Built on a foundation of academic support, student enrichment and community engagement, the Center for Development, Support, and Success in Engineering and Computing (CDSSEC) strategically emphasizes workforce development and industry partnerships to:
- Strengthen the STEM pipeline from K–12 through graduate education
- Equip students with career-ready skills and meaningful industry connections
- Serve as a model for accessible and adaptive engineering and computing education
Our Network
The CDSSEC Network is a two-way collaborative partnership between CDSSEC and all the academic units within FIU's College of Engineering and Computing (CEC). Through this network, CDSSEC works in close coordination with departments, schools, faculty, and administrative leaders to align strategic priorities, share resources, and amplify impact across the college.
The partnership is reciprocal. Academic units contribute disciplinary expertise, research insight, and direct student engagement, while CDSSEC provides infrastructure, programming support, assessment, external partnerships, and cross-departmental coordination. This dynamic exchange ensures that initiatives are not only responsive to evolving academic and industry demands but are also scalable and sustainable across the broader CEC ecosystem.
Engineering Industry-Innovation Ecosystem (ENGINE Model)
The ENGINE Model is a comprehensive, innovation-driven framework that structures FIU’s engineering and computing education as a dynamic, student-centered ecosystem. Spanning K–12 through graduate education (K-20) and extending into workforce readiness, the model emphasizes seamless transitions and meaningful experiences at every stage. CDSSEC plays a critical upstream and midstream role in this pipeline—providing early exposure, academic preparation, and guided pathways into college and career success.
Upstream – K-12 (~13 Years)
CDSSEC leads the university’s early STEM engagement through outreach programs designed to increase awareness, spark interest, and expand access to engineering and computing.
Key CDSSEC Upstream Programs:
- EoW – Mobile STEM instruction for K–12 across Miami-Dade and Broward counties
- SPARK – Saturday STEM learning in robotics, physics, and coding for 3rd–8th grade students
- GEAR-UP (coming soon) – Saturday hands-on, project-based engineering program for 9th–12th grade students
- ENLACE – After-school and summer enrichment for ELL and at-risk elementary/middle school students
- FLAME – Dual enrollment for high school students, offering a real-world engineering and computing curriculum
Midstream – Bachelor’s Degree (~4 Years)
Once students enter CEC as undergraduates, CDSSEC continues to provide academic, professional and experiential support.
Key CDSSEC Midstream Support Programs:
- Peer Tutoring – Free academic support for upper-division engineering and construction management courses
- OURS – Undergraduate research opportunities under faculty mentorship with financial and professional development support
- EoW and SPARK – CEC students gain employment developing teaching, public engagement, program coordination, and curriculum development skills for K-12 non-formal environments
- Peer Tutor – CEC students gain experience in teaching, communication, adaptability, problem-solving, and critical thinking
Through collaboration with academic units, students continue to develop their skills and apply them in a variety of applied learning opportunities:
- Senior Design Projects
- Capstones
- Internships
- Accelerated Degree Pathways
Downstream – Graduate Education & Industry (~4 Years Total)
Since CDSSEC’s primary mission is to support the entire K-20 pipeline, its reach extends beyond undergraduate studies to graduate students and workforce readiness through partnerships, grants, and post-graduation guidance. CDSSEC’s industry partnerships foster research, mentoring and student development aligned with workforce needs.
Key CDSSEC Downstream Support:
- Graduate Assistantships – Offers CEC graduate students a job developing skills in research, program management, communication, technical writing, adaptability, problem-solving and critical thinking
- GROW (coming soon) – Graduate research opportunities under faculty mentors with financial and professional development support
Key Industry Partners Include:
- 3M
- Dell
- Bosch
- Boeing
- Chevron
- Stellantis
- Microsoft
- Lockheed Martin