Impact: Innovation through multidisciplinary projects and collaborative teams

Abstract

IMPaCT (Innovation through Multidisciplinary Projects and Collaborative Teams) is a collaborative effort between faculty, students and industry representing engineering, business and other colleges. The goal of IMPaCT is to support multidisciplinary design experiences for engineering, business and other students (for example: graphic design, nursing, and education.) As a result, IMPaCT promotes a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation throughout the university and region. IMPaCT's year-long multidisciplinary design projects provide opportunities for students to experience the entire research, development and marketing process. IMPaCT courses provide vertical integration by including freshman through senior students in the product design process as well as horizontal integration across various disciplines and majors. IMPaCT students can earn technical elective credit as well as capstone design credit. To date, IMPaCT teams have included a variety of junior and senior engineers (mechanical, biomedical, electrical) along with finance, marketing and MBA students. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2007.