November 21, 2011 –
The Second Annual Multidisciplinary Design Program (MDP) has issued a call for projects. A collaboration between CALIT2 and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), the MDP engages UCI undergraduate students from all disciplines in design project teams mentored by at least two faculty from different schools at UCI. The “design” criterion is intended to be quite flexible, invoking the notion of creativity, novelty and innovation, although actual design is encouraged. The co-mentorship can be an existing or new collaboration.
The projects will be announced later this quarter, and students will be invited to apply and indicate projects of interest to them.
Selected by the mentors, the teams will incorporate their multidisciplinary knowledge and skills in developing a solid project design by the end of spring 2012. Each team is expected to submit an itemized budget not to exceed $5,000. CALIT2 will provide two-thirds of the funding while the remaining one-third will come from other sources (UROP, faculty grants, students’ personal funds, etc.). CALIT2 will provide working and meeting space on the second floor of the CALIT2 Building to serve these teams and support interaction between them and their mentors. Additional space may be provided by the mentors.
Faculty members are invited to participate by providing the following information about proposed projects:
* Project Title
* Co-Mentors: Names of potential faculty co-mentors, including those from other schools.
* Project Description: A one- to two-paragraph summary of the design questions being addressed or the goals of the creative activity. The project should be multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary in nature and engage one of the four thrust areas of CALIT2: Energy, Environment, Health Care, or Culture.
* Students’ Involvement and Expected Outcomes: Please elaborate on intended student activities, expected outcomes, and specific skills that the undergraduate will develop as a result of this involvement.
* Student Eligibility: You may specify preferences or requirements for the students’ prior coursework, special skills or majors of study. The program is open to all undergraduate students.
* Recommended Readings & Publications: Please provide a list of reference material for students to review to learn more about the topic and the proposed activities.
MDP Fellows will be invited to participate in various workshops on project management, team building, conflict resolution and other activities to ensure the success of each team and the overall experience. Students will receive academic credit through courses under the mentors’ names. The program will coordinate its activities with existing design programs and courses.
The goal of this unique program is to provide realistic preparation for post-graduation experiences, with students expected to interact effectively with individuals from other disciplines, and also to enhance their competitiveness for future success.
Project information should be emailed to Said Shokair by Monday, Nov. 28, 2011.
For more information, please contact Shokair, (949) 824-7701 or Andrea Bell-Wheelans, (949) 824-9073 or abellwhe@uci.edu.
