Space Civil Engineering option - A progress report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Criswell, Marvin E.; Sadeh, Willy Z.

1992-01-01

Space Civil Engineering is an emerging engineering discipline that focuses on extending and expanding Civil Engineering to the development, operation, and maintenance of infrastructures on celestial bodies. Space Civil Engineering is presently being developed as a new discipline within the Department of Civil Engineering at Colorado State University and with support of the NASA Space Grant College Program. Academic programs geared toward creating Space Civil Engineering Options at both undergraduate and graduate levels are being formulated. Basic ideas and concepts and the current status of the curriculum in the Space Civil Engineering Option primarily at the undergraduate level are presented.

Datasets on demographic trends in enrollment into undergraduate engineering programs at Covenant University, Nigeria.

PubMed

Popoola, Segun I; Atayero, Aderemi A; Badejo, Joke A; Odukoya, Jonathan A; Omole, David O; Ajayi, Priscilla

2018-06-01

In this data article, we present and analyze the demographic data of undergraduates admitted into engineering programs at Covenant University, Nigeria. The population distribution of 2649 candidates admitted into Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Information and Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Petroleum Engineering programs between 2002 and 2009 are analyzed by gender, age, and state of origin. The data provided in this data article were retrieved from the student bio-data submitted to the Department of Admissions and Student Records (DASR) and Center for Systems and Information Services (CSIS) by the candidates during the application process into the various engineering undergraduate programs. These vital information is made publicly available, after proper data anonymization, to facilitate empirical research in the emerging field of demographics analytics in higher education. A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file is attached to this data article and the data is thoroughly described for easy reuse. Descriptive statistics and frequency distributions of the demographic data are presented in tables, plots, graphs, and charts. Unrestricted access to these demographic data will facilitate reliable and evidence-based research findings for sustainable education in developing countries.

Acoustics: A branch of engineering at the Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poblete, Victor; Arenas, Jorge P.; Sommerhoff, Jorge

2002-11-01

At the end of the 1960s, the first acousticians graduating at UACh had acquired an education in applied physics and musical arts, since there was no College of Engineering at that time. Initially, they had a (rather modest) four-year undergraduate program, and most of the faculty were not specialized teachers. The graduates from such a program received a sound engineering degree and they were skilled for jobs in the musical industry and sound reinforcement companies. In addition, they worked as sound engineers and producers. Later, because of the scientific, industrial and educational changes in Chile during the 1980s, the higher education system had massive changes that affected all of the undergraduate and graduate programs of the 61 universities in Chile. The UACh College of Engineering was officially founded in 1989. Then, acoustics as an area of expertise was included, widened and developed as an interdisciplinary subject. Currently, the undergraduate program in acoustics at UACh offers a degree in engineering sciences and a 6-year professional studies in Civil Engineering (Acoustics), having two main fields: Sound and Image, and Environment and Industry.

Bioenvironmental Engineering: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Training Environmental Engineers at Rutgers University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchrin, Christoph; Krogmann, Uta; Gimenez, Daniel

2010-05-01

It is becoming increasingly apparent that environmental problems have become extremely complex, involving inter- and multidisciplinary expertise. Furthermore, the nature of environmental episodes requires practitioners who are flexible in designing appropriate solution approaches. As a result, there is a high demand for environmental engineering graduates in the professional sector as well as graduate schools. At Rutgers University, we have designed and are now delivering an undergraduate curriculum that melds a strong background in basic and applied sciences with a rigorous sequence of design oriented engineering courses, all focused on producing graduates who view the environment in a holistic sense, rather than a narrow, medium oriented manner. Since the implementation of the program in 2004 student numbers have doubled and half of the students graduate with honors. The undergraduate program is complemented by the new Environmental Engineering option of the Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences. The undergraduate program and the graduate option are served by a highly committed faculty of seven full-time members and one part-time member.

University of Maryland MRSEC - Research: Highlights

Science.gov Websites

; National Labs International Educational Education Pre-College Programs Homeschool Programs Undergraduate Perspective at UMD MRSEC Nanoscience Camp Annual Middle School Student Science Conference (SSC) Pre ) Activities UMD-MRSEC Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (REU) Pre-Engineering Program

Facilitating Classroom Innovation in the Geosciences Through the NSF Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (TUES) Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singer, J.; Ryan, J. G.

2012-12-01

The Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (TUES) program seeks to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for all undergraduate students. Activities supported by the TUES program include the creation, adaptation, and dissemination of learning materials and teaching strategies, development of faculty expertise, implementation of educational innovations, and research on STEM teaching and learning. The TUES program especially encourages projects that have the potential to transform undergraduate STEM education and active dissemination and building a community of users are critical components of TUES projects. To raise awareness about the TUES program and increase both the quality and quantity of proposals submitted by geoscientists to the program, information sessions and proposal writing retreats are being conducted. Digital resources developed especially for the geosciences community are available at www.buffalostate.edu/RTUGeoEd to share information about the TUES program and the many ways this NSF program supports innovation in geoscience education. This presentation also addresses identified impediments to submitting a TUES proposal and strategies for overcoming reasons discouraging geoscientists from preparing a proposal and/or resubmitting a declined proposal.

Successful Programs for Undergraduate Women in Science and Engineering: "Adapting" versus "Adopting" the Institutional Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Mary Frank; Sonnert, Gerhard; Nikiforova, Irina

2009-01-01

This article focuses upon programs for undergraduate women in science and engineering, which are a strategic research site in the study of gender, science, and higher education. The design involves both quantitative and qualitative approaches, linking theory, method, questions, and analyses in ways not undertaken previously. Using a comprehensive,…

An Engineering Degree Does Not (Necessarily) an Engineer Make: Career Decision Making among Undergraduate Engineering Majors. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lichtenstein, Gary; Loshbaugh, Heidi G.; Claar, Brittany; Chen, Helen L.; Jackson, Kristyn; Sheppard, Sheri

2009-01-01

This paper explores the career-related decision making of seniors enrolled in undergraduate engineering programs at two nationally recognized institutions. This strand of the Academic Pathways Study (APS) research revealed that many engineering students were undecided about their career plans, even late into their senior years and that many were…

