Putting the "Center" in IDEA Center
As we enter the 15th year anniversary of the IDEA Engineering Student Center within the Jacobs School of Engineering, we are happy to share that we are putting the "Center" in the IDEA Engineering Student Center!
The IDEA Center will be expanding into the , gaining a small study lounge and classroom space for students to study, Engineering Learning Community sections, and events.
Follow along e-news for updates on when you can access the space!
The results are in!
The IDEA Engineering Student Center is excited to open a brand new study lounge and workshop space, and we asked for your help! Talented student artists submitted their artwork to the IDEA Center to have their work turned into a mural within the new Study Lounge. The winning design will be permanently featured within the Study Lounge, and artist will win a $500 prize.
With over 200 student votes, the winning design has been selected! Congratulations to James Mah! See below for what will be featured within the new space.
“Look Up” - James Mah
I never really knew what engineering was. I always just thought it was a bunch of nerdy people in a lab, secluded from daylight, toiling away on a robot or something with a bunch of wires and tubes dangling off of it. It was a bunch of math and physics that I never understood. This minimal understanding of engineering is, in a way, represented through the robots and futuristic vehicles and whatnot strewn about the mural, but since starting, I realized that engineering is a lot more than just robots and complicated math.
There are all these different kinds of people behind every machine, every vehicle, that you never really see or think about. You buy something from the store or take a plane, and you just think that it was made in some factory driven by the labor of underpaid workers, but behind every big idea, there are engineers doing the complicated math and physics that I don’t get. Engineers aren’t just nerdy math people. They make solutions, and in some cheesy way, that makes everyone an engineer.
This revelation made me rethink the original draft of just showing a bunch of gears or motherboards or whatever, and try to show all the regular people behind every engineering feat. My roommate, an aerospace engineer, made his way into the picture. Waldo is there too. You just have to look. Behind every big idea in the world is just a regular flesh-and-blood human. People in the past always dreamed of the society of tomorrow, and we’re living in it. I think that’s pretty cool.
Call out for works of art (Closed)
We are seeking digital artwork to create a mural in the new space. The winner will receive a $500 reward, and their artwork showcased as a fixture within the new Lounge.
Contest Guidelines
Student must be enrolled in Winter and Spring 2025. Any major can participate!
Artwork must showcase engineering in some way, shape or form. We encourage you also to think about how an individual can interact with the piece.
Size of the artwork would be a maximum of 20ft wide x 4ft high.
Upon submission, a write-up of 300 words or less must be provided which explains the artwork and how it represents engineering. This write up will be hung alongside the artwork.
All artwork must be submitted as high quality (300 dpi recommended), digital files (PDF recommended).
$500 award will be a taxable, cash award (direct deposit).
Contest Timeline
January 6: Competition opens
February 10 at 11:59pm: Competition closes
February 17 - 21: Artwork voted on by students!
Week of February 24: Winning design announced
Judging the Contest
Artwork and write-up will be reviewed by the IDEA Center staff. The IDEA Center staff will be looking for pieces and write ups that:
- Showcase engineering in some way (open to interpretation).
- Can be interactive for or engaging to students.
Three finalists will be selected. Students will then have the chance to vote for the piece they would like to see in the IDEA Center space. The artwork with the most votes, along with it's accompanying write-up will be displayed during the soft opening of the new space!
Ready to submit your artwork?
Submission closed.
Questions?
Happy to help! Please reach out to Director of the IDEA Engineering Student Center, Dr. Jackie Duerr