2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The PROGRAM NAME program in the College of Engineering at LARGE STATE SUPPORTED INSTITUTION, is a muti-partner initiative that places engineering students in summer internships in rural communities across the state. The paper and presentation will detail the history and motivation for this program, the partners and their roles, the mechanics of the program, and data and results from over five years of experiences.

The goals and objectives of the PROGRAM NAME program are to: Provide experiential learning for students to apply classroom knowledge into the real world, Develop talent pipelines that expose students to rewarding careers in rural areas, Support rural economic growth by embedding technical and managerial talent in small and mid-sized companies, Advance LARGE STATE SUPPORTED INSTITUTION’S land-grant mission by linking classroom learning with statewide impact. These goals and objectives are accomplished through a unique collaborative team committed to the program and its success: the College of Engineering, Career Development Center, and Industrial Expansion Solutions offices.

Quantitative and qualitative results confirm the program’s success, and will be described in the paper and presented, including: economic impact data ($12.36 million, including the retention or growth of 228 jobs in rural manufacturing); scale and participation data (since launch in 2018 the program has impacted ~500 students representing multiple engineering majors, engaged 195 employers across 62 rural counties–5,000 student applications were submitted for summer 2025 internship opportunities); and skill development data (post-survey data includes topics related to career and self-development, communication, and critical thinking metrics).

PROGRAM NAME has proven to be replicable and scalable. Its cost-share model and multi-unit collaboration make it financially sustainable and adaptable for other disciplines such as business, healthcare, and agriculture. LARGE STATE SUPPORTED INSTITUTION has already begun extending the model.

For other institutions, the program offers a roadmap for linking higher education, workforce development, and community engagement. By connecting students with rural employers, universities can simultaneously develop talent, drive regional innovation, and fulfill public-service missions, creating a model that strengthens both people and place.