To promote the engineering innovative abilities of undergraduates by taking projects as the guidance and competitions as the promotion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yishen; Wu, Di; Chen, Daqing; Gu, Jihua; Gao, Lei

2017-08-01

According to the inherent requirements of education for talents' knowledge, quality and comprehensive ability and the major training goals of optoelectronics information science and engineering, in order to enhance the undergraduates' comprehensive practical ability and consciousness of innovation, we carried out the reforms of teaching method and teaching mode, which took the training programs of innovation and entrepreneurship for undergraduates, extracurricular academic research fund, "Chun-Tsung Scholar" program or research projects of their tutors as the guidance, and took the all levels of relevant discipline competitions as the promotion. And the training mainline of engineering innovation talents as "undergraduate's tutorial system ->innovative training program or tutor's research project ->academic competition ->graduation projects (thesis)" was constructed stage by stage by combining the undergraduates' graduation projects and their participated academic competition into one for improving the quality of the graduation projects (thesis). The practical results of the last several years illuminate that the proposed training model can effectively stimulate the students' awareness of autonomous learning, enhance their comprehensive ability of analyzing and solving problems and improve their ability of engineering practice and innovation as well as their teamwork spirit.

An Undergraduate Electrical Engineering Course on Computer Organization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Commission on Engineering Education, Washington, DC.

Outlined is an undergraduate electrical engineering course on computer organization designed to meet the need for electrical engineers familiar with digital system design. The program includes both hardware and software aspects of digital systems essential to design function and correlates design and organizational aspects of the subject. The…

Perceptions of Academic Staff towards Accommodating Students with Disabilities in a Civil Engineering Undergraduate Program in a University in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayat, Nafisa; Amosun, Seyi Ladele

2011-01-01

This study explored the perceptions of academic staff towards admission of students with disabilities, and their accommodation once accepted into an undergraduate Civil Engineering program in a South African university. Qualitative responses relating to the perceptions of five academic staff were obtained through semi-structured interviews. The…

Enhancing Critical Thinking across the Undergraduate Experience: An Exemplar from Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ralston, Patricia A.; Bays, Cathy L.

2013-01-01

Faculty in a large, urban school of engineering designed a longitudinal study to assess the critical thinking skills of undergraduate students as they progressed through the engineering program. The Paul-Elder critical thinking framework was used to design course assignments and develop a holistic assessment rubric. The curriculum was re-designed…

Gaining Access or Losing Ground? Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students in Undergraduate Engineering, 1994-2003

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundy-Wagner, Valerie C.; Veenstra, Cindy P.; Orr, Marisa K.; Ramirez, Nichole M.; Ohland, Matthew W.; Long, Russell A.

2014-01-01

Expanding access to engineering for underrepresented groups has by and large focused on ethnicity/race and gender, with little understanding of socioeconomic disadvantages. In this study, we use economic, human, and cultural capital theories to frame and then describe access to undergraduate engineering degree programs and bachelor's degrees.…

An Engineering Research Program for High School Science Teachers: Year Two Changes and Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeJong, Brian P.; Yelamarthi, Kumar; Kaya, Tolga

2016-01-01

The research experiences for teachers program at Central Michigan University was initiated to team in-service and pre-service teachers with undergraduate engineering students and engineering faculty, in an engineering research setting. During the six-week program, teachers learn engineering concepts and develop high-school instructional material…

GT-SUPREEM: the Georgia Tech summer undergraduate packaging research and engineering experience for minorities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

May, Gary S.

1996-07-01

The Georgia Tech SUmmer Undergraduate Packaging Research and Engineering Experience for Minorities (GT-SUPREEM) is an eight-week summer program designed to attract qualified minority students to pursue graduate degrees in packaging- related disciplines. The program is conducted under the auspices of the Georgia Tech Engineering Research Center in Low-Cost Electronic Packaging, which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. In this program, nine junior and senior level undergraduate students are selected on a nationwide basis and paired with a faculty advisor to undertake research projects in the Packaging Research CEnter. The students are housed on campus and provided with a $DLR3,000 stipend and a travel allowance. At the conclusion of the program, the students present both oral and written project summaries. It is anticipated that this experience will motivate these students to become applicants for graduate study in ensuring years. This paper will provide an overview of the GT-SUPREEM program, including student research activities, success stories, lessons learned, and overall program outlook.

DoD Educational Intervention Programs for Scientists and Engineers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-10-01

Nabeel , ed. The Condition of Education: 1993. Washington, D.C.: U.S.Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES 93-290), p...Naval Facilities I Undergraduate Academic Program Undergraduate Navy Naval Ocean Sy Cooperative Education Program (COOP) Undergraduate Navy Naval... Nabeel , ed. The Condition of Education: 1993. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES 93-290

Demand for interdisciplinary laboratories for physiology research by undergraduate students in biosciences and biomedical engineering.

PubMed

Clase, Kari L; Hein, Patrick W; Pelaez, Nancy J

2008-12-01

Physiology as a discipline is uniquely positioned to engage undergraduate students in interdisciplinary research in response to the 2006-2011 National Science Foundation Strategic Plan call for innovative transformational research, which emphasizes multidisciplinary projects. To prepare undergraduates for careers that cross disciplinary boundaries, students need to practice interdisciplinary communication in academic programs that connect students in diverse disciplines. This report surveys policy documents relevant to this emphasis on interdisciplinary training and suggests a changing role for physiology courses in bioscience and engineering programs. A role for a physiology course is increasingly recommended for engineering programs, but the study of physiology from an engineering perspective might differ from the study of physiology as a basic science. Indeed, physiology laboratory courses provide an arena where biomedical engineering and bioscience students can apply knowledge from both fields while cooperating in multidisciplinary teams under specified technical constraints. Because different problem-solving approaches are used by students of engineering and bioscience, instructional innovations are needed to break down stereotypes between the disciplines and create an educational environment where interdisciplinary teamwork is used to bridge differences.

Providing Co-Curricular Support: A Multi-Case Study of Engineering Student Support Centers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Walter C., Jr.

