Since its inception in 2012, more than 1,000 students have participated in the AggiE_Challenge for one or more semesters by enrolling in one of the 70+ faculty led projects. Most AggiE_Challenge teams consist of ten or more students representing three or more engineering majors while there are also smaller teams consisting of five or more students representing at least two majors. The program is open to students from freshman to senior level. Students who participate in the program by enrolling in an ENGR – 491 section and receive course credit (1-4 credit hours). In 2016-17, 292 students participated in the program representing all engineering majors and all classifications ( 41% seniors, 35% juniors, 24% sophomore/freshman). In addition, the 2016-17 cohort included 28% females and 26% ethnic minorities.
The College of Engineering supports the program by providing:
- Financial support towards the graduate student mentor
- Financial support towards project supplies
- Promotion of projects
- Graduate student training for effective management of teams
- Community building events for undergraduate program participants
- Support for students presenting their work at national events
The program is a member of the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Consortium funded by The Helmsley Charitable Trust.
Presentations, Awards, and Publications
ASEE paper: “Multidisciplinary Vertically Integrated Teams Working on Grand Challenges”