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Innovation Center

Connecting Clients to Student Teams

The University of Dayton Innovation Center is home to engineering design, entrepreneurial learning and creativity in the School of Engineering.

We connect clients (community partners, industry partners, entrepreneurs and researchers) with real-world challenges to student teams who are ready to find solutions. Our teams provide everything from research, analysis, design and prototypes to testing, business plans, patent research and more — all in one semester!

Work With Us
Fast Facts

2,000+ Projects

completed for 300+ community clients

88% of clients

report that project solutions delivered by UD student teams were on target, or a significant improvement

Student Teams in Action

Group of students working on a computer
Group of students working at a lab table

How the Center Helps Clients

  • Teams focus on your needs and challenges.
  • Students meet your needs by adapting knowledge from their courses and expertise from UD faculty.
  • Students collaborate with the UD School of Law if/when intellectual property issues arise.
  • Teams partner with the UD School of Business for market/business feasibility studies.
  • Students inject your work with new energy, enthusiasm and perspectives.

How the Center Helps Students

  • Connecting student teams to clients with real-world challenges, allowing students hands-on opportunities to apply knowledge learned in class.
  • Access to the Makerspace.
  • Home to multiple academic opportunities, including the first-year Engineering Innovation course, senior design capstone, technical entrepreneurship minor and Stitt Scholars Program.
Engineering Student Projects Make an Impact
Engineering
02.03.2025

Senior Design Project Creates Unique Vertical 3D Printer for Local Organization link-arrow link-arrow

Senior mechanical engineering students were tasked with creating a vertical 3D printer for their senior design project. Their sponsor, Heart of Unlimited Boundaries (HUB), was looking for a vertical 3D printer but it did not exist on the market. 
Engineering
05.13.2024

Engineering Senior Design Project Wins Second Place in National Competition for Solutions for Injured Veterans and First Responders link-arrow link-arrow

A team of UD engineering seniors took home second place at the inaugural Quality of Life Plus National Design Competition. The UD team designed a lower-limb socket for a prosthetic that mitigates heat and moisture and improves the quality of life for injured veterans and first responders.
Engineering
05.02.2024

University of Dayton Students Light up Fourth Graders’ Interest in Engineering link-arrow link-arrow

University of Dayton engineering students worked on a project for Stingley Elementary School to reduce cafeteria noise, offering hands-on learning and sparking excitement about college and engineering among fourth graders.
Contact Innovation Center
300 College Park
Dayton, Ohio 45469 - 0211
937-229-2581 email

Innovation Center Faculty and Staff

The UD Innovation Center is led by Executive Director Rebecca Blust. She is also an associate professor in the School of Engineering Department of Engineering Management, Systems and Technology, and the Frank M. Tait Endowed Chair in Engineering.

Meet the Center's Faculty and Staff