2015-01-01

In response to the student retention and diversity issues that have been persistent in undergraduate engineering education, many colleges have developed Engineering Student Support Centers (ESSCs) such as Minority Engineering Programs (MEPs) and Women in Engineering Programs (WEPs). ESSCs provide underrepresented students with co-curricular…

Development of an Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Bioengineering Program at Lehigh University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herz, Lori; Russo, M. Jean; Ou-Yang, H. Daniel; El-Aasser, Mohamed; Jagota, Anand; Tatic-Lucic, Svetlana; Ochs, John

2011-01-01

The undergraduate Bioengineering Program at Lehigh University was established as part of the university's Bioscience and Biotechnology Initiative with support from the National Science Foundation through a grant from its Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC). The objective here is to describe the program development and…

Broaden Engineering Technology students' knowledge through hands-on with motion robotics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The skills and knowledge that employers value most are not always well-aligned with undergraduate engineering technology programs. With the support of a federal grant, we identify and propose to broaden the undergraduate student experience to include training in transferable skills with agricultura...

Birds of a Feather Do Not Always Flock Together: A Critical Analysis of Latina Engineers and Their Involvement in Student Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banda, Rosa M.; Flowers, Alonzo M., III

2017-01-01

While an abundance of literature addresses undergraduate students' lack of success in engineering programs, fewer studies examine the persistence of minority females, especially of Latinas. This study employed a qualitative method of inquiry to gain insight into the reasons why Latina undergraduate engineering majors sought membership in student…

Accreditation of Engineering Programs: An Evaluation of Current Practices in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Said, Suhana Mohd; Chow, Chee-Onn; Mokhtar, N.; Ramli, Rahizar; Ya, Tuan Mohd Yusoff Shah Tuan; Sabri, Mohd Faizul Mohd

2013-01-01

The curriculum for undergraduate engineering courses in Malaysia is becoming increasingly structured, following the global trend for quality assurance in engineering education, through accreditation schemes. Generally, the accreditation criteria call for the graduates from engineering programs to demonstrate a range of skills, from technical…

Persistence, Engagement, and Migration in Engineering Programs. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohland, Matthew W.; Sheppard, Sheri D.; Lichtenstein, Gary; Eris, Ozgur; Chachra, Debbie; Layton, Richard A.

2008-01-01

Those responsible for designing, maintaining, and delivering engineering education are asking questions to understand the outcomes of undergraduate engineering programs. These questions have been motivated by concerns about the declining interest in studying engineering, the continued lack of gender and ethnic diversity in the engineering…

Slope Stability. CEGS Programs Publication Number 15.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pestrong, Raymond

Slope Stability is one in a series of single-topic problem modules intended for use in undergraduate and earth science courses. The module, also appropriate for use in undergraduate civil engineering and engineering geology courses, is a self-standing introduction to studies of slope stability. It has been designed to supplement standard…

Experiences in Developing an Experimental Robotics Course Program for Undergraduate Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jung, Seul

2013-01-01

An interdisciplinary undergraduate-level robotics course offers students the chance to integrate their engineering knowledge learned throughout their college years by building a robotic system. Robotics is thus a core course in system and control-related engineering education. This paper summarizes the experience of developing robotics courses…

An Option in Applied Microbiology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, William E., III

1988-01-01

Describes a program option for undergraduate chemical engineering students interested in biotechnology. Discusses how this program is deployed at the University of Southern Florida. Lists courses which apply to this program. Discusses the goals of teaching applied microbiology to engineering majors. (CW)

Robotics Laboratory to Enhance the STEM Research Experience

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-30

the Chemistry Program has a student working on the design and development of a Stirling Engine , which the student is planning to construct using...scale): Number of graduating undergraduates funded by a DoD funded Center of Excellence grant for Education, Research and Engineering : The number of... engineering or technology fields: Student Metrics This section only applies to graduating undergraduates supported by this agreement in this reporting

Manpower Assessment Brief #44: NUCLEAR ENGINEERING Enrollments Decreased at All Levels in 1998. Undergraduate and Doctoral Degrees Decreased, While Master's Degrees Increased Slightly.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shirley, Duveen

1999-05-04

The survey of "Nuclear Engineering Enrollments and Degrees, 1998" was sent to 45 institutions offering a major in nuclear engineering or an option program in another discipline or department (for example, electrical or mechanical engineering) equivalent to a major that qualifies the graduates to perform as nuclear engineers. This document provides statistical data on undergraduate and graduate enrollments and degrees, employment and post-graduation plans, and foreign national participation.

The Students-Recruiting-Students Undergraduate Engineering Recruiting Programme.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gattis, Carol; Nachtmann, Heather; Youngblood, Alisha D.

2003-01-01

Describes the Students-Recruiting-Students (SRS) program developed to recruit high school students into the Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Arkansas. Presents four phases of the program along with seven years of program results. Encourages successful development of similar recruiting programs. (KHR)

Optical projects in the Clinic program at Harvey Mudd College

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Q.

2017-08-01

Clinic program is the senior capstone program at Harvey Mudd College (HMC). Multidisciplinary and industry-sponsored projects allow a team of students to solve a real-world problem over one academic year. Over its 50 plus years, Clinic program has completed numerous optics related projects. This report gives an overview of the Clinic program, reviews recent optical projects and discusses how this program supports the learning of the HMC engineering students. A few sample optical projects with more details are presented to provide an insight of what challenges that undergraduates can overcome. Students achieve learning within the optics discipline and the related engineering disciplines. The experiences in these optical projects indicate the great potential to bringing optical hands-on projects into the undergraduate level. Because of the general engineering curriculum at HMC, these projects often work the best with a multidisciplinary nature even if the core of the project is optically focused. Students gain leadership training, oral and written communication skills and experiences in team work. Close relationship with the sponsor liaisons allows for the students to gain skills in professional conduct, management of tight schedule and a specified budget, and it well prepares the students to their engineering practice. Optical projects have their own sets of specific challenges, so it needs to be chosen properly to match the undergraduate skill sets such as those of HMC engineering students.

