Lafayette College has added two new minors to its curriculum for this academic year: electrical and computer engineering and music technology.
According to Ismail Jouny, the department head of electrical and computer engineering, the minor focuses on “anything power-related” or “internet-related,” which includes solar power, wind power and computer networks.
Jouny believes a minor in this subject will benefit students already majoring in different engineering disciplines.
“It will be attractive to an employer to know that in addition to their chemical or mechanical or civil engineering degree, they know a little bit of electrical,” Jouny said. “Engineers are integrated these days.”
Lindsey Huppin ‘25, an integrative engineering major concentrating in biology, chose to minor in electrical and computer engineering after discovering a passion for the electrical side of engineering at the end of her sophomore year.
Huppin said the minor “helps me define what my interests are, especially for what I want to go into for my career.”
Jorge Torres, the music department head and associate professor of music, worked with visiting part-time instructor Christopher Badami to develop the music technology minor.
“Music tech is anything technology related for the making of music,” said Badami, who is currently the only teacher of Music Technology I and II at Lafayette.
“I think it’s more on the production side, whether that’s music production or podcast production, digital media production and, obviously, the audio engineering aspect of it too,” he explained.
Zhou Yi ‘27 plans to minor in music technology, hoping to combine music and business in his future career.
“I love them,” Yi said of his music technology classes. “I have the chance to learn how to mix everything.”
“I think we have a lot of interest,” Badami said of the minor. “We’re attracting students from all across campus — it’s not just for those who are majoring in music and have this big musical background.”
Both Badami and Torres mentioned that the Sherman Fairchild Foundation grant, which Lafayette received in 2022, was instrumental in the creation of the music technology program.
“If there’s enough interest in that, we can show a need for making more out of it, like a major in the future,” Torres said of the program.
Torres is additionally preparing to present his plans to the Board of Trustees for another new program, a major in Latin American and Caribbean studies.
