Resources

Often in engineering, “multidisciplinary” refers to different branches of engineering. A multidisciplinary team might have electrical, mechanical and industrial engineers on it. However, when students become practicing engineers, they will no longer be working solely with other engineers but students in all different majors like business, English, history, or math. By working in multidisciplinary teams, students will recognize the value of a different skill sets to contributing to the project cycle. Students will improve their soft skills through peer sharing and problem solving to improve team communications. Students become better prepared for demands of work and life which requires strong teaming skills for success.

Human-centered design is a creative approach to problem. It is a process that starts with the people you are designing for and ends with new solutions that are tailor-made to suit their needs. Human-centered design is all about building a deep empathy with the people you are designing your EPICS project for; generating tons of ideas; building a bunch of rapid prototypes; sharing what you have made with the people; and eventually putting your innovative new solution out in the world.

Service learning is a pedagogy that integrates academic learning with community-based work. Teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities. EPICS provides significant service to the community while learning; gain an understanding of the role that engineering (and their discipline) can play in society and the broader issues related to the needs we are addressing.

Learn how to be better designers, gain design knowledge and skills; learn how to apply disciplinary knowledge to real and possibly ill-defined problems; learn how to identify and acquire new knowledge; learn to collaborate with people from other disciplines and develop an appreciation for cross-disciplinary contributions in design.

Understand the difference between an entrepreneurial venture operating as a business trying to make a profit and the opportunity to cure social problems with creative and innovative approaches to problem solving. Students will be given roles as change agents, in order to bring innovation and fresh thinking to what are often long-term problems.

Develop the broad set of skills needed to be successful in the changing global workplace and world as a working professional. This includes presentation skills, documentation, innovative design, navigating partnerships, working with municipalities and community partners to deliver specific design needs.