More than 135 students gathered in the multipurpose room of the SUNY Poly Student Center in Utica on September 1, to officially launch the Interdisciplinary Design Lab - a semester-long multidisciplinary project that involves students and faculty from multiple programs.

“This is a fine example of our creative and innovative learning practices, engaging our students in interdisciplinary collaboration and problem-solving,” said Associate Professor of the Humanities and Coordinator for Interdisciplinary Studies.

Made up of students and faculty members from various programs that include civil and mechanical engineering, communications, interactive media and game design, interdisciplinary studies, and sociology, they will all collaborate across four different courses to work together toward a common goal.

Students attend their respective classes multiple times a week but gather on Fridays throughout the fall semester to work in multidisciplinary groups to investigate, research, design, and prototype solutions to the complex problem of climate change.