Congratulations to Professors Matthew Traum and Adrienne Provost on their recent publication!
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Professor Matthew Traum of the University of Florida’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Professor Adrienne Provost, Assistant Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences et al, developed the Interdisciplinary Virtual Exchanges with Liberal Arts & Sciences (iVelas) Program which connected U.S. and Brazilian institutions to support community college students preparing to transfer into four‑year STEM and allied degree programs in nationally strategic fields. Designed as a summer bridge experience, iVelas blends engineering, liberal arts, and intercultural learning through an international virtual exchange framework.
At the core of the program is a hands-on design/build/test challenge in which student teams create a custom altimeter and payload bay for Estes Alpha III rockets, tailored to meet both the technical and cultural needs of a counterpart country. This challenge exposes students to the use of simulation tools, prototyping, data analysis, and iterative engineering, while fostering meaningful cross‑cultural communication and collaboration.
Overall, the iVelas program demonstrates how international, interdisciplinary, and experiential learning can enrich the design process by encouraging broader perspectives and culturally responsive engineering solutions which can empower transfer students for success in an increasingly global aerospace workforce.