The Institution
Texas A&M University aims to be the standard for world-class universities of the future by combining knowledge, research, and innovation to create solutions that will change the world. As Aggies, we strive to lead by example in everything we do. With such a varied academic environment, Texas A&M is full of possibilities for students. The mission of the College of Engineering is to serve Texas, the nation, and the global community by providing engineering graduates who are well founded in engineering fundamentals, instilled with the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior, and prepared to meet the complex technical challenges of society.
The Program
In 2012 the College of Engineering at Texas A&M established a signature program titled AggiE_Challenge to engage engineering undergraduates in vertically integrated, multi-disciplinary research team projects for course credit. Through AggiE_Challenge, undergraduate students interact with faculty and graduate student mentors to tackle Grand Challenges in Engineering. Students are encouraged to participate in AggiE_Challenge for more than one semester and develop breadth of knowledge beyond their major and skills to support effective collaborations across disciplines (for example, T-Shaped engineer). Furthermore, teams that show exceptional progress are invited to participate in the Summer Lean Startup 10-week program designed to support teams pursuing commercial potential of the technologies developed under the program. Our contributions to the VIP Consortium includes: 1) one of the largest VIP sites in the country, 2) one of the VIP sites that requires all teams to engage at least three majors in a team, 3) extensive experience in assessment, with instruments and processes that can be shared across the consortium.
