Virtual Immersion in Biomedical Engineering (VIBE): Exposing undergraduates to culturally sensitive engineering design and professional experiences at scale

Challenge: Undergraduate engineering students often face two major barriers: limited access to culturally sensitive global experiences and difficulty securing design internship opportunities. Traditional study abroad and internship programs can be inaccessible due to financial, geographic, or structural constraints, hindering the development of global competencies and practical engineering skills. Novel Initiative: To address these gaps, we created the Virtual Immersion in Biomedical Engineering (VIBE) program, a free, inclusive, and scalable summer experience. The 8-week online program blends interactive sessions on the engineering design process (EDP), faculty led research talks, and professional development workshops. Collaborative team-based design challenges focused on global health and healthcare disparities are completed by international teams of 3-4 students. From 2021 to 2024, more than 800 students from over 20 countries participated, with an even balance of male and female students. Student presentations (four-minute videos uploaded to YouTube) were evaluated using rubrics with the aid of a large language model. The assessment revealed substantial learning of the EDP, especially in problem definition and communication. Reflection: Participant feedback underscored the program benefits: exposure to global collaboration, professional development, and flexibility. However, common challenges included time zone coordination and team dynamics. Despite these hurdles, VIBE has demonstrated that virtual experiential learning can effectively build engineering design skills and global awareness. It offers a promising, accessible alternative to traditional high-cost global programs, expanding equitable opportunities for engineering students worldwide.