Welcome to PICC
Welcome to the Product Innovation and Creativity Center (PICC), a revolutionary initiative born out of the need for a paradigm shift in design education. At PICC, we aim to create an idealized design environment where students are empowered, inspired, and equipped with the necessary skills to tackle real-life, open-ended problems.
Our Journey
Our journey began with the realization that traditional pedagogical approaches often fall short in preparing students for the challenges of the professional world. At Purdue University and Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly known as University of Missouri, Rolla), it was observed that less than 10% of the student credit hours were dedicated to courses with significant design content, resulting in a lack of preparation for undertaking design projects.
Additionally, students expressed their concerns about the capstone senior design course, stating that projects were often repetitive, too easy, and lacked guidance from faculty. Similarly, feedback from reviewers highlighted the need for improvements in the quality and relevance of design projects.
Recognizing the need for change, we embarked on a mission to create an environment that fosters self-confidence, creativity, and innovation in product and process design. Our goal is to provide students with hands-on experiences in solving real-world problems, integrating engineering sciences, and developing useful products and processes.
Our Mission
PICC serves as a dynamic hub that nurtures interdisciplinary collaboration, teamwork, leadership, and effective communication skills. We believe that these qualities are essential for our students’ professional success and aim to instill them through a combination of classroom activities, infrastructural development, and a holistic approach to design education.
The establishment of PICC comes at an opportune time, as we are currently undergoing a renovation and expansion of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering building complex. The building committees, consisting of faculty, staff, students, and distinguished alumni of the Academy of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineers, have recognized PICC as an integral part of our plans, highlighting its importance in shaping the future of design education.
We invite you to join us at the Product Innovation and Creativity Center, where we strive to unlock the full potential of our students and create a vibrant ecosystem that embraces innovation and creativity. Together, let’s redefine design education and empower the next generation of visionary problem solvers.
