Project-based multidisciplinary graduate program for community-centered design

Nathalia Peixoto; Padmanabhan Seshaiyer; Siddhartha Sikdar; Holly Matto

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Conference: ASEE Southeast Section Conference
Location: Arlington, Virginia
Publication Date: March 12, 2023
Start Date: March 12, 2023
End Date: March 14, 2023
Conference Session: Graduate School
Tagged Topics: Diversity and Professional Engineering Education Papers
Page Count: 9
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--45033
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/45033
Download Count: 77

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Paper Authors

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Nathalia Peixoto George Mason University

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Nathalia Peixoto received her BSc and MSc degrees in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering
from the University of Campinas (Brazil). Her work focused on experimental models for migraines.
During her doctoral work she took part in the German Retina Implant project (University of Bonn). She obtained
her PhD in Microelectronics from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. As a post-doctoral
researcher with Stanford University, she investigated microfabricated oxygen sensors for cardiac cells. Presently
she is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering, with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department,
and she directs the Neural Engineering Lab at George Mason University (Fairfax, VA). Her research
interests include assistive technology and implantable electrodes for neuro-disorders.

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Padmanabhan Seshaiyer George Mason University

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Dr. Padmanabhan Seshaiyer is a tenured faculty member at George Mason University (GMU). He has served as the Director of the STEM Accelerator Program and the COMPLETE Center at GMU. His research interests include numerical analysis, computational mathematics, biomechanics, scientific computing, engineering design and STEM education.

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Siddhartha Sikdar George Mason University

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Holly Matto George Mason University

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Abstract

Evidence from prior research demonstrates that community engagement benefits all stakeholders, including educational institutions. Here we report on student outcomes, positive impact, and on barriers we encountered for three cohorts of an NSF-funded multidisciplinary graduate program (NRT) at George Mason University with a strong component of community engagement and user-centered design. Cohorts of 12, 14, and 18 graduate students were admitted to our program. Their background ranged from psychology, neuroscience, computer science, social work, and several engineering disciplines. During the summer faculty from several different fields (Engineering, Computer Science, Social Work, Education, Psychology) offer workshops covering data science, design cycle, MVP (minimal viable product), stakeholder interviews, community partner introduction. During the academic year each cohort forms teams and decides on a subject they are passionate about. There is a requirement for a community partner and engagement to be in place early on in this process and throughout the academic year, when teams design and develop a solution to a problem presented by the partner. Typically, engineering projects are conducted “about” or “for” an identified population, or with the aim to develop novel solutions to existing problems. The NSF community-engaged NRT at Mason is unique in that project teams collaboratively engage “with” community stakeholders and identified population members throughout all aspects of the process, from idea generation, design and implementation, to dissemination. At the end of the year, our NRT teams and community partners showcase their projects at our annual retreat where participants from the community agencies representing several disciplines and settings attend. One objective of our program is to offer graduate students a multidisciplinary perspective that goes beyond their subject knowledge as acquired through their original graduate program. For example, a computer scientist would not have access to previously incarcerated individuals during their PhD program, but in our program, they were immersed in a project that required them to interview people reentering society. This change in perspective is accomplished by the “team science” environment during this one year. A second objective is to impact change and gain the trust of community partners. Over time we have observed the continuation of interest by community partners and the focusing of their requests, as they gain familiarity with the program and with previous projects. In this manuscript we describe the process we have implemented and how we have adapted it over the three cohorts in order to engage graduate students in the design cycle and deliver outcomes to the community partners.

Citation
Format

Peixoto, N., & Seshaiyer, P., & Sikdar, S., & Matto, H. (2023, March), Project-based multidisciplinary graduate program for community-centered design Paper presented at ASEE Southeast Section Conference, Arlington, Virginia. 10.18260/1-2--45033

TY - CPAPER
AB - Evidence from prior research demonstrates that community engagement benefits all stakeholders, including educational institutions. Here we report on student outcomes, positive impact, and on barriers we encountered for three cohorts of an NSF-funded multidisciplinary graduate program (NRT) at George Mason University with a strong component of community engagement and user-centered design.
Cohorts of 12, 14, and 18 graduate students were admitted to our program. Their background ranged from psychology, neuroscience, computer science, social work, and several engineering disciplines. During the summer faculty from several different fields (Engineering, Computer Science, Social Work, Education, Psychology) offer workshops covering data science, design cycle, MVP (minimal viable product), stakeholder interviews, community partner introduction. During the academic year each cohort forms teams and decides on a subject they are passionate about. There is a requirement for a community partner and engagement to be in place early on in this process and throughout the academic year, when teams design and develop a solution to a problem presented by the partner.
Typically, engineering projects are conducted “about” or “for” an identified population, or with the aim to develop novel solutions to existing problems. The NSF community-engaged NRT at Mason is unique in that project teams collaboratively engage “with” community stakeholders and identified population members throughout all aspects of the process, from idea generation, design and implementation, to dissemination. At the end of the year, our NRT teams and community partners showcase their projects at our annual retreat where participants from the community agencies representing several disciplines and settings attend.
One objective of our program is to offer graduate students a multidisciplinary perspective that goes beyond their subject knowledge as acquired through their original graduate program. For example, a computer scientist would not have access to previously incarcerated individuals during their PhD program, but in our program, they were immersed in a project that required them to interview people reentering society. This change in perspective is accomplished by the “team science” environment during this one year. A second objective is to impact change and gain the trust of community partners. Over time we have observed the continuation of interest by community partners and the focusing of their requests, as they gain familiarity with the program and with previous projects.
In this manuscript we describe the process we have implemented and how we have adapted it over the three cohorts in order to engage graduate students in the design cycle and deliver outcomes to the community partners.

AU - Nathalia Peixoto
AU - Padmanabhan Seshaiyer
AU - Siddhartha Sikdar
AU - Holly Matto
CY - Arlington, Virginia
DA - 2023/03/12
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Project-based multidisciplinary graduate program for community-centered design
UR - https://peer.asee.org/45033
DO - 10.18260/1-2--45033
ER -