Engineering is a profession that is focused on improving the lives of people. To be effective inventors and practitioners, engineers must be in touch with the societal challenges that are affecting people's experiences. By staying attuned to the needs of the community and looking at problems through the eyes of all stakeholders, Changemaking Engineers are able to do true justice in the world.
Sharing Technical Expertise
Engineering Exchange for Social Justice
Through the Engineering Exchange for Social Justice (ExSJ), USD faculty, students and external volunteers work collaboratively with diverse community groups to co-create alternative solutions to community-defined "problem briefs," turning them into actionable student assignments, design projects, research theses or extra-curricular pro bono engineering projects that are supported by local engineers.
Center for Digital Civil Society
USD's Center for Digital Civil Society (CDCS), led by the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, engages the entire campus around issues of data science and artificial intelligence, and their social implications — ethics, privacy and fairness — to empower communities and technologists to work together to enable the ethical use of data. The center also serves the broader public through consulting outreach, lectures and events as we explore the far-reaching impacts of these topics.
Center for Cyber Security Engineering Technology
USD's Center for Cyber Security Engineering and Technology (CCSET) was launched to address the challenges to our nation as cyber attacks threaten the security, prosperity and privacy of the United States and its citizens. Through our community outreach programs, students come together for hands-on experiential learning about the foundations in cybersecurity and discovering career options in the field.
Local outreach
Empowering our community members
The University of San Diego's Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering encourages and supports the hands-on involvement of students, faculty and staff in our community outreach initiatives in an effort to develop educational and professional experiences that embrace social justice, humanitarian engineering, sustainability, economic development and national security.
User-Centered Design
Explore a user-empowered collaboration between first year USD engineering students and the San Diego Blind Community Center, which helps students identify a need through empathy, then working alongside the user to facilitate a solution.
STEAM Youth Academy
The STEAM Youth Academy engages middle and high school students in hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics to enhance their approach to problem solving and developing communication and critical thinking skills.
Community Projects
Engineering a Better World
Through the mutual exchange of expertise with community partners, engineering and technical know-how is combined with contextual, cultural and historical knowledge of the community to identify real needs. Community defined "problem briefs" can then be turned into actionable student assignments, design projects or research theses. These community projects may be local or global, based on essential humanitarian aid for disaster relief or they may be programs designed to challenge the status quo and effect structural and long-lasting change.
Community Engagement
Collaborate with us
If you're looking for collaborative ways to get involved at the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, we encourage you to explore a community project, resource or opportunity that is right for you.