1. Developing Creativity and Artistry in Undergraduate Engineers
Keywords: creative process, structural engineering, senior design, critique
Developing Creativity and Artistry in Undergraduate Engineers
Andrew T. Myers
Northeastern University

2. Why? The Problem Objectives
Creativity and artistry are essential and satisfying parts of the engineering design process, but they are often overlooked in an undergraduate curriculum.
Undergraduates do not fully appreciate the extent of creativity in engineering design and the undergraduate curriculum does not explicitly train them in the creative process.
Objectives
Explicitly include the creative process and critiquing in the education of undergraduate structural engineers.
Use the powerful appeal of the creative process to attract more students to pursue STEM.

3. When?
Implemented for the first time in Spring 2017 in Structural Engineering Senior Design, a semester-long, project- and team-based course for seniors on structural design
Continue to expand and refine in subsequent semesters.

4. Where?
Implemented in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Dept. at Northeastern University.
Project teams will be paired with teams of seniors in Northeastern’s School of Architecture.

5. What?
Course materials from Structures and the Urban Environment taught at Princeton University and Perspectives on the Evolution of Structures taught at UMASS Amherst.
Recasting of project guidelines to include explicit objectives and assessment related to the creative process.
Weekly mentoring sessions with me and professional mentors assigned to each project team from nearby architecture/engineering firms.
Formal design critique process, following long-standing tradition in Architecture schools.

6. Prognosis?
Thorough evaluation of student experience following the Spring 2017 semester.
Highly supportive department and college.
Enthusiastic partner in the School of Architecture.
Highly positive initial response from students.
Eager to learn effective practices from others who have taught senior design classes before.