Boston Scientific is likewise firmly committed to the principles of the LEAP Compact but is still hammering out the details of the arrangement with CSUN.

“It’s not a formal agreement,” explains Milad Girgis (’97, Mechanical Engineering; MS ’01, Engineering Management), vice president of international sales and program management and Boston Scientific’s Deep Brain Stimulation program. “It was a case of going to the CSUN president and saying, ‘We really believe in this type of education and would like to help the university in things like this.’ ”

That said, the company is eager to develop more internships, honors co-op placements and other hands-on opportunities for CSUN students.

“The way I understand it, LEAP is trying to use the compact to develop more curriculum and get industry buy-in for a more cross-functional experience,” Girgis says. “And because we have people from engineering, marketing, regulatory affairs, etc. when we’re developing a new product, that’s definitely something Boston Scientific supports.”