Project-based Work Studio with Faculty Mentorship
The Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering Department at Marshall University has established the Project Work Studio, a collaborative program that enables undergraduate and graduate students to work in teams on projects that provides engineering and technical solutions to local businesses and industries.
In the Studio, students work in teams on projects solving real-world engineering and technical problems from local businesses and government entities. Students are matched with projects based on expressed interest as well as based on their academic background, understanding of the technology and level of professional development. A dedicated collaborative project lab with multiple workstations allows students to work together, conduct requirement gathering with the project clients, engage in group discussion, perform research, meet with faculty mentors and design, implement and test their projects.
Faculty mentorship is a key aspect of the Studio. Student teams are overseen by faculty members who provide guidance, technical advice, training and assistance throughout the project. Faculty mentors also work to enable student success by evaluating project specifications and timelines, providing input on student communications, reviewing weekly student progress reports and providing regular performance evaluations to improve each student’s technical and professional skills.
The Studio has successfully delivered several projects and software applications to businesses and government entities in the local community. For example, students from the Studio worked in conjunction with local and state government officials to develop a School Calendar Web application for West Virginia K-12 schools supported by the grant from the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE).
In August 2020, the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences was awarded a $990,550 scholarship grant in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to provide Project Work Studio experience for 20 academically talented, financially disadvantaged students with scholarship of $7,500 per year for four years. Please visit NSF S STEM: Project Work Studio to learn more about the program.
The Studio is an integral component of the Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering Department at Marshall University. The program gives our students practical hands-on experience and helps prepare our graduates for successful careers in technology, computer science and engineering. The Studio also helps to stimulate economic development of West Virginia and provides technical assistance and expertise to local businesses and industries. We welcome any local business or industry interested in participating in Project Work Studio to contact us with their real-world engineering or technical projects to ensure a consistent and diverse pipeline of well-prepared students for careers in STEM in our community. Please feel free to contact Dr. Wook-Sung Yoo (yoow@marshall.edu) if you would like more information or are interested in participating in the Studio.