Early Undergraduate Research Experiences Lead to Similar Learning Gains for STEM and Non-STEM Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanford, Jennifer S.; Rocheleau, Suzanne E.; Smith, Kevin P. W.; Mohan, Jaya

2017-01-01

Undergraduate research is touted as a high-impact educational practice yielding important benefits such as increased retention and notable learning gains. Large-scale studies describing benefits of mentored research programs have focused primarily on outcomes for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) undergraduates. The Students…

Exploration of the lived experiences of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics minority students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snead-McDaniel, Kimberly

An expanding ethnicity gap exists in the number of students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers in the United States. The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering revealed that the number of minorities pursuing STEM degrees and careers has declined over the past few years. The specific origins of this trend are not quite evident; one variable to consider is that undergraduate minority students are failing in STEM disciplines at various levels of education from elementary to postsecondary. The failure of female and minority students to enter STEM disciplines in higher education have led various initiatives to establish programs to promote STEM disciplines among these groups. Additional funding for minority STEM programs have led to a increase in undergraduate minority students entering STEM disciplines, but the minority students' graduation rate in STEM disciplines is approximately 7% lower than the graduation of nonminority students in STEM disciplines. This phenomenological qualitative research study explores the lived experiences of underrepresented minority undergraduate college students participating in an undergraduate minority-mentoring program. The following nine themes emerged from the study: (a) competitiveness, (b) public perception, (c) dedication, (d) self-perception, (e) program activities, (f) time management, (g) exposure to career and graduate opportunities, (h) rigor in the curriculum, and (i) peer mentoring. The themes provided answers and outcomes to better support a stronger minority representation in STEM disciplines.

Engaging Women in Computer Science and Engineering: Promising Practices for Promoting Gender Equity in Undergraduate Research Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Karen A.; Fann, Amy J.; Misa-Escalante, Kimberly O.

2011-01-01

Building on research that identifies and addresses issues of women's underrepresentation in computing, this article describes promising practices in undergraduate research experiences that promote women's long-term interest in computer science and engineering. Specifically, this article explores whether and how REU programs include programmatic…

Iowa State University's undergraduate minor, online graduate certificate and resource center in NDE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowler, Nicola; Larson, Brian F.; Gray, Joseph N.

2014-02-01

Nondestructive evaluation is a `niche' subject that is not yet offered as an undergraduate or graduate major in the United States. The undergraduate minor in NDE offered within the College of Engineering at Iowa State University (ISU) provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate aspiring engineers to obtain a qualification in the multi-disciplinary subject of NDE. The minor requires 16 credits of course work within which a core course and laboratory in NDE are compulsory. The industrial sponsors of Iowa State's Center for Nondestructive Evaluation, and others, strongly support the NDE minor and actively recruit students from this pool. Since 2007 the program has graduated 10 students per year and enrollment is rising. In 2011, ISU's College of Engineering established an online graduate certificate in NDE, accessible not only to campus-based students but also to practicing engineers via the web. The certificate teaches the fundamentals of three major NDE techniques; eddy-current, ultrasonic and X-ray methods. This paper describes the structure of these programs and plans for development of an online, coursework-only, Master of Engineering in NDE and thesis-based Master of Science degrees in NDE.

Application of Statistics in Engineering Technology Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhan, Wei; Fink, Rainer; Fang, Alex

2010-01-01

Statistics is a critical tool for robustness analysis, measurement system error analysis, test data analysis, probabilistic risk assessment, and many other fields in the engineering world. Traditionally, however, statistics is not extensively used in undergraduate engineering technology (ET) programs, resulting in a major disconnect from industry…

Education through Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fowler, Brian D.

1995-01-01

Describes the Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars Program, a 10-week internship program for junior and senior undergraduates and first-year graduate students who are pursuing degrees in engineering or science. The program enables participants to conduct research under the supervision of NASA scientists and engineers. Profiles American…

Final report to DOE: Matching Grant Program for the Penn State University Nuclear Engineering Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jack S. Brenizer, Jr.

2003-01-17

The DOE/Industry Matching Grant Program is designed to encourage collaborative support for nuclear engineering education as well as research between the nation's nuclear industry and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Despite a serious decline in student enrollments in the 1980s and 1990s, the discipline of nuclear engineering remained important to the advancement of the mission goals of DOE. The program is designed to ensure that academic programs in nuclear engineering are maintained and enhanced in universities throughout the U.S. At Penn State, the Matching Grant Program played a critical role in the survival of the Nuclear Engineering degree programs.more » Funds were used in a variety of ways to support both undergraduate and graduate students directly. Some of these included providing seed funding for new graduate research initiatives, funding the development of new course materials, supporting new teaching facilities, maintenance and purchase of teaching laboratory equipment, and providing undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships, and wage payroll positions for students.« less

Maintaining the competitive edge; Use of computers for undergraduate instruction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hurley, F.; Miller, M.; Podlo, A.L.

1991-11-01

There is a revolution in U.S. undergraduate engineering curricula, one marked by a renaissance of interest in liberal arts education, re-emphasis on basic education, and a new emphasis on computer training. The Dept. of Petroleum Engineering at the U. of Texas recognized its weaknesses and in Sept. 1987 designed and implemented new curricula incorporating computer and technical communications skills for undergraduate students. This paper provides details of the curricula changes. The results of this 4-year program demonstrate that problem-solving skills of petroleum engineering students are sharpened through computerized education and proficient communication.

Collaboration and Community Building in Summer Undergraduate Research Programs in the School of Earth Sciences at Stanford University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nevle, R. J.; Watson Nelson, T.; Harris, J. M.; Klemperer, S. L.

