Abstract
The unGradSchool is a place for Boston-area engineers to spend their free time growing; as teachers, by sharing their strengths; as students by learning from their peers; and as researchers by pursuing independent projects. Inspired by the intellectual vitality of traditional universities, the unGradSchool structure is designed specifically for the unmet needs of industry engineers. The rich community can then be leveraged to solve some of the world's most pressing environmental problems. As the participants explore their concurrent roles as teachers, learners and researchers, they will also be building tremendous expertise in the art of interdisciplinary collaboration. Ultimately, these bonds will allow participants with different strengths to bring their tools to bear on the technical challenges that are impeding our economy's movement towards sustainability, on issues from water quality to nitrogen cycle disruption. These system-level issues cannot be solved with single technical breakthroughs, and must be addressed by representatives of many industries working together. The unGradSchool is where this grassroots movement begins.
