Transformative Education and
Workforce Development

The George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing is dedicated to preparing the next generation of creative technical leaders and ethical innovators. Through personalized, experiential, and purpose-driven education, we emphasize career readiness by combining strong technical foundations, high-impact experiential learning, and intentional development of leadership, communication, and professional skills. Together, these three elements equip students with the technical expertise, professional fluency, and ethical grounding needed to lead and adapt in a rapidly evolving, technology-driven world.

To continuously enhance student success, the School will advance innovative, interdisciplinary curricula that build strong foundations while supporting faculty in implementing evidence-based, student-centered pedagogical practices. Provide faculty training, mentorship, and communities of practice to enhance teaching effectiveness and encourage active, student-centered, and inclusive learning.

• Recognize and reward teaching excellence and innovation.
• Enhance existing and develop new degree programs, stackable credentials, and professional and non-credit offerings to meet emerging industry and societal needs, including in computing, AI, aerospace, health, and energy.
• Systematically track program learning outcomes, student satisfaction, and post-graduation success, using these data to refine curricula, pedagogy, and faculty development.
• Ensure graduates are workforce-ready for the AI era by continuously updating curricula and integrating emerging technologies across programs, including AI education for non-computing students.

Experiential learning is a hallmark of the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing, anchored by two signature centers — the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK) and the Data to Knowledge Lab (D2K). While these centers form the core infrastructure, the School will strengthen experiential learning broadly, ensuring all undergraduate and graduate students have meaningful opportunities to apply classroom learning to real-world challenges.

• Ensure all undergraduate and graduate students participate in meaningful experiential learning, including student projects, research, internships, externships, and entrepreneurship programs.
• Partner with major employers to support co-designed research, student projects (e.g., capstone experiences), and workforce development, leveraging alumni networks to champion partnerships.
• Expand experiential learning facilities by adding at least 10,000 square feet of space to the OEDK building to accommodate increased student participation and programmatic needs.
• Convene a Strategic Review Committee of external experts to evaluate experiential learning programs, focusing on measurable student outcomes, alignment with school and university priorities, breadth and depth of impact, and operational efficiency and financial sustainability.
• Collaborate across experiential learning units to implement prioritized recommendations from the Strategic Review Committee, improving programmatic impact, cost-effectiveness, equity of access, and strategic alignment.

Leadership, communication, and professional skills are essential to preparing graduates for success in complex, collaborative environments. The George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing intentionally develops these competencies alongside technical and experiential learning, ensuring students are equipped to lead responsibly, communicate effectively, and navigate ethical challenges in engineering and computing practice.

• Launch professional development and career preparation modules focused on leadership, communication, and entrepreneurship, led by the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL) and the ACTIVATE Engineering Communication Program, in partnership with university-wide initiatives such as the Doerr Institute for New Leaders and the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Lilie).
• Provide robust curricular and extracurricular pathways for students to develop communication and leadership skills, preparing socially responsible engineers and computer scientists.
• Expand university-wide partnerships and initiatives to advance learning in communication, leadership, entrepreneurship, ethics, sustainability and policy.
• Facilitate opportunities for students and faculty to participate in international experiences.
• Launch a Master’s in Technology, Ethics, and Policy to address societal impacts of emerging technologies.