. We’re a small college of around 700 students. Because of that, we get to know the students well and work one-on-one with them. Also, because we’re a small school, I have a lot of autonomy, and the college has given me the opportunity to engage in innovating and starting new programs. I’ve really enjoyed that part of my job as well.

2. What inspired your GO Virginia project?

In various ways, we have been educating engineers ever since I’ve been here. I had always thought about starting an engineering major at the college. A number of things came together at the right time, but one day I was sitting down with an alum of Randolph College, Mark Patterson. He’s an engineer, and he works for FANUC Robotics in Lynchburg and North Carolina. He told me about the shortage of manufacturing engineers and mechatronic engineers in Lynchburg. That was part of why we started this program, because of a workforce need in central Virginia for manufacturing engineers. There’s a lot of manufacturing taking place in Lynchburg. We saw a need and we jumped at it.

3. How will this program help with talent retention in the region?

The program won’t be successful unless we partner with regional companies, businesses, and manufacturing. We are starting discussions with many different organizations, including Lynchburg nuclear energy companies Framatome and BWXT, along with FANUC. We are talking with these companies about how we can partner, create internships, and how they can help educate our students. In our experience, when students become engaged with local companies through internships or other work-based learning, more often than not they choose to stay with those companies. That’s going to help talent retention in the region as long as we can form these partnerships and get students engaged with local businesses.

4. As you continue work on your GO Virginia project, what do you look forward to learning or doing?

I look forward to forming these partnerships and getting to know the needs of the companies in the area. One of our plans is to form an oversight committee, which will be made up of high school educators and people from local companies to make sure this program is responsive to people’s needs. Framatome has been on campus three times this summer already to interact with the engineering program. That’s the kind of thing I think is going to be really cool.

5. How will the GO Virginia funding help you move forward with this project?

We are using the GO Virginia grant entirely for equipment. It’s allowing us to buy robot arms, PLC trainers, laser cutters, and 3D printers, helping our students learn by doing. The college has been so supportive of this program, but it only has so many resources. The GO Virginia funding is so important, as engineering equipment is very expensive. We would still do a good job educating our students without it, but having equipment students will actually use in the workforce will better prepare them for their futures.

6. How many students are involved in the Mechatronics program at Randolph College?

There are 31 students in our intro engineering class this fall. That is far and above what we had imagined we would get. Our goal is to graduate 20 a year, so starting with 31 in the first year is a good start.

7. What hobbies and activities do you like to do in your spare time?

I’m a runner and was a competitive marathoner for much of my life. I used to serve as assistant coach for the NCAA team here on campus. I run every day, and I now mentor the track and cross-country team here.

8. What was the last book you read that you would recommend?

I read a lot. I’m currently reading Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, which is about the 1936 Olympic rowing team from the University of Washington. It’s a great book.

9. If you could invent anything, what would it be?

My wife and I have been married 27 years, and we always joke about flying cars. Flying cars really do exist; they just don’t have a market. So maybe flying cars. But the one thing that I really want, that I haven’t been fully satisfied with, is a plug-in hybrid car. Until they revolutionize battery charging or get more charging stations, the plug-in hybrids, while a great invention, are just not as good as they should be and don’t go as far as they should.