With the rate of technological change growing rapidly and technological systems becoming increasingly complex, engineers capable of designing adaptable systems from both a systems level and a component level are needed for the US to remain competitive. Addressing this problem requires a transformative change in engineering education. Thus a long-term goal of this project is to make this transformation a reality across the nation. Short-term goals of the project include the development of Technology Leaders, a transportable interdisciplinary program that will prepare engineers and technicians to lead geographically-distributed teams in the designing and building of multiscale agile systems. Building on prior work at the University of Virginia, Central Virginia Community College, and the Learning Factory at Penn State, the Technology Leaders program will integrate three elements: a new interdisciplinary, design-focused undergraduate curriculum; the hands-on Multiscale Agile Systems Technology Lab (MAST Lab); and applied summer educational experiences for students.
