Knowing the types of machines available at Bechtel Innovation Design Center and being familiar with how they work is fundamental to Purdue students’ projects; however, becoming an expert in a machine’s use in order to create only one piece for a class project seemed a bit excessive. Matthew Swabey, Bechtel’s director, needed a happy medium, so he enlisted Bechtel’s student employees, led by Anirudh Pal, to devise a solution.

Students, faculty and staff have been settling in to the Bechtel Innovation Design Center (BIDC), a state-of-the-art collaborative learning facility which opened in September 2017.

Collaborate to solve problems

The Bechtel Innovation Design Center gets students working together on projects

The center provides workspace for student projects to advance conceptual designs, build prototypes, and conduct product testing in a hands-on environment. Available 24/7 for Purdue innovators, it promotes teamwork, problem-solving, and collaboration for students in Purdue Polytechnic and the College of Engineering as they design, plan, and build capstone and other projects.

Use high tech to create new solutions

Undergraduate researchers do high-tech design in the Collaborative Robotics Lab

Sangjun Eom, a senior in Purdue Polytechnic’s School of Engineering Technology, learned about the possibility of creating wirelessly connected food storage products when he attended Purdue’s Research Roundtable as a new student. With graduate school as his eventual goal, Eom recognized that having experience with research would benefit him.

Over 150 students from Purdue Polytechnic Institute are enrolled this spring in the Purdue Polytechnic Leadership Academy, which prepares students to develop leadership competencies needed for career success in the 21st century.

Rosemary Astheimer challenged her students to design a device to launch a pingpong ball from a table. They tested their designs to see which would send the ball farthest.

After 40 years of teaching, Wes Crawford is being honored for his commitment to education and the construction industry. He will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) at their annual meeting in April 2017 in Seattle.

Explore the potential of your passions

Explore your interests with an undergraduate research experience

As a preteen building model airplanes in Portland, Tennessee, Evan Flatt wasn't aware of the potential for these planes to help collect scientific data. Now he is using his decade-long hobby to collect data for a $6.5 million research project for the U.S. Department of Energy.

“Our students in leadership are learning how to solve society’s wicked problems,” says Brett Crawford, assistant professor of technology leadership and innovation.

While most of Purdue’s students head home or to internships for the summer, Purdue Polytechnic continues its focus on STEM education with camps and workshops. The events reach potential future students as well as those who can help influence their college decisions.

Summer camps