Become an Industry Sponsor of First-Year Engineering Design
Introduction to Engineering Design (EDSGN 100) at Penn State
If your company is looking for a unique way to impact first-year engineering design education at Penn State, consider sponsoring an EDSGN 100 design project.
Why do we run an industry-sponsored design project?
Students find the industry sponsorship of these projects to be extremely relevant as it gives them an understanding of what they will be doing as engineers when they graduate.
Projects sponsored by industry tend to be multidimensional and highly interdisciplinary, allowing us to include a broad range of practical topics such as economics, management, customer needs, benchmarking, decision-making tools, and ethics.
While many projects have been product design, we have also done component design, service (and system) design, and process design projects. What are the benefits to your company?
Exposure of your company to approximately 450 students for a semester. The project may also be used in corporate and university press releases.
Prolific idea creation, with market value, that is documented in web reports of over 100 four-student teams. These teams tackle your design problem and document the entire design process, from customer needs assessment concept generation and selection to documented final design model or prototype.
Early identification of students for internships and future hire. Past sponsors have hired student interns and full-time employees from the pool of students who worked on their industry-sponsored design project.
What are the resources required of your company?
- An appropriate project selection from your company. We will work with you to develop this project description and to make sure the project meets your goals and those of the course. This is often accomplished via teleconferences and email exchanges.
Two visits to Penn State University Park. We recommend two visits to Penn State: the first to kick off the project and the second to participate as a judge at the Design Expo. During fall semester, plan for visits in mid-October and early December; during spring semester, late February and late April.
- One person designated as the project contact to answer student and faculty questions via email and/or phone. We serve as a gatekeeper for all questions and only forward appropriate questions. An on-line FAQ is developed from all questions and responses so that questions are not repeated.
- If needed, host one visit for a few Penn State faculty to your facility in order to understand unique aspects of the design and the sponsor’s industry.
A loan of any unique items to help the students understand various aspects of the design project.
- Funding to run the design lab and provide students with additional materials for models and prototyping. The amount required is project specific.
To see samples of past sponsored projects, visit the EDSGN 100
Project Database
on the web.
To discuss your interest and possible projects, please contact:
Prof. Sven Bilén
Design Curriculum Coordinator
213N Hammond Bldg
University Park, PA 16802
sbilen@psu.edu
814-863-1526