2012-12-01

In 2012, the School of Earth Sciences (SES) at Stanford University sponsored two summer undergraduate research programs. Here we describe these programs and efforts to build a cohesive research cohort among the programs' diverse participants. The two programs, the Stanford School of Earth Sciences Undergraduate Research (SESUR) Program and Stanford School of Earth Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research in Geoscience and Engineering (SURGE) Program, serve different undergraduate populations and have somewhat different objectives, but both provide students with opportunities to work on strongly mentored yet individualized research projects. In addition to research, enrichment activities co-sponsored by both programs support the development of community within the combined SES summer undergraduate research cohort. Over the course of 6 to 9 months, the SESUR Program engages Stanford undergraduates, primarily rising sophomores and juniors, with opportunities to deeply explore Earth sciences research while learning about diverse areas of inquiry within SES. Now in its eleventh year, the SESUR experience incorporates the breadth of the scientific endeavor: finding an advisor, proposal writing, obtaining funding, conducting research, and presenting results. Goals of the SESUR program include (1) providing a challenging and rewarding research experience for undergraduates who wish to explore the Earth sciences; (2) fostering interdisciplinary study in the Earth sciences among the undergraduate population; and (3) encouraging students to major or minor in the Earth sciences and/or to complete advanced undergraduate research in one of the departments or programs within SES. The SURGE Program, now in its second year, draws high performing students, primarily rising juniors and seniors, from 14 colleges and universities nationwide, including Stanford. Seventy percent of SURGE students are from racial/ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in STEM fields, and approximately one-third are the first in their families to attend college. For eight weeks, SURGE scholars conduct independent research with the guidance of faculty, research group mentors, and program assistants. The primary objectives of the SURGE program are to (1) provide undergraduates with a research experience in SES; (2) prepare undergraduates for the process of applying to graduate school; (3) introduce undergraduates to career opportunities in the geosciences and engineering; and (4) increase diversity in SES graduate programs. Independent research, network building, and intense mentoring culminate in a final oral and poster symposium. SESUR and SURGE scholars jointly participate in enrichment activities including faculty research seminars; career, graduate school, and software training workshops; GRE preparation classes; and geoscience-oriented field trips. Interaction among our students takes place through both research and enrichment activities, creating a critical mass of undergraduate scholars and promoting community development. Pre- and post-program surveys indicate that the overall goals of both programs are being achieved.

What Knowledge of Responsible Conduct of Research Do Undergraduates Bring to Their Undergraduate Research Experiences?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mabrouk, Patricia Ann

2016-01-01

Over a three-year period, chemistry and engineering students participating in six Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs were surveyed before and after participating in a research ethics training workshop. The goal was to learn what undergraduate students already knew about key concepts in research ethics at the start of their…

An Interdisciplinary Field Robotics Program for Undergraduate Computer Science and Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitts, Christopher; Quinn, Neil

2004-01-01

Santa Clara University's Robotic Systems Laboratory conducts an aggressive robotic development and operations program in which interdisciplinary teams of undergraduate students build and deploy a wide range of robotic systems, ranging from underwater vehicles to spacecraft. These year-long projects expose students to the breadth of and…

Learning analytics for smart campus: Data on academic performances of engineering undergraduates in Nigerian private university.

PubMed

Popoola, Segun I; Atayero, Aderemi A; Badejo, Joke A; John, Temitope M; Odukoya, Jonathan A; Omole, David O

2018-04-01

Empirical measurement, monitoring, analysis, and reporting of learning outcomes in higher institutions of developing countries may lead to sustainable education in the region. In this data article, data about the academic performances of undergraduates that studied engineering programs at Covenant University, Nigeria are presented and analyzed. A total population sample of 1841 undergraduates that studied Chemical Engineering (CHE), Civil Engineering (CVE), Computer Engineering (CEN), Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE), Information and Communication Engineering (ICE), Mechanical Engineering (MEE), and Petroleum Engineering (PET) within the year range of 2002-2014 are randomly selected. For the five-year study period of engineering program, Grade Point Average (GPA) and its cumulative value of each of the sample were obtained from the Department of Student Records and Academic Affairs. In order to encourage evidence-based research in learning analytics, detailed datasets are made publicly available in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file attached to this article. Descriptive statistics and frequency distributions of the academic performance data are presented in tables and graphs for easy data interpretations. In addition, one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and multiple comparison post-hoc tests are performed to determine whether the variations in the academic performances are significant across the seven engineering programs. The data provided in this article will assist the global educational research community and regional policy makers to understand and optimize the learning environment towards the realization of smart campuses and sustainable education.

Computer Aided Design in Engineering Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gobin, R.

1986-01-01

Discusses the use of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) systems in an undergraduate engineering education program. Provides a rationale for CAD/CAM use in the already existing engineering program. Describes the methods used in choosing the systems, some initial results, and warnings for first-time users. (TW)

Implementation of Effective Capstone Projects in Undergraduate Manufacturing Design Engineering Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viswanathan, Shekar

2017-01-01

Final program projects (capstone course) in manufacturing design engineering technology at National University are intensive experiences in critical thinking and analysis, designed to broaden students' perspectives and provide an opportunity for integration of coursework in the area of manufacturing design engineering. This paper focuses on three…

Engaging Undergraduates in an Interdisciplinary Program: Developing a Biomaterial Technology Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liang, Jia-chi; Kung, Shieh-shiuh; Sun, Yi-ming

2009-01-01

Yuan Ze University targeted Biomaterials Science and developed a curriculum related to Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering, and Biomaterials for engineering students to cultivate talents for both engineering and biotechnology. After several years of operation, recruiting students has succeeded, and students are satisfied with the course design…

Team-Based Programs: The EMP. An Industry/University Partnership-The Educational Model for the 21st Century.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haynes, Ray; And Others

California Polytechnic State University's College of Business and College of Engineering have joined forces to create a joint Engineering Management Program (EMP). Students holding undergraduate engineering or equivalent degrees enter and earn both Masters in Business Administration and Masters of Science in Engineering in 24 months. The program…

An Undergraduate Course in Modeling and Simulation of Multiphysics Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ortiz-Rodriguez, Estanislao; Vazquez-Arenas, Jorge; Ricardez-Sandoval, Luis A.

2010-01-01

An overview of a course on modeling and simulation offered at the Nanotechnology Engineering undergraduate program at the University of Waterloo. The motivation for having this course in the undergraduate nanotechnology curriculum, the course structure, and its learning objectives are discussed. Further, one of the computational laboratories…

Class and Home Problems: Modeling of an Industrial Anaerobic Digester: A Case Study for Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durruty, Ignacio; Ayude, María A.

2014-01-01

The case study discussed in this work is used at the chemical reaction engineering course, offered in fifth-year of the chemical engineering undergraduate program at National University of Mar del Plata (UNMdP). A serial-parallel reaction system based on the anaerobic degradation of particulate-containing potato processing wastewater is presented.…

Power factor of power educators. [Undergraduate and graduate programs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barthold, L.O.

