Through a new collaboration with the David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement, Cornell Engineering will ensure that every undergraduate student in the college participates in high-quality, community-engaged learning experiences – providing all students the opportunity to apply their technical skills to real-world community challenges.
The Einhorn Center will provide $1 million over three years, as part of its Engaged College Initiative, to support an ambitious “engaged engineering” framework that combines Cornell Engineering’s strengths in experiential learning with impactful partnerships. The framework will provide multiple pathways for students to experience community-engaged learning at a range of scales, from hyper-local to global, with a variety of collaborators, including nonprofit organizations and industry partners.
“Community engagement has been central to Cornell Engineering’s identity since Cornell opened our doors as New York state’s land-grant institution nearly 160 years ago,” said Lynden Archer, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering. “By partnering with the Einhorn Center, we’re creating a comprehensive framework that will prepare students to become not only technically excellent engineers but also socially conscious problem-solvers — graduates who understand how to work with communities to create sustainable, impactful solutions.”
The initiative addresses a growing demand among engineering students for learning experiences that connect their technical education to societal needs. Currently, Cornell Engineering students can participate in various community-engaged activities through courses, project teams, undergraduate research, internships and other opportunities. This includes ‘living laboratory’ projects, in which new technologies, techniques and ideas are tested and deployed in collaboration with campus partners.
As a designated Engaged College, Cornell Engineering will establish additional support structures for strategic planning and coordination, faculty development, curriculum development, and data gathering and analysis related to community engagement. Throughout and beyond the initial three-years of the partnership, the Einhorn Center staff will also provide expertise, consultation, data and other resources to help ensure success.
“We’re thrilled to partner with a college that has deep roots in the university’s founding mission and a strong commitment to addressing society’s most pressing challenges,” said Katherine McComas, vice provost for engagement and land-grant affairs. “The ‘engaged engineering’ framework will prepare all engineering students to be leaders who can bridge technical expertise with real-world impact.”