Two faculty members at the University of Georgia College of Engineering passed the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Exam and became licensed as Professional Engineers in 2023: Mark Trudgen and Brock Woodson.

Trudgen, Senior Lecturer in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Woodson, Professor in the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural, and Mechanical Engineering, join the ranks of over a dozen other UGA Engineering faculty members with their PE license.

Administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, the PE Exam tests for competency in a particular engineering discipline. The exam is designed for engineers with a minimum of four years work experience in their engineering discipline.

Woodson, who took and passed the exam earlier this year, became the first UGA faculty member to receive his PE license while on faculty in more than 28 years.

“Obtaining professional licensure as an engineer shows a strong commitment to the profession, and to society,” said Woodson. “Personally, I worked toward licensure to demonstrate to practicing engineers and our students that I was committed to the practice, not just the academic side of engineering.”

This fall, Trudgen became the second faculty member to pass the PE this calendar year.

“One of the reasons I pushed through to get the PE is because I believe in lifelong learning,” said Trudgen. “There’s no possible way you can learn all the skills you need for life in four short years in undergrad. This is the start of your journey.”

Trudgen’s advice for passing the exam? “Set goals! I cannot overstate the importance of setting goals.”

“I want to commend Drs. Trudgen and Woodson on this remarkable achievement,” said College of Engineering Dean Donald Leo. “Becoming a professional engineer is an important milestone in anyone’s career, but the fact that Drs. Trudgen and Woodson achieved this milestone as full-time faculty members demonstrates their dedication to the engineering profession and to the success of our students.”

By Lillian Ballance