Supporting interdisciplinary learning creates a bright future
Hokies gain hands-on experience and industry-mentorship in unique engineering courses open to all majors.
Interdisciplinary courses equip students with versatile skills for navigating an increasingly interconnected world. Open to any undergraduate student at Virginia Tech, these project-based opportunities encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and the ability to connect ideas across academic boundaries. Students who participate pursue unique research interests, like creating a prosthetic hand, optimizing a bacon press, or even designing a solar car. In addition to better preparing students to solve real-world challenges, these courses make them more competitive in the job market.
“The research I do shows that when students are able to physically work on a project it helps with knowledge transfer, which means learning that lasts is learning that is applied,” said Nicole Pitterson, assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Education.
Engineering education hosts three interdisciplinary courses:
Sponsored by industry partners, these courses are an opportunity to experience student-lead learning with mentorship and guidance from real-world professionals, all while engaging in projects that positively impact their community.
“Learning skills in other engineering fields has been really enjoyable. It's fun to do work that’s not related to my field. Working with students in other majors has made me more knowledgeable about interactions between different engineers, and I think this type of experience will be really valuable after graduation,” said Preston Aycock, senior in computer engineering and interdisciplinary capstone student.
Interdisciplinary Projects course (IDPro)
IDPro Is offered in the spring and fall semesters to sophomores and juniors across all majors at Virginia Tech. What’s unique is that students can enroll in the course for multiple semesters, continuing work on the same design challenge, choosing to join a new project, or start their own. Students have creative freedom over their research, helping to create a better space for learning. This has led to student projects like the Bacon Team. The team analyzed machines used in the bacon pressing process to find ways to improve the quality of the product.
“The main benefit of IDPro is that students can practice and develop their disciplinary and professional skills in an authentic, real-world project with other motivated students. They gain valuable experience that prepares them to become future leaders in the workforce,” said Mark Huerta, engineering education assistant professor for IDPro. Some of the projects teams are working on include health tracking apps, improving the efficiency of hydroponics, and enhancing tourism with wearable devices. Meet the Teams.
One project named the Limitless Accessible Aircraft project is mentored by individuals from The Boeing Company and the nonprofit organization All Wheels Up. The project aims to improve the flying experience for those with physical limitations while boarding and deboarding an aircraft. The teams’ current research focuses on better boarding processes for wheelchair users, as well as improving current methods of storing wheelchairs in passenger aircraft.
“The most important insight I've gained from this course is the importance of having mentors. Through my first semester of IDPro, I handled the communications with our faculty mentors. I gained experience in maintaining professional relationships, and I’m happy to say that I now have several mentors within Virginia Tech across multiple fields of interest,” said Alexander Shaw, first year general engineering student.
Student engineers take on open-ended, complex projects that require them to plan, track, and manage projects using tools from industry such as Gantt charts, traceability matrices, validation plans, and meeting summaries. This year-long course is offered to seniors across all disciplines in th College of Engineering. Team projects include established student design teams within the college like VT Solar Car and BOLT as well as teams sponsored by external industry partners such as Lockheed Martin and The Aerospace Corporation.
“With the IDC course being between multiple engineering disciplines it uniquely prepares us for post graduate careers because as we get jobs we will have to work with other engineering disciplines to make our goals a reality. This class shows us how to do that and how to best understand everyone's skills and what they can bring to the table,” said Makenzie Bourne, a senior mechanical engineering student.
The Para Skeleton team is one of 12 current IDC projects. Sponsored by the Quality of Life Plus organization, students are working to modify a bobsled so veterans with arm or leg amputations can get involved in the sport. Their current focus is developing a hand-controlled braking mechanism for a skeleton sled that will allow below-knee amputees to simulate the toe tapping and braking necessary for steering and braking. Additionally, the student team is designing a way to easily shift weight inside the skeleton body to create a more balanced sled for each athlete, based on their unique needs.
“My favorite part of this course has been bonding with my team over the challenges we've faced. It’s a challenging project that can be stressful, but it’s reassuring knowing we have each other. This course has prepared me for my future career by putting me in a diverse team of engineers,” said Taiyo Watt, senior mechanical engineering, IDC student on the Para-Skeleton Team. “In the future, I will work with people from various technical backgrounds, so it’s important to learn how to make things work when people don't share a common perspective."
Gray Undergraduate Research course, also known as GrayUR, is a yearlong, interdisciplinary intercollegiate course, taught by collegiate assistant professor David Gray, that allows Hokies to problem-solve with students at other universities. The teams are divided so there is one student from each school. The teams meet weekly via Zoom, and travel to meet with their groups in-person three times throughout the academic year. The College of Engineering is currently collaborating with students at Clemson School of Architecture, Boston College Applied Psychology, and Wentworth Institute of Technology Industrial Design.
“The project helps students develop broader perspectives on global issues by instilling a sense of empathy and by helping them develop a level of critical thinking that is hard through traditional coursework. Students learn to value and appreciate the skills and knowledge that others bring to the solution space. They learn to accommodate others' views, and to find ways to bring different voices into a conversation,” said David Gray, assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Education and faculty lead for GrayUR.
Whether it’s launching seniors into meaningful careers or encouraging collaboration with other universities, these courses are actively shaping the future of interdisciplinary education here at Virginia Tech.
Your support makes a difference
Past donations to interdisciplinary courses in the Department of Engineering Education have been used to purchase safety glasses, spools of 3D printer material, specialty software, an additional 3D printer, gas for a team to travel to visit their sponsor’s facility, and even custom printed circuit board manufacturing.
The future of Interdisciplinary work at Virginia Tech is bright. Helping support courses like these provides students with unique opportunities and experiences that help lay the fountain for their careers and redefine how we think about education.
Learn more about how you can support interdisciplinary education at Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering.
