Two hundred students walked the stage during the Fall Commencement at South Carolina State University. Perhaps none was prouder than Omar Shaheed III, the first mechatronics engineering graduate from the inaugural program.
Shaheed was a rising high school senior when he visited the campus and learned about mechatronics.
In 2023, South Carolina State University's College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Transportation introduced a new mechatronics engineering program.
The degree merges mechanical engineering and electrical engineering, and includes advanced control systems to design, build, and operate smart systems and processes.
Modern mechatronics also integrates elements of aviation, artificial intelligence (AI), telecommunications, and cybersecurity.
In the fall of 2021, Morgan State University became the first historically Black college and university in Maryland to offer a Bachelor of Science in Mechatronics Engineering.
The Mitchell School of Engineering at Morgan State started this interdisciplinary program to address growing workforce needs in industries such as aerospace, automotive, biomedical, energy, and advanced manufacturing.
Students learn to develop electromechanical systems by integrating mechanics, electronics, and computer science, which helps them create new products and automated systems. The curriculum includes topics like AI, big data, robotics, IoT, 3D printing, and cybersecurity, all aimed at preparing students for advanced manufacturing careers.
Morgan State expects to graduate its first students in mechatronics engineering by spring 2026.
In December 2025, South Carolina State University celebrated its first graduate from the mechatronics engineering program.
At the December 11 Fall Commencement, Omar Shaheed III, the program’s first enrolled student, received his degree.
Like Ethan Joyner, who transferred from the Community College of Baltimore County’s computer engineering program to study mechatronics at Morgan State, Shaheed switched from SC State’s electrical engineering technology program while the mechatronics program was still being developed.
In January 2026, Shaheed will begin working full-time at Boeing South Carolina, where the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is assembled and delivered.
He previously completed three internships at Boeing, including work on Lean Six Sigma process improvements, an Air Force One project focused on manufacturing and engineering, and a production engineering internship.
After launching the mechatronics engineering program, SC State’s Department of Engineering has also introduced degrees in industrial engineering and civil engineering. The university plans to add majors in computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering starting in January 2026.
At Morgan State, one mechatronics project involves students developing predictive control and mathematical solutions for NASA.