In the Pipeline

Judging by the wave of action-packed movies that flood our multiplexes, the world longs for heroes, but today’s heroes need brains more than physical power. Forget having the speedy reflexes of Captain America or the ability to control the weather like the X-Men’s Storm; modern-day heroes should possess the ability to prevent cyber-attacks, protect our private data, and make our power grids more resilient and reliable.

In fact, a modern-day hero might look exactly like ... an engineer.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to make sure that New Yorkers have the tech training to solve the problems facing society and to ensure that New York-based employers did not have to go far afield to find the high-quality tech-savvy employees they seek. To educate those future engineering heroes, he enlisted Tandon’s help.

The school recently joined the NYC Tech Talent Pipeline, pledging to develop pathways to tech careers for all New Yorkers. As part of its commitment, the school is partnering with the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) consortium to launch an intensive engineering curriculum that stresses project-based, interdisciplinary study and teamwork. Students — from sophomores to doctoral level — will work on long-term projects ranging from designing and building high-speed transportation pods based on Elon Musk’s Hyperloop concept to devising novel solutions for problems in clinical care, medical education, and public health. 

Tandon will also soon be home to a new MakerSpace, where students, faculty, and community members affiliated with our incubators and Center for K-12 Education can prototype solutions to pressing real-world problems. The combined efforts will help ensure that New Yorkers are equipped to develop technology in service to society and support the city’s burgeoning tech economy.

This is not the first time Tandon has answered a government call to action. In December 2014, during the White House College Opportunity Day of Action, Dean Katepalli R. Sreenivasan pledged his commitment to educating 500 middle school and high school teachers — an achievement that will positively impact an estimated 50,000 public school students throughout New York City in the coming decade. Thanks to an ambitious roster of summer programming that brings dozens of city teachers to labs and classrooms each year, Tandon is on track to meet that goal, and the institution is similarly committed to doing its part as a member of the NYC Tech Talent Pipeline.

Dean Sreenivasan said: “President Obama’s goal of leading the world in college attainment is a vital one, and we are proud to be a part of that. We are equally proud to take part in Mayor de Blasio’s mission to ensure that New York City’s businesses find the tech talent they require to thrive. We know that the talent is right here, in Downtown Brooklyn, where our students gain the skills and knowledge needed to improve the city — and the world.”