Learn how Purdue University is preparing undergraduate engineering students for the digital enterprise at Realize LIVE Americas 2025
At Realize LIVE Americas 2025, we’re exploring how educators are bringing industry into the classroom and the innovative approaches they’re taking to prepare engineers for the fast-moving reality of today’s industrial environments.
In this session, Professors Nathan Hartman and Travis Fuerst from Purdue University will be sharing how they introduce the same product design processes used at leading industrial organizations early in students’ undergraduate education.
Secure your spot now for Realize LIVE Americas 2025. Explore exciting new ideas for bringing industry to academia and connect with leading experts addressing the engineering skills gap. If you’re an academic, be sure to take advantage of our special rate for educators.
How Purdue is bringing critical industry experience to first-year engineering students
Professor Fuerst and Professor Hartman have taken a proactive step by weaving critical industry experiences into their curriculum from the first year itself.
Two standout courses employ leading-edge tools such as Siemens’ NX and Teamcenter, offering students real-world engineering exposure from the outset. This program focuses on fostering enterprise-level thinking among students from day one.
In Professor Fuerst’s courses on designing for change, which are typically attended by 650 to 1,200 students, he places design firmly in the context of product data management (PDM) and product lifecycle management (PLM).
“Students often share their products inside of a shared folder on OneDrive or Google Drive, which is terrible for managing CAD and/or product data of any kind. And we take them right into a PDM system, show them the digital thread and the concepts of change management. It’s the first time they’ve seen it.”
Giving students the tools for success in today’s industrial enterprises
Despite initial resistance from students questioning the necessity of mastering these additional tools and processes, feedback from graduates has been overwhelmingly positive.
At first, “they buck a little bit, asking “why do I have to do all this?” But after their first professional experiences, it’s a different story.
“I get emails saying, ‘Everything I learned in this class I used in my internship. We were dealing with large-scale assemblies. We were doing ECOs, change, and I get it. I understand it’.”
“I teach one of the first classes they take at the university, so they’re not day-one ready yet, but I’m preparing them for that four years later or when they go to their internship. It’s not the first time they’ve seen the tool.”
This progressive collaboration between Purdue and Siemens serves as a powerful example of how educators can enrich their classroom by partnering with industry. By embedding enterprise tools and methodologies early in the educational journey, Purdue ensures its graduates are not just theoretically proficient but practically prepared for the challenges of the modern industrial workplace.
Join the premier event bringing together academics and industrial leaders
This session will be just one of many exploring exciting ideas for bringing industry to the classroom and cultivating a day-one ready workforce.
If you’re an educator looking to enrich your curricula with industry-relevant topics and experiences or an industry professional invested in building stronger talent pipelines, you won’t want to miss the Siemens Global Academic and Future Workforce Program at Realize LIVE Americas.
