EMPaCT: Entrepreneurship through Multidisciplinary Projects and Collaborative Teams

跨学科（99）这个项目正在开发一个名为“通过多学科项目和协作团队创业”（EMPaCT）的创新项目。在早期社区服务工程项目（EPICS）项目的基础上，EMPaCT为学生提供多学科设计经验，并在整个大学和地区推广创业文化。EMPaCT项目工作是在团队中完成的，团队通常由工程专业的学生、一个商务专业的学生和一个来自其他学科的学生组成。设计项目使学生团队能够体验整个研究、开发和营销过程。EMPaCT课程为从大一到大四的各个层次的本科生提供了产品设计过程的经验。项目评价不仅着眼于EMPaCT期末项目的质量，还着眼于课程的有效性，以及创业文化的发展。该项目更广泛的影响是双重的。EMPaCT课程开发的教学材料将使其他希望促进多学科教育的大学受益。该项目将通过增加企业家的努力来刺激经济增长，从而产生新的商业产品和企业。

Interdisciplinary (99)This project is developing an innovative program called Entrepreneurship through Multidisciplinary Projects and Collaborative Teams (EMPaCT). Based on the earlier Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program, EMPaCT is providing multidisciplinary design experiences for students, and is promoting a culture of entrepreneurship throughout the university and region. EMPaCT project work is done in teams that typically consist of engineering students, a business student, and one student from another discipline. Design projects enable the student teams to experience the entire research, development and marketing process. And EMPaCT courses give undergraduates at all levels -- from freshman through senior -- experiences in the product design process. Project evaluation is looking not only at the quality of the EMPaCT final projects, but also at the effectiveness of the courses, and the development of an entrepreneurial culture. The broader impacts of the project are two-fold. The instructional materials developed by EMPaCT courses will benefit other universities that wish to promote multidisciplinary education. And the project will stimulate economic growth by increasing entrepreneurial efforts, leading to new commercial products and businesses.