Workforce-Ready: Undergraduate Engineering Education for Materials Science and Engineering

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

The Materials Science and Engineering department at University of Arizona is developing a variety of curricular reforms promoting an integrated, experience-based approach to learning, while forging links between the educational experience and career-related experiences. The focus of this grant is to plan the creation of three interrelated programs, the Experiential Learning Laboratory, the Materials Engineering Clinic, and the Community and Materials Partnership. The Community and Materials Partnership will create and coordinate service learning opportunities for all engineering students, collaborating with such organizations as the Arizona State Museum, the University of Arizona Science Center, the Tucson Children's Museum, the Engineering Ambassador program, and the Engineering Academy. Participation in this program will illustrate how engineers can give back to the community, and awaken and reinforce civic responsibility in our students. The emphasis is on recruiting and retaining under-represented minorities. The program is advancing the quality of the University of Arizona's Department of Material Science and Engineering. This is an intellectually and technically challenging field of study growing in importance to U.S. industry. The career training and service learning components appear well suited to specific local and regional needs. Other engineering departments should see heuristic value in this initiative.