Students in Assistant Professor of Physics Cody Crosby’s Introduction to Engineering class learn important principles through designing and 3D printing model rockets. After noticing many students getting bogged down sorting through seemingly infinite design possibilities, Crosby reached out to Associate Professor of Computer Science Jacob Schrum to see if artificial intelligence (AI) could be incorporated to ease the process. In the true spirit of Paideia, Schrum was able to apply a type of AI called evolutionary computation to ultimately determine a broad collection of different high-performing model rocket designs. Crosby’s students then analyzed these designs in a simulator before selecting the best of the best. After 3D printing their model rockets, the group tested both their designs and the algorithms that produced them to see how this type of technology performed in the design of model rockets.