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Program

About The Program

Overview & Purpose

The Summer Engineering Research Experience provides Ivy Tech Engineering and Green2Gold students a paid, eight-week research experience under direct faculty supervision. Two high-performing students are selected each year to engage in meaningful engineering research and scholarly activity.

The program is designed to strengthen student engagement, improve transfer and graduate-school readiness, and enhance Ivy Tech's academic and scholarly impact — culminating in a formal end-of-summer research presentation, a submitted technical paper, and a conference presentation if accepted.

Why It Matters

Research-based learning is a recognized high-impact practice. Scaled appropriately for an AS Engineering environment, the program builds on Ivy Tech's collaborations with Purdue University and Cummins, reinforcing its role as a gateway into advanced engineering education and industry.

  • Deepens technical understanding and problem-solving skills
  • Increases retention and persistence in engineering pathways
  • Strengthens transfer readiness to four-year programs
  • Enhances career readiness for industry & research roles

Program Structure

  • Duration: 8 weeks during the summer term · approximately 20–25 hours per week per student.
  • Cohort: Two students per year, selected from the Engineering and Green2Gold student pool.
  • Weekly Cadence: Mon / Wed / Fri technical meetings (4–5 PM): theory & planning, troubleshooting, and progress presentations.
  • Faculty Load: Mentorship is treated as equivalent to a 3-credit-hour summer course, reflecting the sustained instructional commitment.

Student Learning Outcomes

By the conclusion of the program, participating students will be able to:

  1. Apply engineering fundamentals to open-ended technical problems
  2. Use professional engineering software tools (e.g., ANSYS Student Edition)
  3. Analyze and interpret computational simulation results
  4. Communicate technical findings through written and oral formats
  5. Understand the academic research and peer-review process
  6. Apply machine learning to AI-assisted mechanical design methods — and validate its limits

Investment & Sustainability

  • $8,000 — Student stipends (2 × $4,000), partly via EARN Indiana
  • $0 — Software (ANSYS free student licenses)
  • $3,900 — Analysis workstation (Ivy Tech Columbus)
  • ~$5,000 — Conference registration, travel & lodging
Total estimated annual budget ≈ $17,000
With demonstrated success, the program is positioned to become a signature enrichment opportunity — improving transfer success, producing peer-reviewed publications affiliated with Ivy Tech, and expanding in future years to additional mentors and interdisciplinary themes.