The Wond'ry

A new program at Vanderbilt School of Engineering, made possible by a recent gift from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, is helping engineering students commercialize deep-tech prototypes that address societal needs and aim for worldwide impact.

Called IMPACT – Innovation, Market-driven Productization, and Commercialization of (deep) Technologies – the program offers a hands-on learning experience centered on a three-phase journey: uncover, invent, and propel. Students design, prototype, and validate solutions that tackle real-world challenges.

The program is funded by $2.5 million in seed money from the Clark Foundation, which is part of an additional $16.5 million the Foundation recently invested in Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering and the Clark Scholars Program. That program emphasizes four key pillars that reflect the qualities Clark valued and sought to inspire in others: engineering excellence, business acumen, service learning, and leadership.

IMPACT is open to all first- and second-year Vanderbilt engineering students, who engage in seminars, classes, and skill-building workshops through The Wond’ry, the university’s Center for Innovation.

Read more: https://ow.ly/bvus50XCN5u

💡 This Giving Tuesday, give the gift of innovation!

At the Wond’ry, bold ideas turn into real-world solutions. It’s where students, faculty, and staff collaborate, create, and bring imaginations to life.

Your support fuels that impact.
Every gift empowers the next generation of changemakers with the tools, mentorship, and space needed to turn ideas into action.

When you donate, you’re investing in a thriving innovation center where creativity takes flight and breakthroughs begin. 🚀

Make your Giving Tuesday gift and select The Wond’ry under “University Initiatives”: https://ow.ly/Trp150XAXj1
🔗

⏰ Upcoming Deadline! ⏰ Undergraduates: Ready to design, prototype, and commercialize innovative technologies? The Wond’ry's IMPACT Program is accepting applications!

✨ Program highlights:
~ Specialized courses
~ Summer internships
~ Industry mentors
~ Annual summit presentations

📅 Apply by Dec 1 for the 2026 cohort!

🔗 Apply here: vanderbilt.edu/the-wondry/impact-program

🚀 Calling all undergraduates! 🚀
Want to design, prototype, and commercialize innovative technologies? The Wond’ry IMPACT Program is your chance!

✨ What you get:
~ Specialized courses
~ Summer internships
~ Industry mentors
~ Annual summit presentations

📅 Important dates:
~ Apply by Dec 1 for the 2026 cohort
~ Attend the info session on Nov 21 to learn more!

🔗 RSVP to the Info Session: https://airtable.com/appaVb6xU7iO9qUBd/pagt4B035DXkyhsaN/form

💡 New Course Alert: Wearable Product Design!
📅 Spring 2026
👩‍🏫 Taught by Alexandra Sargent Capps

Ready to explore the future of wearable tech? This hands-on course blends technology, design, and the human body to help you create innovative, human-centered wearable products.

✨ What you’ll learn:
• Explore the intersection of tech, wearable design & the human body
• Create functional, human-centered wearable products
• Develop pattern-making skills for comfort & movement
• Integrate smart materials, sensors & responsive systems
• Apply sustainability and universal design principles

📚 Lecture: Tuesdays, 1:15–2:30 PM (ESB 201 / Wond’ry 2nd Floor Lounge)
🧪 Lab (choose one): Thursdays, 1:15–2:30 PM or 2:45–4:00 PM
📧 Questions? [email protected]

Innovate at the Nanoscale by taking Nanoscale Innovation and Making

🗓️ ECE 3891-01 & PHYS 3890-01 | TR 2:45-4:45 PM

Dive into this immersive course where you'll:

🔹 Explore the societal impacts of nanotechnology
🔹 Discover how breakthroughs move from lab to marketplace
🔹 Build your own prototype device in Vanderbilt’s cleanroom
🔹 Perfect your pitch with real-world product presentations

Open to all innovators eager to tackle modern challenges through nanotech!

Partners:
Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE)
Vanderbilt University School of Engineering
the Wond'ry
Vanderbilt College of Arts and Sciences
Vanderbilt Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization (CTTC)

For Vanderbilt alum, James Valencia, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a way of life. What started as a small experiment with microgreens in a 100-square-foot space has blossomed into Radical Shoots, a thriving business supplying fresh, nutrient-dense greens to clients all over the Nashville region. But Valencia’s journey into urban farming wasn’t a straightforward one.

Click here to read more: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/the-wondry/2025/04/04/cultivating-change-how-radical-shoots-is-growing-a-more-sustainable-future-with-microgreens/

Vanderbilt University

Aaron Gothard and his senior design team created a fully adjustable mock interior, known as a "buck", that can quickly adapt from sedan to SUV to compact pickup truck interiors, streamlining Nissan’s vehicle development and market research process. The full team consisted of: Aaron Gothard, Nicole Yeh, Elijah Holland, David Guiracocha, and Nick Diaz.

Traditionally, each vehicle iteration requires its own dedicated mock interior. But Aaron's team has designed one adaptable buck that can represent multiple vehicle styles seamlessly, saving resources and accelerating innovation.

Support more real-world innovation projects like this on Giving Day. We only need 19 more donors to hit that 75K donation! Every donation, no matter the size, makes a huge difference! https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/58011/donations/new?designation=thewondryvanderbiltsinnovationcenter&a=9918882

Vanderbilt University

One of our favorite student projects? This one.
Mechanical engineering student Philip Butcher developed a drone-control goggle mount in partnership with Nashville’s SWAT team, enhancing how first responders operate in high-stakes environments, which will help to enhance their safety.

With support from the Wond’ry, Philip’s innovation has gone global, and is now shared with 179 departments across 37 U.S. states and 11 countries, including law enforcement teams in France, Spain, and New Zealand.

From an idea sparked right here Vanderbilt University to a tool making a worldwide difference: that’s the power of student innovation.

On Giving Day, help us support more projects like Philip’s. If 26 more people give, we’ll unlock an additional $75,000 thanks to a generous anonymous donor.

https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/58011/donations/new?designation=thewondryvanderbiltsinnovationcenter&a=9918882

Vanderbilt University