2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The United States of America needs additional undergraduates prepared for the realities of modern manufacturing. A multitude of specific manufacturing technology sectors as well as the entire defense industry has expressed this need loudly and The Ohio State University (OSU) has developed a program to meet this need. Over the past ten years, Ohio State’s Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME) has developed and executed paid experiential learning opportunities for hundreds of students (n=367) in multiple areas of advanced manufacturing. These students worked with private industry as well as public organizations to execute real world projects over multi-year durations, all while receiving direct mentorship from professional staff members. As of 2024, the center has grown to simultaneously employing over 120 students from a wide variety of disciplines ranging from Aeronautical Engineering to Film Studies. It is through these experiences that CDME is increasing the number of highly skilled graduates poised to enter the national manufacturing workforce.