1979-01-01

Undergraduate engineering schools are doing an excellent job in offering technical material and preparing students for careers in industry or graduate schools. At the undergraduate level, the burden of adequately covering a widening range of engineering fundamentals precludes offering industry-oriented undergraduate courses. The lack of communication skills is a serious handicap to many graduates. Furthermore, the ability to identify problems and structure approaches to their solutions needs more attention in undergraduate education. The quality of graduate programs in power is closely linked to the accuracy and realism with which graduate faculty perceive the industry and its problems as well asmore » their skill in teaching. It is important for graduate faculty to maintain close working ties with industry. Part-time assignments with utilities, manufacturers, or consultants are the best way to do so. Doing so through research grants can also help but can likewise be counterproductive if faculty are not discriminating in the subject matter pursued.« less

Making a Difference in Science Education: The Impact of Undergraduate Research Programs

PubMed Central

Eagan, M. Kevin; Hurtado, Sylvia; Chang, Mitchell J.; Garcia, Gina A.; Herrera, Felisha A.; Garibay, Juan C.

2014-01-01

To increase the numbers of underrepresented racial minority students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), federal and private agencies have allocated significant funding to undergraduate research programs, which have been shown to students’ intentions of enrolling in graduate or professional school. Analyzing a longitudinal sample of 4,152 aspiring STEM majors who completed the 2004 Freshman Survey and 2008 College Senior Survey, this study utilizes multinomial hierarchical generalized linear modeling (HGLM) and propensity score matching techniques to examine how participation in undergraduate research affects STEM students’ intentions to enroll in STEM and non-STEM graduate and professional programs. Findings indicate that participation in an undergraduate research program significantly improved students’ probability of indicating plans to enroll in a STEM graduate program. PMID:25190821

Retention and Recruitment Programs for Female Undergraduate Students in Engineering at The University of Toledo, Ohio, USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franchetti, Matthew; Ravn, Tina; Kuntz, Vicki L.

2010-01-01

This paper summarizes the findings of a five year study aimed at improving both recruitment and retention of female students pursuing careers in engineering. The study analyzed a series of five programs implemented at the College of Engineering at The University of Toledo in Ohio, USA. The effectiveness of the programs over time is measured from…

NURail Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Summer Program in Multimodal Freight Transportation Risk.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-01

NURail hosted an REU Summer Program in Multimodal Freight Transportation Risk at the Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC...

Design of an Information Technology Undergraduate Program to Produce IT Versatilists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koohang, Alex; Riley, Liz; Smith, Terry; Floyd, Kevin

2010-01-01

This paper attempts to present a model for designing an IT undergraduate program that is based on the recommendations of the Association for Computer Machinery/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers--Information Technology (ACM/IEEE--IT) Curriculum Model. The main intent is to use the ACM/IEEE--IT Curriculum Model's recommendations as a…

Advanced interdisciplinary undergraduate program: light engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakholdin, Alexey; Bougrov, Vladislav; Voznesenskaya, Anna; Ezhova, Kseniia

2016-09-01

The undergraduate educational program "Light Engineering" of an advanced level of studies is focused on development of scientific learning outcomes and training of professionals, whose activities are in the interdisciplinary fields of Optical engineering and Technical physics. The program gives practical experience in transmission, reception, storage, processing and displaying information using opto-electronic devices, automation of optical systems design, computer image modeling, automated quality control and characterization of optical devices. The program is implemented in accordance with Educational standards of the ITMO University. The specific features of the Program is practice- and problem-based learning implemented by engaging students to perform research and projects, internships at the enterprises and in leading Russian and international research educational centers. The modular structure of the Program and a significant proportion of variable disciplines provide the concept of individual learning for each student. Learning outcomes of the program's graduates include theoretical knowledge and skills in natural science and core professional disciplines, deep knowledge of modern computer technologies, research expertise, design skills, optical and optoelectronic systems and devices.

NanoJapan: international research experience for undergraduates program: fostering U.S.-Japan research collaborations in terahertz science and technology of nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Sarah R.; Matherly, Cheryl A.; Kono, Junichiro

2014-09-01

The international nature of science and engineering research demands that students have the skillsets necessary to collaborate internationally. However, limited options exist for science and engineering undergraduates who want to pursue research abroad. The NanoJapan International Research Experience for Undergraduates Program is an innovative response to this need. Developed to foster research and international engagement among young undergraduate students, it is funded by a National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) grant. Each summer, NanoJapan sends 12 U.S. students to Japan to conduct research internships with world leaders in terahertz (THz) spectroscopy, nanophotonics, and ultrafast optics. The students participate in cutting-edge research projects managed within the framework of the U.S-Japan NSF-PIRE collaboration. One of our focus topics is THz science and technology of nanosystems (or `TeraNano'), which investigates the physics and applications of THz dynamics of carriers and phonons in nanostructures and nanomaterials. In this article, we will introduce the program model, with specific emphasis on designing high-quality international student research experiences. We will specifically address the program curriculum that introduces students to THz research, Japanese language, and intercultural communications, in preparation for work in their labs. Ultimately, the program aims to increase the number of U.S. students who choose to pursue graduate study in this field, while cultivating a generation of globally aware engineers and scientists who are prepared for international research collaboration.

Engineering Leadership Education--The Search for Definition and a Curricular Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schuhmann, Richard J.

2010-01-01

While industry and academia agree that leadership skills are critical for engineering graduates, there exists no consensus regarding the definition of "engineering leadership". The engineering leadership development program at Penn State University has a decade-long experience in teaching leadership to engineering undergraduates. In…

Enhancement of Global Communication Skill at the School of Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morimura, Kumiko

Globalization is one of the most important challenges for universities. Especially for the School of Engineering, it is crucial to foster researchers or engineers with broader perspective. International communication competency is essential for them in order to deal with other professionals from overseas. Center for Innovation in Engineering Education established in the School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo in 2005 started two programs for graduate and undergraduate students to enhance their international communication competency and to increase international competitiveness. ‘English for Scientists and Engineers A, B’ are for the graduate students to learn how to write papers in English and how to make good presentations. Special English Lessons are for the undergraduate students to have a chance to practice English conversation or prepare for TOEFL test. In this paper, the authors discuss the details of the programs, their purpose and the future tasks.

