Photo left: Mechanical Engineering Technology students created an adaptive golf club for a disabled veteran. Photo right: Psychology students created Braille titles as part of a project-based learning assignment for the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABV).
The Humanitarian Studies (HS) and Humanitarian Engineering (HE) minors are unique curricula that combine multidisciplinary approaches to solve real-world problems for people right in our local community. Students can come into the minors from a variety of backgrounds and will work with local community agencies to develop assistive technologies that help individuals in their daily lives.
Depending on your background and focus, you will choose either Humanitarian Studies or Humanitarian engineering. Both minors take the same foundation classes, then take different individualized electives, then come together and use what they’ve each learned in those elective classes to work as a team on a final project. Teams will work with local populations through specific community partners such as the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, United Cerebral Palsy, Central New York Health Home Network, and Sitrin Health Care Center. The teams will work with their community partner to find out what needs exist, develop and prototype assistive technologies to meet a specific need, and work with individuals to implement and assess their devices.
Previous projects carried out by students at SUNY Poly include enhancements to wheelchairs, prosthetics to enable computer access, adaptive sports equipment, and blocks to help teach braille.
Undergraduate Catalog information
Flyer with course lists (pdf)
