Transforming First-Year Education: Integrating Physics, Math, and Engineering in a Studio Model

Structural and systemic barriers have long existed in physics and engineering education, especially for students from underserved and historically marginalized communities. Inspired by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Inclusive Mindset Report that summarizes the challenges and recommendations for engineering education, a multidisciplinary team at the University of Detroit Mercy is introducing a first-year pilot program that integrates physics, math, and engineering into a studio-style curriculum. Our approach, designed to cultivate and support a diverse student population, aims to remove rigid prerequisites and gatekeeping practices while emphasizing student agency in a holistic learning environment. Our pedagogical framework embeds physics instruction within culturally responsive real-world engineering challenges. This presentation will provide details of our pilot program and integrated studio-style curriculum that seeks to shift engineering education from a "college-ready student" model to a "student-ready college" one. Examples of culturally-informed case studies that highlight diverse experiences will be presented.