Summer EP³ Project Pods

A concentrated summer partnership among industry, students, and faculty

Beginning in Summer 2027, the SJSU College of Engineering will offer a new EP³ opportunity for companies seeking deeper and more sustained engagement with talented engineering students.  By providing meaningful project interaction and mentorship, company professionals can help students develop as engineers and make a significant positive impact at a critical point in their educational and professional journeys.

With a Summer EP³ Project Pod, a company works with EP³ faculty to define and scope one to four summer projects, which may be related or stand-alone, supported by a $100,000 gift from the company to the SJSU Tower Foundation. The gift makes it possible to assemble a faculty-supervised pod of five to eight students working full-time for eight to ten weeks.

How a Summer Pod Is Developed

A company begins by discussing its broad areas of interest, engineering needs, and potential challenges for a Summer Pod with EP³ representatives.

To initiate a Summer Pod, the company completes a pledge letter committing a $100,000 gift to the Tower Foundation. Following that commitment, EP³ faculty and company representatives work together to identify, define, and scope the projects to be undertaken by the pod.

The projects may address different aspects of a larger company challenge, several related challenges, or separate topics of interest, such as waste reduction, supply-chain improvement, automation, product design, software development, or cybersecurity.

Once the projects have been scoped, EP³ faculty will propose the appropriate pod composition—including the number and academic level of participating students—and the projected length of the work period, based on the scope and complexity of the projects.

SJSU retains responsibility for final project selection and scope, student assignments, academic direction, and faculty supervision.

Engineering Programs and Student Participation

The Summer EP³ Project Pod concept is available across all engineering programs in the College. Depending on the projects, a pod may include undergraduate students, master’s students, or a combination of both.

Each pod may draw participants from one discipline or several complementary fields. Examples include software engineering, artificial intelligence, computer engineering and networking, robotics, mechanical engineering, industrial and systems engineering, human factors and ergonomics, electrical engineering, and other engineering programs appropriate to the company’s challenges.

SJSU will recruit and select participants based on the capabilities needed for the pod. The sponsoring company may help identify desired skills and areas of expertise, but SJSU will retain responsibility for final student selection and team composition.

Compensation for participating students and faculty advisors will be provided through the Tower Foundation. They will participate as members of the SJSU Summer EP³ Pod Program, and neither the students nor faculty advisors will be employees of the sponsoring company.

Anticipated Summer 2027 Timeline

  • Fall 2026: Announce the Summer EP³ Project Pod opportunity and begin preliminary conversations with interested companies about broad areas of interest and program fit.
  • November 2026–January 2027: Confirm the sponsoring company and complete the pledge letter for the $100,000 gift.
  • January–March 2027: Identify faculty leadership and work with the company to define and scope the projects.
  • February–March 2027: Recruit and select undergraduate students, master’s students, or both, with the capabilities needed for the projects.
  • March–May 2027: Complete necessary agreements, confidentiality arrangements, team formation, orientation, and project preparation.
  • Beginning around June 1, 2027: Conduct the eight- to ten-week program, including regular company interaction, faculty supervision, progress reviews, and final presentations.

The schedule may be adjusted to accommodate the needs of the sponsoring company, participating faculty, and selected students.

Benefits for Companies

A Summer EP³ Project Pod can provide a sponsoring company with:

  • Concentrated student attention on one or more related company challenges
  • Access to a coordinated team with relevant or multidisciplinary engineering capabilities
  • Continuing interaction with students and faculty throughout the summer
  • An opportunity to explore ideas, analyses, prototypes, and other potential approaches
  • Early exposure to talented students who may become candidates for internships, co-ops, or full-time employment
  • A substantial and visible educational partnership with the SJSU College of Engineering

Benefits for Students

Students selected for a Summer EP³ Project Pod receive:

  • A substantial paid summer engineering experience
  • Faculty supervision and company technical interaction
  • Experience working on authentic industry problems
  • Opportunities to collaborate across projects and engineering disciplines
  • Practice in project planning, teamwork, communication, analysis, and presentation
  • Meaningful exposure to a potential future employer

Company Support

The $100,000 gift through the Tower Foundation supports student compensation, faculty-advisor compensation, project resources, and administration of the Summer EP³ Project Pod.

As with other EP³ projects, the Summer Pod is a faculty-supervised educational experience rather than a contract for professional services. Project scopes, anticipated outcomes, confidentiality needs, and any intellectual property considerations are discussed with the sponsoring company as the pod is developed.

Examples of Summer EP³ Project Pods

Each Summer EP³ Project Pod will be developed around the sponsoring company’s interests and the engineering capabilities needed for its projects. The following examples illustrate several of the technical areas, student configurations, and project structures that a Summer Pod could encompass:

Detailed examples of these illustrative pod models will be available through links from this page.

Interested in Sponsoring a Summer EP³ Project Pod?

Companies interested in exploring a Summer 2027 Project Pod are encouraged to begin discussions with EP³ early. Initial conversations will help determine program fit and identify the broad company interests and engineering capabilities that could form the basis for a pod.

Contact EP³ to begin a conversation.