LEAP into the Future of Engineering Program

 

LEAP LIFE is a 2-week program designed to provide students in their first year of the Late Entry Accelerated Program (LEAP) with general and discipline-specific hands-on engineering methods, skills, and techniques. By the end of the program, students will be ready for more sophisticated courses, advanced projects, and internship opportunities involving engineering design and analysis. LEAP LIFE takes place in January, during the University’s intersession.

Jumpstart Fundamental Skills

Students will begin LEAP LIFE with a week long common program designed for LEAP students of all disciplines. In the first part of the common program, students will focus on computer literacy and generative AI. This unit covers modern methods and tools used in the engineering enterprise for successful project delivery relating to project management, collaboration, computing, and issues of scale. We also introduce the use of generative AI as an emerging tool to accelerate design and analysis as a baseline and in each program discipline.

In the second part of the common program, students will focus on electronics manufacturing, PCB design, and soldering. Electronics are an essential component to the physical embodiment of most engineering product designs. This unit focuses on practical aspects of incorporating electronic components in mechanical, biomedical, and computer systems.

Specialized Tracks

In the second week of LEAP LIFE, students will learn discipline-specific skills by choosing a specialized track that leverages one of two state-of-the-art facilities:
Engineering Product Innovation Center (EPIC) and Bioengineering Technology & Entrepreneurship Center (BTEC).

In EPIC, students will learn several manufacturing processes through hands-on instruction as they manufacture and assemble their own pinball machines. Students will apply their CAD skills to design components and utilize CNC programming, laser cutting, sheet metal fabrication, and more.

In BTEC, students will learn the fundamentals of cell culture, as well as key and emerging techniques for analyzing and manipulating cells including fluorescence microscopy, spectroscopic assays, and 3D bioprinting as they relate to the development of diagnostics and therapeutics in the biotechnology and medical technology sectors.

Career Development

LEAP LIFE will conclude with a technical communication workshop, hosted by the College of Engineering’s Career Development Office. The workshop will serve to help students capture, document, and promote their work and practice technical project communication in presentations, portfolios, and social media posts.

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Approach

First-year LEAP students will be invited to register in the Fall term.

Hands-on components will be run by BU ENG Instructors and Graduate Teaching Assistants.

All students will be asked to complete in advance a 12-hour on-line Computer Aided Design (CAD) course run by PTC, Inc. which includes self-paced tutorials and online office hours.