Lori A. Troxel, associate professor of the practice of civil and environmental engineering, has been named the Design as an Immersive Vanderbilt Experience (DIVE) initiative director. In this role, Troxel will lead the creation and implementation of the DIVE program, which has been selected as Vanderbilt University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).
The QEP is a critical component of Vanderbilt’s accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC). The purpose of the QEP is to advance student learning and facilitate institutional improvement. DIVE will be one option within the broader Immersion Vanderbilt initiative, which is a key element of the university’s Academic Strategic Plan.
Students who participate in DIVE will utilize human-centered design methodology to facilitate problem solving. Small interdisciplinary student teams will research, brainstorm and design tangible solutions to problems facing the Nashville community and the Vanderbilt campus. DIVE projects will engage students in collaborative work, creative thinking, community issues and immersive problem solving. Each team will be guided by a faculty member trained in human-centered design.
Professor Troxel will bring nuanced vision and leadership to the DIVE proposal’s implementation,” said Cynthia J. Cyrus, vice provost for learning and residential affairs. “As one of the creative forces behind the DIVE initiative and chair of the DIVE proposal committee, she understands the importance of integrating creative problem-solving skills into Vanderbilt’s liberal arts curriculum.”
“The DIVE program will engage our students analytically and creatively in the Nashville community,” Troxel said. “In serving as director, I am excited to see how our amazing undergraduates solve problems and develop critical thinking skills.”
Troxel will work with a steering committee of faculty, staff and students during the 2016-17 academic year to develop the specifics of the program, including both curricular proposals and planned workshops. DIVE is expected to launch in fall 2017.
Contact:
Brenda Ellis, (615) 343-6314
Brenda.Ellis@Vanderbilt.edu
Twitter @VUEngineering