Engineer Together Day brings collaborative opportunities for college community

The second annual Engineer Together Day, hosted Feb. 15 in the Brown-Kopel Center by the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s Inclusion and Diversity Committee, will feature a student Design for Humanity Challenge, a resource fair and the announcement of the 2024 Engineer Together Design Competition winner. A separate agenda geared toward faculty, staff and graduate students will feature sessions focused on neurodiversity in the classroom, recruitment, mental health and providing a supportive environment for all.

“Engineer Together Day stands as a testament to our shared commitment towards building a community where every voice is heard, and every member feels they belong. It's a day dedicated to harnessing our collective strengths, respecting our varied perspectives and working together to forge innovative solutions for the challenges that lie ahead,” said Victoria Ballard, an industrial and systems engineering doctoral student and Engineer Together fellow.

“Engineer Together Day offers a unique platform for all of us to learn from one another, grow together and reinforce our bonds as engineers and as a community. It’s about celebrating our unity, our passion for engineering and our commitment to working side by side to create a future that benefits us all. I encourage everyone to join us, to be part of this inspiring journey of collaboration, learning and mutual respect. Together, we are not just stronger; we are unstoppable.”

A highlight from last year’s inaugural Engineer Together Day was the Design for Humanity challenge. The challenge is back, posing a people-centric engineering design problem to teams of students who work with a faculty member or industry-representative coach to design solutions that consider diverse needs and a wide variety of users.

The Office of Career Development and Corporate Relations (CDCR) is hosting the Design for Humanity Challenge and has lined up industry-representative coaches from companies including AM/NS Calvert, Amazon Web Services, AT&T, Chick-fil-A, ExxonMobil, Google and Olivia Cook Enterprises. The challenge will be offered in two sessions to allow for the maximum participation. The challenge will be led by Jeffrey LaMondia, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, alongside Marissa Miller, CDCR assistant director of career coaching, and Jessica Bowers, CDCR manager of career development content and strategy.

“There are a number of goals associated with the Design for Humanity Challenge,” Bowers said. “First, we aim to educate students on career readiness competencies sought by employers and examine tasks where specific competencies are developed. Next, we will be embedding faculty members and industry professionals with participating students to provide guidance and feedback for student groups examining tasks in a practical scenario.

“Finally, we are creating a space for students to practice designing solutions with a people-focused mindset and recognize failures that can occur when diverse needs and perspectives are not appropriately considered.”

Engineer Together Day will take place in Brown-Kopel Grand Hall from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Lunch will be provided. The full event schedule is available online.