Imagining Creative Realities in Engineering, Advancing Technology, and Entrepreneurship (iCREATE)

iCREATE empowers engineering students to think creatively, take ownership of their ideas, and transform them into real-world innovations—whether by launching start-ups, driving change within existing organizations, or contributing to a vibrant culture of innovation.

Empowering Engineering Innovation: A New Approach to Academic Excellence

Engineering is about creating value by transforming new technologies into products and services with real societal and economic impact. To prepare students for this role, innovation must be central to the engineering curriculum. Achieving this requires rethinking how we foster creativity, collaboration, and real-world problem-solving. At the heart of this effort is ideation, the ability to generate and shape original ideas, which builds a sense of ownership, and ownership in turn drives deep engagement in the innovation process.

Our new initiative—iCREATE—is designed to cultivate this student-centered environment. It rewards exploration, embraces trial-and-error, and celebrates tinkering as an essential pathway to discovery. Through iCREATE, students are empowered to become both entrepreneurs, who launch new ventures and bring innovations to market, and intrapreneurs, who drive transformative ideas from within existing organizations. Together, these pathways ensure our students are not only prepared to join the workforce but also to lead innovation wherever they go.

iCREATE is more than just a program—it’s a movement toward a new way of learning and creating. By focusing on facilitating innovation, embracing mistakes as learning opportunities, introducing key concepts early, and building strong community ties, we are preparing the next generation of engineers to lead with creativity, collaboration, and purpose. Together, we can turn bold ideas into reality, solve practical problems and create real value for society.

Program Goals

Foster a culture of innovation: Build an environment where creativity, curiosity, and hands-on problem-solving are embedded in the student experience and embraced as core values of engineering education.
Promote idea ownership and IP generation: Encourage students to develop, refine, and protect their original ideas.
Support venture formation: Equip students to launch start-ups or lead innovation within established organizations.
Build a connected innovation ecosystem: Create a supportive community of mentors, peers, and partners that sustains long-term innovation and impact.

The Imaginarium: A Distributed Studio for Engineering Creativity

The Imaginarium is envisioned as a dynamic, student-centered studio, distributed across the engineering buildings, that brings engineering creativity to life. This inclusive network of spaces will support a wide range of hands-on projects by providing access to modern tools, prototyping equipment, and digital design technologies. Organized into distinct thematic zones aligned with student interests, such as electronics, fabrication, and immersive design, the Imaginarium will foster a culture of experimentation, collaboration, and innovation. As the creative heart of the iCREATE program, it will be where ideas take shape, skills are honed, and engineering meets imagination.

We propose to set up distinct zones tailored to diverse student interests and activities, including:

Idea Incubation Ecosystem: Spaces for brainstorming, idea development, and creative thinking sessions.
Immersive Environments: AR and VR setups for visualizing ideas interactively.
Design Thinking Studio: Encouraging collaborative problem-solving, user-centric design, and iterative prototyping.
Art-Tech Fusion: Space for collaboration between artists, designers, and technologists.
Interactive Exhibitions: Regularly hosting exhibitions and showcases to celebrate student achievements.
Rapid Prototyping Lab: Equipped with advanced tools and technologies for groundbreaking fabrication techniques.
Innovation Challenges: Hosting challenges and design sprints focused on real-world problems.
Industry Partnerships: Facilitating collaboration with industry leaders and startups.

Existing Imaginarium facilities

Interdisciplinary Fabrication Lab (coming soon!)

Civil Engineering Visualization space (coming soon!)

Biodesign lab

Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Makerspace

Polymer Design and Sustainability Lab

Electrical Engineering Makerspace

Mechanical Engineering Makerspace

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Brainstorming Lab

Why Join iCREATE?

Get ready to turn your ideas into reality with support, recognition, and resources that put you in the driver’s seat of engineering innovation. Here’s what you’ll get as an iCREATE participant:

1. Build what you imagine – with funding

Get $500–$2,000 per team to build prototypes, buy materials, and test ideas. If you can dream it, you can build it.

2. Get matched with industry mentors

Work with real engineers, entrepreneurs, and tech leaders. Access exclusive “insider” networking events with R&D executives and recruiters.

3. Be recognized and celebrated

Your work deserves the spotlight. Get featured in press releases, social media, brochures, and the college website.

4. Take your ideas on the road

We’ll cover the costs for you to showcase your prototype at local, national, or international innovation competitions.

5. Boost your resume and LinkedIn profile

Earn digital badges and certificates recognizing your innovation, leadership, and technical skills—plus faculty and industry endorsements.

6. Exclusive access to state-of-the-art facilities

Enjoy members-only access to advanced maker zones, extended lab hours, and invite-only training workshops on tools like CAD, CNC, and robotics kits.

7. Academic credits for creative work

Earn course credit, satisfy capstone requirements, or choose flexible grading so you can take risks without hurting your GPA.

8 . Innovation Experience for Undergraduates (IEU)

Apply for a sponsored innovation fellowship—your own project, your own timeline, our resources.

9. Protect your ideas and launch your startup

Learn how to file patents, protect your IP, write a business plan and get free legal and business advice if you want to launch a start-up.