iVelas Unites Disciplines Across Borders: Rocket Altimeter Design via US–Brazil Virtual Exchange in a Liberal Arts–Infused Engineering Bridge for Transfer Students

The Interdisciplinary Virtual Exchanges with Liberal Arts & Sciences (iVelas) Program links U.S. and Brazilian institutions to support community college students transferring into 4-year STEM and allied degree programs in nationally strategic fields. Through a summer bridge experience enriched by interdisciplinary instruction and international virtual exchange iVelas integrates engineering, liberal arts, and intercultural education. Its centerpiece is a hands-on design/build/test challenge: student teams develop a custom altimeter and payload bay for Estes Alpha III rockets that meets the technical and cultural requirements of a counterpart country. The challenge introduces students to simulation tools, prototyping, data analysis, and iterative engineering while fostering cross-cultural collaboration and communication. Participants gain practical skills, mentorship, and research experience that are often inaccessible to community college students. The altimeter produced by the program fills a void for educational use left by discontinued commercial models. Evaluation of the iVelas program uses mixed-methods analysis to assess its engineering design effectiveness and impact on student self-efficacy and persistence. Notably, the cross-disciplinary exchange between engineering and liberal arts students enriches the design process by encouraging broader perspectives, creative problem-solving, and culturally responsive engineering solutions. iVelas demonstrates how international, interdisciplinary, and experiential learning can empower transfer students for success in the global aerospace workforce.