91ÊÓƵ

Students in 91ÊÓƵ’s unique Engineering Design program aren’t coming up with ways to build a better mouse trap. Rather, they’re using creative studio experiences to apply elements of design, prototyping, testing, and professional skills to develop creative client-focused products that are making a difference in other’s lives and opening career opportunities in industry and graduate schools across the country. 

Engineering Design’s human-centered approach has forged new ground in engineering education since its introduction in 2018. It achieved accreditation status for , and the organization bestowed its on the program for bringing new dimensions to improve students’ technical educational experience. 

“We didn’t start out trying to develop reflective engineering (bringing the power of introspective to innovative minds) but it has been an excellent byproduct,” says program director , PhD. “Our students are striving to create better places and leave a positive effect in everything they do.”

That’s what happened when , a device that allowed 3-year-old Kala Steiner to take her first steps in learning to swim and compete in the Indiana Summer Olympic Games in the spring and summer of 2019. 

There’s also the lightweight and fashionable that through haptic devices and other technology allows users to “feel” music being played at a concert, on the radio, or by an audio player. The jacket, developed in 2024, could enable music to be more assessable to those with auditory impairments.

And there’s the , , , and that’s among the more than 75 specially designed toys designed, developed, and tested by student teams over the past 10 years for Reach Services’ lending library to help the community organization expand the motor and cognitive skills of children with special needs.

These experiences paved the way for 2024 engineering design alum Grace Eggers to work in the Makers Program with the Illinois Assistive Technology Program. She is a product engineer who designs free custom products, using assistive technology, for people in Illinois with disabilities. “Through the Engineering Design program, I was able to learn how to communicate and collaborate with clients to ensure I have a good relationship with them to get them a product that is useful,” she says. “Knowing how to ask the right questions to the client and design based off that information is really important. I want to make sure I give them a product that works, and the best way to do that is understanding them.”

The Engineering Design program prepares students for careers by giving them six intensive design experiences, from their first class on campus to the senior year, with real clients on . Three first-year design labs in the Fowler Academic Building introduce students to a broad understanding of modeling systems across disciplines and repeated practice in prototyping solutions for clients.

Along the way, students select one of seven concentrations (covering biomedical engineering, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, robotics, and software engineering) as they continue to explore deeper into the design process. Second-year students also learn the process of on-boarding into existing projects as they work with seniors one quarter and first-year students another. 

The third year has students participating in two 20-week practicums, gaining professional work experience within the design process. There are also opportunities for students to study-work abroad and have extensive cooperative work experiences. Then, everything culminates with a senior year in which students use their technical electives and participate in a yearlong, multidisciplinary capstone design experience to prepare for professional practice.   

“Engineering Design’s program is a human-centered endeavor for creative thinkers who want to get busy learning by doing in a hands-on, immersive educational experience,” remarks Brackin. She points out that the program’s mission is to graduate students who embrace the ambiguity of design, tackle projects with gusto, commit to professional and ethical responsibilities while remembering global, social, economic, and environmental considerations, communicate respectfully and effectively, and create in collaborative and inclusive teams.

Engineering Design graduates have gone on to work in industry with such companies as Raytheon Missile Systems, Milwaukee Tool, Endress+Hauser, and Resultant. They also have started their own entrepreneurial enterprises and are attending graduate schools throughout the country.

Jesus Capo, a 2023 Engineering Design alum, is currently in GE Appliances’ Edison Engineering Development Program, learning how to implement Wi-Fi hardware technology into home appliances—applying technical skills in circuit design, programming, mechanical engineering principles, Computer Assisted Design modeling, and experimental testing methods and statistics. He is also studying for a master’s degree in electrical engineering.

“I was drawn to Engineering Design because it was a program that promoted the development of every key skill necessary to oversee the launch of a successful project, from technical to human-centered design to people and entrepreneurial skills,” he says. “The best aspect of Engineering Design is the holistic focus on all aspects of successfully bringing an idea to life.”

The opportunities to complete hands-on client-based projects that produce students with dynamic project portfolios are a key program asset, according to several recent Engineering Design alumni.

Meanwhile, 2023 program graduate Caleb Boutell saw Engineering Design as a program that could apply his creative and problem-solving skills in a multitude of practical design in class and through the yearlong industry practicum. He now is a research and design engineer with IMI Norgren. “The minimum of nine months industry experience by graduation is a game-changer. By the time I was hunting for a real job, I had seen four different companies with their own products, workflows, and cultures, which helped me stand out as an applicant,” he says.

As a new product engineer with the Jasper Group, 2024 alum Jackson Kabrick is aligning design-with-manufacturing capabilities, through using rapid prototyping and structural and material analysis, and presenting concepts to internal stakeholders. These are valuable lessons learned throughout the Engineering Design program.

“Engineering Design gave me the flexibility to explore multiple paths, while still gaining a solid technical foundation. It was the best option for developing a broad engineering skillset while also participating in real-world, project-based experiences. The best aspect of the Engineering Design program was its emphasis on project-based learning. I had the opportunity to collaborate with classmates on real, practical challenges, and I learned to communicate with people from a variety of technical and non-technical backgrounds,” he remarks.

Learn more about the Engineering Design program at .