Purdue engineering students seek community service partnerships in Indy
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Purdue’s Engineering Projects in Community Service, or EPICS, is looking to grow partnerships as the university expands its solo presence in Indianapolis.
Officials from Indiana University and Purdue University signed off on plans this summer to separate the universities’ joint campus in Indianapolis into two distinct institutions; IU Indianapolis and Purdue University in Indianapolis.
Purdue’s EPICS program already partners with several local organizations like The Children’s Museum, the Indiana School for the Deaf and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But now, the group is looking to expand outreach as opportunities on Purdue’s Indianapolis campus grow.
The EPICS program seeks to connect Purdue students with industry mentors who can assist students with projects tailored to specific company needs. For example, Pooja Anil, a Purdue senior studying mechanical engineering, worked with the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired to help create an affordable, magnifier device for students.
“The projects EPICS students are working on are something real and tangible that they plan to deliver to organizations,” EPICS Senior Program Manager Haley Cutler said in a university news release. “They’re going through the experience of being on a team, working with people who are different than them or have different skills or approaches and working through conflict. The experiential part shapes how we do everything with the program.”
The EPICS program, which began with 40 students in 1995, now averages more than 1,200 students a year. The university has partnered with 68 community organizations, producing more than 30 projects over the years.
Program leaders say EPICS both helps supply community organizations with the support of the university, but also exposes students to potential career opportunities.
“Since these projects are created with input from the local ecosystem — the Indianapolis community, organizations, K-12 outreach, etc. — they provide a mutually beneficial outcome, both for the students from the experience and for central Indiana from the impact those students generate,” said David Umulis, senior vice provost for Purdue University in Indianapolis.
More information about Purdue’s EPICS program can be found by clicking here.