Designing Together: A Civil Engineering + Urban Design Capstone Experience.

This interdisciplinary grant-awarded capstone project, implemented during Winter and Spring 2025 at UW Tacoma, united Civil Engineering and Urban Design students to develop equitable, sustainable solutions to real campus challenges - steep topography, car-centric commuting, and untreated stormwater runoff - while aligning with the university’s updated master plan. Led by me, Dr. Nara Almeida and Dr. Bara Safarova, and enriched through community engagement and professional partnerships, the project featured site visits, peer-teaching, and events like the “Analysis Jam,” “Tech Talks,” and “Design Jam,” fostering systems thinking and practical design skills. Students worked closely with faculty, city officials, and industry professionals to develop integrated proposals for green infrastructure and inclusive mobility, culminating in a submission to the EPA RainWorks Challenge. The capstone also laid the groundwork for further academic dissemination and a submission to the 2025 NCEES Engineering Education Award, exemplifying a deeply engaged, experiential learning model grounded in community impact and interdisciplinary collaboration.