2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

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This Work in Progress paper presents the development and implementation of a community-based design framework within a junior-level mechanical engineering course that aims to foster an entrepreneurial mindset and connect students with local industeries. The students work on the real-world problems faced by local organizations through semester-long design projects.

In one project, students collaborated with a county conservation district to analyze facility electricity consumption data and propose a solar-battery backup system to improve power reliability and resilience. In a parallel project, another student team partnered with a consulting engineering firm to explore waste-heat recovery strategies for an industrial glass furnace. These partnerships provided students with meaningful opportunities to interact directly with practicing engineers, interpret real-world data, and apply design methodology to open-ended community problems.

The course structure emphasizes iterative design, stakeholder communication, and systems thinking. Students are guided through processes including problem definition, constraint identification, concept generation, and cost–benefit analysis, supported by data such as monthly energy usage records and field interview summaries. Throughout the semester, teams participate in structured meetings with external mentors and produce technical reports, presentations, and design proposals modeled after professional practice.

Assessment focuses on three dimensions: (1) enhancement of technical and communication skills through project deliverables, (2) growth in entrepreneurial mindset attributes (i.e., curiosity, connection-making, and value creation) evaluated through reflection prompts, and (3) demonstration of ABET outcomes related to engineering design and teamwork. Early results from student reflections indicate stronger motivation, improved confidence in design decision-making, and greater appreciation of the societal context of engineering work.

The paper discusses instructional strategies, assessment rubrics, and coordination methods that enabled effective collaboration between academia, government, and industry. Lessons learned from integrating multiple stakeholders, managing logistics, and aligning technical rigor with community relevance are also highlighted. Future iterations will extend this model to other courses and explore longitudinal assessment of its impact on student professional formation.

Acknowledgement:
This initiative was supported through an internal educational innovation grant aimed at fostering the entrepreneurial mindset in engineering students.