Advancing Space Sciences through Undergraduate Research Experiences at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory - a novel approach to undergraduate internships for first generation community college students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raftery, C. L.; Davis, H. B.; Peticolas, L. M.; Paglierani, R.

2015-12-01

The Space Sciences Laboratory at UC Berkeley launched an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in the summer of 2015. The "Advancing Space Sciences through Undergraduate Research Experiences" (ASSURE) program recruited heavily from local community colleges and universities, and provided a multi-tiered mentorship program for students in the fields of space science and engineering. The program was focussed on providing a supportive environment for 2nd and 3rd year undergraduates, many of whom were first generation and underrepresented students. This model provides three levels of mentorship support for the participating interns: 1) the primary research advisor provides academic and professional support. 2) The program coordinator, who meets with the interns multiple times per week, provides personal support and helps the interns to assimilate into the highly competitive environment of the research laboratory. 3) Returning undergraduate interns provided peer support and guidance to the new cohort of students. The impacts of this program on the first generation students and the research mentors, as well as the lessons learned will be discussed.

Change is necessary in a biological engineering curriculum.

PubMed

Johnson, Arthur T; Montas, Hubert; Shirmohammadi, Adel; Wheaton, Fredrick W

2006-01-01

Success of a Biological Engineering undergraduate educational program can be measured in a number of ways, but however it is measured, a presently successful program can translate into an unsuccessful program if it cannot adjust to different conditions posed by technical advances, student characteristics, and academic pressures. Described in this paper is a Biological Engineering curriculum that has changed significantly since its transformation from Agricultural Engineering in 1993. As a result, student numbers have continued to climb, specific objectives have emerged, and unique courses have been developed. The Biological Resources Engineering program has evolved into a program that emphasizes breadth, fundamentals, communications skills, diversity, and practical engineering judgment.

University of Wyoming, College of Engineering, undergraduate design projects to aid Wyoming persons with disabilities.

PubMed

Barrett, Steven F; Laurin, Kathy M; Bloom, Janet K Chidester

2003-01-01

In Spring 2002 the University of Wyoming received NSF funding from the Division of Bioengineering and Environmental Systems to provide a meaningful design experience for University of Wyoming, College of Engineering students that will directly aid individuals with disabilities within the state of Wyoming. Other universities have participated in this very worthwhile program [1, 2, 3]. To achieve the program purpose, the following objectives were established: Provide engineering students multi-disciplinary, meaningful, community service design projects, Provide persons with disabilities assistive devices to empower them to achieve the maximum individual growth and development and afford them the opportunity to participate in all aspects of life as they choose, Provide engineering students education and awareness on the special needs and challenges of persons with disabilities, and Provide undergraduate engineering students exposure to the biomedical field of engineering. To accomplish these objectives the College of Engineering partnered with three organizations that provide education and service related to disability. Specifically, the college has joined with the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND) assistive technology program, Wyoming New Options in Technology (WYNOT) and their Sports and Outdoor Assistive Recreation (SOAR) project along with the university's Special Education program. In this paper we will describe how the program was created, developed, and its current status.

English Education for Engineers in the World of Globalization : A Report of an Undergraduate and Graduate English Program with an Emphasis on Writing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimazu, Nobuko

In an increasingly globalized world, demand for engineers well versed in English remains strong. As a professor of English in the Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering at the Kyushu Institute of Technology, I have sought with the aid of two associate professors to improve the English program for our engineering students together to help meet that very demand. In order to assist other English teachers in similar situations to improve their own English programs, I would like to report on the ideas and methods presently used in our undergraduate English program, specifically the first-year compulsory and common course with its emphasis on paragraph writing which students from each of the five departments within the Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering are required to take. In addition, I would also like to report my ideas and teaching methods for a graduate research paper writing course. The objective of this course is to teach graduate students how to write presentations for conferences and papers for journals at the international level.

What Works! Encouraging Diversity in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology through Effective Mentoring. A 5-Year Overview of the Research Careers for Minority Scholars Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA. Directorate for Education and Human Resources.

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research Careers for Minority Scholars (RCMS) program was initiated to encourage individuals from underrepresented groups in science, mathematics, engineering and technology (SMET) disciplines to complete undergraduate degree programs and matriculate to SMET graduate degree programs. This report describes…

German for Engineers and Scientists: Initiatives in International Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinmann, Sigrid

The Michigan Technological University program in German area studies is described. The program is designed for science and engineering students at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Its components include: a 1-year scientific German sequence, stressing specialized vocabulary, reading skills, use of reference materials, translation into…

Academic program models for undergraduate biomedical engineering.

PubMed

Krishnan, Shankar M

2014-01-01

There is a proliferation of medical devices across the globe for the diagnosis and therapy of diseases. Biomedical engineering (BME) plays a significant role in healthcare and advancing medical technologies thus creating a substantial demand for biomedical engineers at undergraduate and graduate levels. There has been a surge in undergraduate programs due to increasing demands from the biomedical industries to cover many of their segments from bench to bedside. With the requirement of multidisciplinary training within allottable duration, it is indeed a challenge to design a comprehensive standardized undergraduate BME program to suit the needs of educators across the globe. This paper's objective is to describe three major models of undergraduate BME programs and their curricular requirements, with relevant recommendations to be applicable in institutions of higher education located in varied resource settings. Model 1 is based on programs to be offered in large research-intensive universities with multiple focus areas. The focus areas depend on the institution's research expertise and training mission. Model 2 has basic segments similar to those of Model 1, but the focus areas are limited due to resource constraints. In this model, co-op/internship in hospitals or medical companies is included which prepares the graduates for the work place. In Model 3, students are trained to earn an Associate Degree in the initial two years and they are trained for two more years to be BME's or BME Technologists. This model is well suited for the resource-poor countries. All three models must be designed to meet applicable accreditation requirements. The challenges in designing undergraduate BME programs include manpower, facility and funding resource requirements and time constraints. Each academic institution has to carefully analyze its short term and long term requirements. In conclusion, three models for BME programs are described based on large universities, colleges, and community colleges. Model 1 is suitable for research-intensive universities. Models 2 and 3 can be successfully implemented in higher education institutions with low and limited resources with appropriate guidance and support from international organizations. The models will continually evolve mainly to meet the industry needs.

