Welcome from School Head

At Penn State, we believe that engineering education should prepare students for the competitive, global workplaces of the future. In this tough economic climate, it is especially important for students to graduate with practical engineering experience that will enable them to contribute quickly and in a meaningful way to the goals of their future employers.

To this end, we encourage our students to get involved in engineering projects, starting in their first year and continuing throughout their undergraduate education. Within SEDTAPP and more broadly, within the College of Engineering, there are many opportunities for students to engage in exciting projects that impact our world, including those offered through our Engineering Design, Engineering Leadership Development, and Engineering Entrepreneurship programs.

In the Engineering Design Program, first-year students begin their engineering education by immersing themselves in a client-driven project, often sponsored by an industry partner, through the EDSGN 100 Introduction to Engineering Design course. At University Park alone, approximately 1,000 first-year students participate each year in this engineering design challenge, with the best teams from each section of the course presenting their design to the sponsor and a panel of external judges. In two honors sections and one non-honors section of the course, students work in collaboration with their peers in Singapore, Spain, and France on international industry projects, which helps them to develop both their technical skills and their intercultural competence. In their first-year seminars, as well as through a new summer abroad program, students have the opportunity to learn about and study engineering in China. Upper-level students in Engineering Leadership Development courses engage in multi-national design challenges in countries as far away as Hungary and Morocco. Students in the Engineering and Community Engagement certificate program are also making a real difference in places like Jamaica, El Salvador, and Kenya, where applications of their engineering skills are enhancing the lives of local people. Through the Engineering Entrepreneurship program, students learn how to channel their talents to create innovative ventures, products, and services to compete in the global marketplace. A number of enterprising Penn State students have already created several successful companies.

Through all these engagements, our students, faculty, and staff—in partnership with industry and international partners—are at the heart of curricular innovation in the College of Engineering. We invite you to follow and, more importantly, get involved with our efforts to produce world-class engineers who are leaders in design innovation and entrepreneurship. It is truly our partnerships—and our engagement with them—that strengthen our programs and enrich all that we do.

Sven Bilen, School Head

Sven Bilén, head of School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs; professor of engineering design; electrical engineering; and aerospace engineering.

 
 

About

The School of Engineering Design and Innovation delivers effective engineering education and unrivaled research opportunities through active, collaborative, project-based, and professionally oriented classroom experiences. The school offers a variety of programs that partner faculty, students, and industry in the study of real-life engineering problems. Our programs teach students to solve real-life problems with innovative solutions. 

School of Engineering Design and Innovation

304 Engineering Design and Innovation Building

The Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA 16802

Phone: 814-865-2952