This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) project at Washington State University supports the development of a multi-disciplinary doctoral training program focused on designing and studying health-assistive smart environments. This IGERT will provide integrated training in the complementary disciplines of computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, psychology, sociology, and health care to prepare scientists who can design smart environment techniques and use them to study aging and the development of health interventions. The faculty of the program will develop collaborative and sustaining interdisciplinary research opportunities in this area, provide new interdisciplinary classes that combine theoretical and practical learning experiences, and build leadership and cooperation skills through team problem-solving. Students will obtain real-world experience through internships and will understand user needs by living in on-campus smart environments. This IGERT program will partner with on-campus Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs, enhancing participation by students from underrepresented groups. IGERT participants will conduct research to determine whether technology can automatically monitor and analyze human health and behavior, whether it can simulate human behavior and activities, whether it can enhance human physical and cognitive abilities, and whether these technologies can be accepted by society. This program is intended to make a contribution to a generation of a workforce that is trained in multiple, complementary disciplines and that will open the door to new avenues of health and science research. IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.
