S17: Industrial participation in engineering capstone projects

The Capstone Design Project for an undergraduate engineer is one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences of their undergraduate career. The Capstone Project is often the first time an engineering student experiences an industrial “challenge” where they must solve the situation/problem and deliver a report that addresses not only the design but also financial and regulatory implications of the design. There are many different ways to teach the Capstone Course  and at the University of Pennsylvania (UPENN) for approximately 65 years the Chemical Product and Process Design Course in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department has been taught by “Industrial Consultants” with the assistance of the UPENN Faculty. The “Industrial Consultants” set the content based upon real world problems they create and they meet with the students regularly to guide them and encourage them. The industrial problems have evolved over the years to include biotechnology problems such as designing a manufacturing facility to produce a new biopharmaceutical therapy or to produce a biochemical. It will be discussed how industry is partnering with academia to deliver  Capstone  Engineering Design Courses that follow the “Industrial Consultant Model” and how this model is expanding and impacting undergraduate engineering education.

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to the many students that have gone through the “Industrial Consultant” Model Capstone Design Course and have made it rewarding for all involved.

Warren D. Seider, PhD, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at UPENN

Len Fabiano, Adjunct Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at UPENN