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Northwestern University

Talking Teamwork at Orientation

New mpd2 students heard from students, faculty, and alumni about what it takes to be a good team member and how to make the most of their time in the program.

Jan 13, 2025

New MPD2 students at orientation

One of the most important lessons students learn in Northwestern Engineering's Master of Product Design and Development Management (mpd2) program is how to work better in teams.

This quarter, that learning started before classes began.

Orientation for the program's new students focused on the importance of teamwork and provided opportunities for classmates to meet and learn more about one another.

"Much of the curriculum is structured around team-based work, starting with students' very first classes," mpd2 associate director Susan Goren said. "Because of that, we wanted to make sure orientation demonstrated how important teamwork is while also beginning to provide tools to become better teammates."

One of the highlights of the event was a speed networking session led by adjunct lecturer Caroline Vial, who teaches Team Building and Organizational Behavior. Instead of 1:1 conversations typical at networking events, this session featured groups of three to five students each talking about a specific topic. Each group had eight minutes of discussion time.

When time was called, several students rotated to different groups, and a new discussion topic was introduced.

New students also heard about the program's Capstone project, a year-long opportunity for student teams to create a product or service that addresses a customer's needs.

"I love that capstone was able to be discussed in such detail for the returning part-time students and new full-time students," Goren said. "Hearing about capstone got them thinking about possible capstone topics so they were ready to hit the ground running when classes began.

The event also included a panel discussion with four mpd2 alumni, who returned to campus to talk about their experiences in the program and their advice for the incoming students.

The panelists were:

Goren said the chance for students to hear from alumni about what they do and how they apply lessons learned from mpd2 is always a highlight. It also serves as valuable inspiration for new students who are able to get a glimpse of all that is available with a mpd2 degree.

"Yes, orientation is a fantastic opportunity for students to prepare for the program and get to know their fellow students, staff, and alumni," she said. "Just as importantly, orientation helps get students in the right frame of mind to make the most of their time within the mpd2 program."

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