The College of Engineering is creating a new Innovation Ecosystem that fosters a range of creative activities from design to entrepreneurship. This new ecosystem provides a variety of programs, places and people to enable students to grow into creative and successful engineers. It fosters an environment where multidisciplinary teams thrive while working on real world projects throughout an array of interdisciplinary spaces. The Ecosystem provides dynamic and accessible spaces for students to engage with conceptualization, design development and prototyping technologies, thereby lowering barriers to entry and diversifying participation. It also provides the tools students need to develop an entrepreneurial mindset that will enable them to transform their ideas – whether into a startup company or within a larger organization.
The hub of the Innovation Ecosystem is the new Diane Bryant Engineering Student Design Center (ESDC). The Diane Bryant ESDC transforms how our students engage in design curriculum, collaborate on interdisciplinary projects, learn about entrepreneurship and receive the hands-on guidance that complements theory explored in the classroom. As the university’s primary prototyping facility for student teams and research groups, the Diane Bryant ESDC offers indispensable education, resources and support. To meet a rapidly growing demand and elevate student learning experiences, the center is currently expanding from 9,000 square feet to a 23,000-square-foot space designed specifically for engineering design, innovation and entrepreneurship education.
