Seats Still Open in Undergraduate Fall 2026 Courses at the Wond'ry

The Wond'ry's undergraduate course schedule for Fall 2026 is filling up fast! The majority of the courses offered next Fall count towards the new minor in Innovation & Design Strategy.

Courses available include:

ES-1115-03 : First-year Engineering Seminar - Need-Finding in Deep Tech
- This first-year seminar launches the "Uncover" phase of the Wond'ry's IMPACT program, empowering students to apply human-centered need-finding methods and stakeholder engagement to identify genuine user and societal challenges.

IDS 2300 : Design Discovery
- A deep dive into best practices for engaging in the early stage innovation and design thinking processes.
IDS 2273 / ME 2273 : How to Make Almost Anything
- An introduction to design thinking, computer-aided design (CAD), hand tools, digital fabrication, and rapid prototyping methods.
ES 3890-02 : Wearable Product Design
- An exploration of the dynamic intersection of the human body, technology, fashion and textile design.
IDS 4500 / ENGM 4500 : New Product Design & Development
- A project-based course focused on managing the design, development, and commercialization of new products, from conception to prototyping to intellectual property, market testing, and manufacturing.

For a complete list of class times and locations, please see the online course catalog.

A collage showing students presenting presentations, making objects in a makerspace, drawing on a whiteboard, and huddling in conversation

Minor in Innovation and Design Strategy Available to Declare Fall 2026

Offered by the Vanderbilt School of Engineering and administered by the Wond'ry, the interdisciplinary Innovation and Design Strategy (IDS) minor is open to undergraduate students of ALL majors and introduces the mindsets, methods, and practices of human-centered design.

Through hands-on, project-based coursework, students learn to empathize with users, generate and prototype ideas, communicate solutions clearly, and move from insight to action. The minor develops core competencies in visual communication, collaborative teamwork, and critical thinking that apply to challenges in technology, business, public policy, education, and beyond. IDS minor students become adaptable, creative problem solvers across career paths, equipping them with a practical design thinking toolkit and competitive advantage, with versatile skills for roles in product design, user experience, social innovation, consulting, research and development, healthcare innovation, entrepreneurship, and related fields.

Most undergraduate courses taught at the Wond'ry will count towards the new minor. Students who have already taken applicable courses for the minor will be able to count them retroactively.

Click here to read about the minor and requirements.

IMPACT Program Fall 2026 Applications OPEN

The IMPACT Program is for undergraduate students who want to design, prototype, and commercialize innovative technologies to solve real-world challenges.

Participants receive exclusive access to:

Specialized academic courses
Summer internships
Industry mentors
Annual summit presentations

Click here for more information and to apply to the IMPACT Program.

A collage of photos of students presenting their work at a poster fair for the IMPACT Showcase at the Wond'ry

Spring IMPACT Uncover Showcase

The Wond’ry concluded the semester with the IMPACT Uncover Showcase on April 16, 2026. Sixteen student teams presented the results of a semester-long, disciplined, human-centered approach to problem discovery across the four verticals of the IMPACT Program: Healthcare for All Humans, Ensuring a Sustainable Planet, National Security and Defense, and Innovation Beyond Earth. Throughout the semester, students engaged stakeholders, mapped systems, and developed evidence-based understandings of complex challenges. The focus was not on solutions but on defining meaningful problems grounded in real-world conditions.

This milestone reflects the core of the IMPACT framework: building rigorous problem statements that can support future innovation and commercialization efforts.

We are grateful to our faculty, mentors, and guest speakers whose guidance and engagement made this work possible and continue to strengthen the Wond’ry innovation ecosystem.

A collage of photos showing the Vanderbilt Innovation Fellows presenting before an audience at the Nissan x Vanderbilt Showcase 2026.

Vanderbilt Innovation Fellowship Presents at Nissan x Vanderbilt Showcase 2026

Students in the Vanderbilt Innovation Fellowship presented their research findings alongside Wond'ry faculty at the recent Nissan x Vanderbilt Showcase on April 2, 2026. The students' project involved examining the user experience of driver interfaces in vehicles and making recommendations for the improvements of both driver experience and vehicle manufacturing.

The Vanderbilt Innovation Fellowship is a yearly cohort of internships sponsored by the Wond'ry for both undergraduate and graduate students to gain experience in design consultancy and user research by working with client organizations on innovative projects. Nissan North America has been a sponsoring client for multiple cohorts of Innovation Fellows at the Wond'ry.

Click here to read more about the showcase presentation.

Sullivan Family Ideator Applications Open

The Sullivan Family Ideator Program is hosted by the Wond'ry in collaboration with the NSF I-Corps Mid-South Hub. This entry-level program supports early-stage, university-affiliated innovators (students, staff, faculty, and alumni) who want to explore the viability of their ideas. Over five weekly virtual sessions, participants learn how to define their value proposition, validate real customer needs, and conduct evidence-based exploration.

The next Ideator cohort begins June 23, 2026.

The deadline to apply is May 29, 2026.

To apply for the Sullivan Family Ideator Program, click here.

A collage of individuals attending the Anchor Days Open House at the Wond'ry, including attendees speaking to student presenters and touring the Wond'ry makerspaces.

Wond'ry Welcomes Admitted First-Years to Vanderbilt

The Wond'y held an open house for Anchor Days 2026, inviting potential students to speak with current Vanderbilt undergraduates and Wond'ry staff and faculty about various innovation opportunities. We look forward to working with these aspiring innovators next fall!

Wond'ry Selects Julia Steele for 2026 Excellence in Innovation Award

The Wond'ry selected Julia Steele, a doctoral student in the cancer biology program, as the recipient of this year's 2026 Excellence in Innovation Award. The award is cosponsored by the Graduate School as part of their annual Education Honors program. Congratulations, Julia!

Click here to read about this year's awards.

In the News

Spring Semester Hours

Offices
Monday-Friday: 9:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday & Sunday: Closed

Makerspaces
Monday-Thursday: 1:00pm - 8:00pm
Friday: 1:00pm - 6:00pm

Support the Wond'ry

By making your tax-deductible gift to our Student Innovation Fund, you help us provide students with the funding they need to turn their ideas into reality. Donate here.