Interdisciplinar-E

Through interdisciplinary courses in the engineering curriculum and eight courses they choose in the School of Arts and Sciences, Tufts engineers discover that engineering connects to far-flung fields—from studio art to sociology. Explore some of these intersections below.

Electrical Engineering + Environmental Studies: In Introduction to Engineering: Renewable Energy, first-year students examine renewable energy technologies with a critical eye—and a steady hand. Project-based labs give these engineers a greater sense of what it means to go off the grid. Students build small windmills to test their efficiency and even construct their own dye-sensitized solar panel with a surprising ingredient: raspberry jam! “It wasn’t a very effi cient solar panel,” Ansgar Jordan ’22 says in refl ection of his undergraduate years at Tufts. “In fact, charging a phone with it would have taken many years. But the feeling of building something that worked was certainly very rewarding.” Ansgar continues to chase after that rewarding feeling in his current role at Tufts’ very own Data Intensive Studies Center (DISC).

Biomedical Engineering + Food Production: Sitting at the intersection of food and environmental sustainability and alternatives to animal-based products is the work of professor David Kaplan on cellular agriculture —meat grown directly from animal cells. Members of the Kaplan Lab bring their expertise in tissue engineering to the table, experimenting with cows and caterpillars as sources of cells in generating cell-based meats set to mirror the taste and texture of everything from sausage to scallop, all while carrying the nutritional and environmental benefi ts of existing plant-based protein options. And with a $10 million grant for their ongoing cellulator agriculture work, don’t be surprised when you start to find their products lined up in your local grocery store!

Engineering + Studio Art: An emphasis on “making” applies to engineers and artists alike. Floor van de Velde, a professor at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA), teaches Digital Fabrication Lab, a studio sculpture course that allows SMFA and engineering students to develop proficiency in computer- aided design (CAD) and learn to safely and effectively use laser cutters, 3D printers, and CNC milling machines. Through research, discussion, and practice, students are encouraged to develop a personal relationship with these technologies in order to integrate them into their artistic practices.

Computer Science + Aerospace: Shoot for the stars—and you might land an internship at NASA. Last year, Elizabeth Hom ’22 worked as a software engineering intern at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory: “I’ve always been interested in aerospace, and it’s very cool to see how things I’ve learned in the classroom are applicable in industry work,” she explains. “Engineering is very much a team-based discipline, and despite the steep learning curve that comes with the first few weeks of most internships, it was really nice having so much support and vibrancy from the team I worked with.” And her internship helped lead to her current role post-graduation as an Associate Software Engineer at Disney Streaming.

Engineering + Education: Through Tufts’ engineering education minor, students gain field experience working in the classroom and at the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach to inspire the next generation of engineers. “I used to always be torn between choosing to be an educator or an engineer,” says Madeline Fabela ’23. “One of the required classes for my minor was Society and Education, taught by professor Steven Cohen. This class really challenged my views and assumptions on education in America. It made me open my eyes to all the things that come into play when building and organizing schools.”