Perspectives on EG1004

Our world is becoming ever more complex. It is no longer possible to cope by relying on expertise from a single discipline. Freshmen in engineering schools must come aboard the "speeding train of runaway information overload" and be able to sort out what is and is not relevant. They must be able to work in multi-disciplinary teams and be able to present their activities to peers as well as supervisors. To address these issues, the NYU Tandon School of Engineering offers EG 1003 Introduction to Engineering and Design. The course provides students an overall perspective on engineering as well as useful tools and work methods that will be of great utility to them in the years to come.

EG 1003 has evolved from its original form which was sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Gateway Coalition nearly fifteen years ago. Many faculty members, teaching assistants and students have contributed to this evolution and made it a better course. Intrinsic to the continuous change is one of this course's unique features: teaching assistants that are recruited from the pool of former students. Students know all too well what is troubling them, and when they get a chance, as TAs, to improve a perceived problem area, they jump on it!

This course by its very nature has to be dynamic. It must reflect what is happening in the real world that is changing each day. Current students benefit from improvements made in previous years. Your comments will help make this course even better for future students.

Gunter Georgi
Industry Professor and Director of General Engineering
NYU Tandon School of Engineering

July 2016