Turning Ideas Into Solutions: Senior Lecturer Mark Hallenbeck on Teaching Innovation in UIC’s Master of Engineering Program

Innovation is one of the most in-demand skills in today’s engineering world, but what does it really mean, and how can students learn to apply it? At the University of Illinois Chicago’s Online Master of Engineering with a concentration in AI and Machine Learning degree, Senior lecturer Mark Hallenbeck is helping students answer exactly that.

Hallenbeck teaches MENG 407: Innovation Tools and Methods, a course that gives engineers a framework to approach complex problems with creativity and strategy. Recognized for his teaching excellence, he has earned multiple honors, including the 2023 Silver Circle Award, the College of Engineering Teaching Awards in 2022 and 2025, and the UIC Teaching Recognition Program Award (2022–2023). For Hallenbeck, innovation isn’t just about brainstorming; it’s a discipline that can be studied, practiced, and mastered. In this spotlight, he shares what innovation means in an engineering context and how he teaches students to apply it effectively in their careers.

Hallenbeck’s Approach to Teaching Innovation

If you ask my students, they’d probably say I’m a storyteller. I teach through stories from my own experience: projects I’ve worked on, challenges I’ve faced, ideas that failed, and what I learned from them. Stories allow me to show what worked, why I made certain decisions, what alternatives I considered, and what lessons came out of the process.

When working with students, I also push them to think more deeply. I ask why they’re making certain assumptions, how they would test them, and how they know their results are correct. It’s not just about finding an answer; it’s about asking the right questions. That approach helps students see problems from new angles and develop a more innovative mindset for generating engineering solutions.

Bringing Industry Experience Into the Classroom

Another significant part of my teaching approach is drawing from my own research experience and work in the field of innovation strategy. At the UIC Innovation Center, I work with product groups at Caterpillar Inc. and other companies like 10G LLC and Underwriters Laboratories. That industry collaboration directly shapes how I teach.  I can bring examples of AI in engineering into the classroom, walking students through how I approached a problem, what I tried, what didn’t work, and how I eventually pivoted to a solution.

These examples are powerful because students don’t just see the outcome; they know the decision-making process. Innovation isn’t just about having an idea; it’s about how you make sense of something new, how you weigh constraints like budget or timing, and how you adapt. Often, the business side drives the engineering solution, which forces you to be more creative. That’s the kind of problem-solving mindset I want my students to develop.

Real-World Example: Using AI to Solve Engineering Challenges

One project from my industry work that stands out was with a hardware company struggling with unreliable sensor readings. They assumed it was a coil design problem and explored ways to redesign the hardware. I suggested a different approach: what if we used AI solutions and machine learning to analyze the data instead? By reframing the problem as a software challenge rather than a hardware one, we created a solution that worked. In fact, by the fourth generation of their product, the company had shifted from a purely hardware approach to a software-driven solution.

The company’s president told me, “We’re a hardware company, and to understand and envision a software solution to a hardware problem, that’s true innovation.” That moment captured exactly why I love this work: seeing the power of AI innovation change the way companies think about solving problems.

Why Students Should Consider UIC’s Online Master of Engineering Program

We’re at a point where every industry is figuring out how AI in engineering fits into their strategy. Whether you’re an engineer or working in another discipline, you will almost certainly encounter projects involving AI solutions. This program prepares you for that reality by giving you both technical skills and the ability to apply them in different contexts.

In my course, MEng 407, students take on a semester-long project they choose. It could be something from their workplace, their daily commute, or even a challenge they’ve noticed in their community. I guide them through identifying the need, exploring possible solutions, validating their ideas, and considering what else exists in the market. I’ve had one group that wanted to explore an AI holistic health tracker. Six months after completing the course, they emailed me, “Mark, we’ve got a pitch deck, and we want to come in and have you review it and tell us what you think.” Seeing students take what they’ve learned and turn it into real-world ventures is incredibly rewarding. It’s not just about building technical expertise, but also about learning how to identify the correct problems to solve. That dual skill set is what makes graduates of this program so adaptable and in demand.

I’d also say that the people teaching in UIC’s MEng degree program are some of the best educators at the university. They’re research experts, but they’re also incredibly skilled at teaching. I think that combination is essential and benefits students as they build technical and practical skills.

Advice for Prospective MEng Students

My advice is to connect what you’re learning in the program to your own discipline and experiences. Look for ways the concepts apply to challenges you’ve faced in your work or areas you care about. Making those connections enhances your learning and ensures you walk away with skills you can immediately apply in your career.