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Levy Practice Fellows: Year 1 Pilot

Build, test, and measure real things, then teach the next student.

About the program

The Kenneth and Gloria Levy Initiative for Engineering Practice and Measurement is a new program at the Grove School of Engineering, funded by a $5 million commitment from alumnus Kenneth Levy ’64 and his wife Gloria. It is built on one idea: you learn engineering by practicing it. That means you build, test, measure, troubleshoot, and improve real systems from the start of your degree. Read the announcement.

Students selected for the program are called Levy Practice Fellows. Fellows start as trainees and grow into peer mentors, project leaders, and lab guides across Grove. This year is the pilot, with three tracks: manufacturing in the Machine Shop and Makerspace, experimental aerodynamics in the ExAM-Flow Lab, and computer science.

Year 1 pilot tracks

Manufacturing
32 Fellows

Manufacturing track (Machine Shop & Makerspace)

32 Fellows will train in the Machine Shop and Makerspace over two semesters.

What you will learn

Fall 2026: Foundations of Manufacturing (five weeks)

The fall semester covers the principles behind how parts are made, and you apply each one on the machines.

  • Shop safety
  • Manufacturing processes: an overview of digital manufacturing, CNC and manual machining, and additive and subtractive processes
  • Engineering drawings and measurement
  • Machine tool fundamentals: the bandsaw, drill press, manual mill, and other manual shop tools
  • Workholding and references: securing work, setting references, and locating and making features from those references
  • Cutting theory: tool types and tool materials, milling procedures, material properties, and speed and feed calculations
  • Precision machining: machining from an engineering drawing to tolerance

By the end of the semester, you will have produced a finished part from a drawing: a block you squared, machined to dimension, and drilled and tapped yourself.

Spring 2027

  • Manual lathe
  • CNC mills
  • Final project

Final project

You will finish the program by building a working mechanism, such as a scissor jack, that uses every skill you learned. Each part has to be made to tolerances of 0.003 inch, about the width of a human hair. Along the way you will learn basic metrology, so you can measure your own parts and prove they meet the drawing.

What you do after training

  • Train other students on the machines
  • Make parts for research labs
  • Help keep the machines running

The commitment

  • 2.5 hours a week, in person, in one of four sessions: Tuesday or Wednesday, 10:00 AM–12:30 PM or 2:00–4:30 PM
  • Both semesters. Each session builds on the last, so you need to be there every week.
  • A short progress report at least once a semester

Experimental aerodynamics track (ExAM-Flow Lab)

Ten Fellows will join the Experimental Aerodynamic and Multiphase Flow (ExAM-Flow) Lab, led by Professor Yang Liu. You will get hands-on training in wind tunnel, shock tube, and plasma device experiments, with applications in energy systems, aerospace, and manufacturing. Working closely with faculty and graduate researchers, you will learn experimental setup, instrument calibration, data collection, and analysis, and connect what you learn in class to real research.

Computer science track

Ten Fellows will work on applied cybersecurity and software projects.

You will:

  • Build, test, and document software tools, dashboards, and research prototypes
  • Investigate emerging cyber threats and vulnerabilities
  • Collect and evaluate open-source data for research
  • Analyze and debug software and technical systems
  • Use AI to support your analysis
  • Write up and present your findings

This track suits students interested in cybersecurity, data science, software development, and responsible AI.

Apply

Ready to apply?

Applications are due Wednesday, October 21. You will need to sign in with a Google account, and you will upload your resume (one PDF or Word file, up to 10 MB).

Open the application Opens in a new tab. If you have trouble with the form, email mharoun@ccny.cuny.edu.

Questions about the program?

Reach out and we'll help you find the right track.

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