“Engineers in Scrubs”—A New Graduate Training Program for Biomedical Engineers at the University of British Columbia1

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antony J. Hodgson ◽  
Roger C. Tam ◽  
H. F. Machiel Van der Loos
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
Graduate Training ◽  
New Graduate ◽  
Graduate Training Program ◽  
The University

scholarly journals Designing and Implementing a Novel Graduate Program to Develop Transdisciplinary Leaders in Urban Sustainability

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan M. Wallen ◽  
Ingrid Guerra-Lopez ◽  
Louay Meroueh ◽  
Rayman Mohamed ◽  
Andrea Sankar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Graduate Training ◽  
Urban Sustainability ◽  
Problem Definition ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Research Education ◽  
Graduate Training Program

Urban settings are increasingly faced with challenges across natural and engineered environmental systems, threatening the sustainability of urban centers where >50% of the world's population resides. The pressures of aging infrastructure, water and air pollution, and environmental justice exemplify the growing need for urban professionals to employ complex scientific reasoning across disciplines where they can effectively address the multi-faceted issues of urban sustainability. Here we present an innovative model for preparing the next generation of public, private, and academic leaders to address complex problems in urban sustainability. Specifically, we outline the design and implementation of an integrated, adaptable graduate training program, with the goals of science leadership, curriculum relevancy, community impact, broader applicability, recruitment into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs and careers, and program sustainability. This program addresses human-ecosystem challenges using a transdisciplinary approach to produce scientific products in partnership with local communities, businesses, industries, scientists, and policy makers, while providing a mechanism to understand and overcome contemporary societal challenges. Students receive rigorous training in their home disciplines, coupled with training across disciplinary lines and developmental experiences, to prepare them to communicate, collaborate, and innovate in a variety of contexts. Training success is evaluated across measurable competency domains including problem definition, research methods, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. After three years the program expanded relationships across fields and professions, successfully established 18 internship opportunities with community partners, created a new dual-title PhD program open to students in 5 academic departments, and facilitated the co-production of knowledge with external partners. This model bridges the gaps between research, education, and application, providing an integrated, rigorous graduate training program that fosters collaborative problem-solving between STEM graduate students and the broader community of professionals conducting sustainability work in a post-industrial urban setting.

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