REVERSE-ENGINEERING ENGINEERING EDUCATION (RE3)

RE3 is a new year-long program designed to amplify the voices of Viterbi undergraduates by putting them in the role of teachers. Students are hired as RE3 Student Trainers for one academic year, and with the help of faculty mentors, they design and deliver storytelling seminars on topics related to their identities and educational experiences. Seminar attendees include first-year engineering students, faculty, administrators, staff, and other members of the Viterbi community.

By sharing stories and making personal connections, RE3 Student Trainers aim to build an inclusive climate that prioritizes student empowerment, so that all students can have experiences such as this one described by RE3 Student Trainer, Cheyenne Gaima:

One of my most treasured engineering classroom experiences was with a professor who took the time to learn my name and my goals. It seems like a small gesture, but it speaks volumes. Precisely, it says, "I see you, I hear you, and I'm rooting for you." All students should feel this from their professors and each other. The support that comes from this sentiment is motivating like no other, and it gives students, especially those who need it most, allies in their academic journeys.

APPLICATIONS FOR 2020-2021 STUDENT TRAINER POSITIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.

This program is made possible with support from the Coalition for Life-Transformative Education, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering Office of the Dean, and the USC Viterbi Engineering Writing Program. Questions? Email Helen Choi at helenhch@usc.edu.

Jessica Brown - Civil Engineering: My Viterbi community includes the National Society of Black Engineers, the Center for Engineering Diversity, and my friends in civil engineering. We bond over our love for architecture and hysterically staying up all night in the studio to finish projects.

Hannah Cheves - Biomedical Engineering: What matters to me is educating people about the importance of mental health and prioritizing a healthy and happy life. This can mean baking, working out, or if I am being honest, even just watching Netflix!

Rachel Eng - Mechanical Engineering: Accepting others and providing support at difficult times matter to me. I believe in building a supportive and mindful community that understands and celebrates the diversity of its students and their intersectional identities.

Cheyenne Gaima -Computer Science/Business Administration: My Viterbi community includes vibrant musicians, passionate business owners, adventurous cooks, traders, fencers, feminists, skaters… we are the “plus” in Viterbi’s “Engineering+” initiative.

Nathan Hirsch -Astronautical Engineering: Being there for friends and helping others matter to me. Helping others has become an important part of my education, and I really enjoy being able to be there for my friends.

Sheetal Madnani - Chemical Engineering: Inclusivity at Viterbi matters to me: being able to share who I am without needing to explain myself. Only when we are truly inclusive can students feel like we truly belong, and only then can we harness a strong sense of community to pursue greater innovation.

Michelle Ran -Computer Science: My Viterbi community includes the professors, who set deadlines at midnight so we don’t pull all-nighters; the TAs, who sit patiently with us to root out bugs; my friends and classmates, who study together, share programming memes, and comfort each other in hard times.

Jamie Smith -Computer Engineering and Computer Science: Engineering – getting to build new things out of theory and various components – matters to me. I really love creating new projects, from inventory tracking programs to 3D simulations to radio modules. I guess you could say it feels like the best way to express myself.

Tyler Somlo - Industrial Systems Engineering: My Viterbi community understands that life is much more manageable when we all work together as a team, and a lot of what I call, “Team Viterbi” has to do with our professors. I had a physics professor who always emphasized the importance of learning over grades. When I followed this advice, homework and tests became much easier.

Wendy Wang - Mechanical Engineering: My Viterbi community is the USC Rocket Propulsion Laboratory. It is a zany group of people who achieved the goal of being the first student group to launch a rocket to space, and they are some of the smartest, hardest working people I know.

Phase 1 - Spring and Summer 2020: student trainers are hired and trained at several training retreats. Student trainers prepare to teach.
Phase 2 - Fall 2020: student trainers teach incoming first-year engineering students about their identities and learning journeys.
Phase 3 - Spring 2021: student trainers expand their teaching to other members of the Viterbi community, such as faculty, staff, and administrators.