Draft SEI Program Plans: 1994-1998

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-08-01

process must depersonalize risks so they are viewed as opportunities for program success. Factors for communication are in all the method devel...and the undergraduate level to adequately prepare new soft- ware engineers entering the work force. Educators and trainers of current professionals...learning opportu- nities. The technical foundation for many of these products is the evolving SEI model curricula for graduate and undergraduate degree

Evaluating Psychosocial Mechanisms Underlying STEM Persistence in Undergraduates: Evidence of Impact from a Six-Day Pre-College Engagement STEM Academy Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Findley-Van Nostrand, Danielle; Pollenz, Richard S.

2017-01-01

The persistence of undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is a national issue based on STEM workforce projections. We implemented a weeklong pre-college engagement STEM Academy (SA) program aimed at addressing several areas related to STEM retention. We validated an instrument that was…

An Analysis of Retention Factors in Undergraduate Degree Programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Michael H.

2012-01-01

This mixed-methodological study explored the factors that predict a student's likelihood to complete an undergraduate program in a STEM discipline at one campus reliant upon that mission. Offered in response to a national imperative for the U.S. to compete globally, researchers contend educators must better prepare a STEM foundation and inspire…

Research and educational initiatives at the Syracuse University Center for Hypersonics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spina, E.; Lagraff, J.; Davidson, B.; Bogucz, E.; Dang, T.

1995-01-01

The Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering and the Northeast Parallel Architectures Center of Syracuse University have been funded by NASA to establish a program to educate young engineers in the hypersonic disciplines. This goal is being achieved through a comprehensive five-year program that includes elements of undergraduate instruction, advanced graduate coursework, undergraduate research, and leading-edge hypersonics research. The research foci of the Syracuse Center for Hypersonics are three-fold; high-temperature composite materials, measurements in turbulent hypersonic flows, and the application of high-performance computing to hypersonic fluid dynamics.

Examining the Impact of the Engineering Successful/Unsuccessful Grading (SUG) Program on Student Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novak, Heather; Paguyo, Christina; Siller, Thomas

2016-01-01

In this study, we analyzed the Successful/Unsuccessful Grading (SUG) program, an intervention that was founded at a large public university to support students during their transition into the first year of undergraduate engineering (EG) coursework. To understand how the SUG program impacts student retention of EG majors, we conducted an analysis…

Brief 76 Nuclear Engineering Enrollments and Degrees Survey, 2015 Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

The 2015 Nuclear Engineering Enrollments and Degrees Survey reports degrees granted between September 1, 2014 and August 31, 2015. Enrollment information refers to the fall term 2015. The enrollments and degrees data comprises students majoring in nuclear engineering or in an option program equivalent to a major. Thirty-five academic programs reported having nuclear engineering programs during 2015, and data was received from all thirty-five programs. The report includes enrollment information on undergraduate students and graduate students and information by degree level for post-graduation plans.

Nuclear thermal source transfer unit, post-blast soil sample drying system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wiser, Ralph S.; Valencia, Matthew J

Los Alamos National Laboratory states that its mission is “To solve national security challenges through scientific excellence.” The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) programs exists to engage undergraduate students in STEM work by providing opportunity to work at DOE facilities. As an undergraduate mechanical engineering intern under the SULI program at Los Alamos during the fall semester of 2016, I had the opportunity to contribute to the mission of the Laboratory while developing skills in a STEM discipline. I worked with Technology Applications, an engineering group that supports non-proliferation, counter terrorism, and emergency response missions. This group specializes in toolmore » design, weapons engineering, rapid prototyping, and mission training. I assisted with two major projects during my appointment Los Alamos. The first was a thermal source transportation unit, intended to safely contain a nuclear thermal source during transit. The second was a soil drying unit for use in nuclear postblast field sample collection. These projects have given me invaluable experience working alongside a team of professional engineers. Skills developed include modeling, simulation, group design, product and system design, and product testing.« less

A Paperless Course on Structural Engineering Programming: Investing in Educational Technology in the Times of the Greek Financial Recession

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sextos, Anastasios G.

2014-01-01

This paper presents the structure of an undergraduate course entitled "programming techniques and the use of specialised software in structural engineering" which is offered to the fifth (final) year students of the Civil Engineering Department of Aristotle University Thessaloniki in Greece. The aim of this course is to demonstrate the…

Biomedical Engineering Education: A Conservative Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niemi, Eugene E., Jr.

1973-01-01

Describes the demand for graduates from biomedical engineering programs as being not yet fully able to absorb the supply. Suggests small schools interested in entering the field consider offering their programs at the undergraduate level via a minor or an option. Examples of such options and student projects are included. (CC)

Gender, Race, and Ph.D. Completion in Natural Science and Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Joe G.

1998-01-01

Employs data from the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Program and Minority Fellowship Program to examine several factors affecting science and engineering doctoral awards for women and minorities. After controlling for Graduate Record Examination scores, field of study, and undergraduate grade point average, large sex and race…

Undergraduate Astronautics at the United States Naval Academy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagaria, William J.

1991-01-01

The aerospace engineering curriculum at the U.S. Naval Academy which includes an astronautical and an aeronautical track is described. The objective of the program is to give students the necessary astronautical engineering background to perform a preliminary spacecraft design during the last semester of the program. (KR)

The Conundrum of Social Class: Disparities in Publishing among STEM Students in Undergraduate Research Programs at a Hispanic Majority Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grineski, Sara; Daniels, Heather; Collins, Timothy; Morales, Danielle X.; Frederick, Angela; Garcia, Marilyn

2018-01-01

Research on the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) student development pipeline has largely ignored social class and instead examined inequalities based on gender and race. We investigate the role of social class in undergraduate student research publications. Data come from a sample of 213 undergraduate research participants…

Integrating Leadership Development throughout the Undergraduate Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed, Kelynne E.; Aiello, David P.; Barton, Lance F.; Gould, Stephanie L.; McCain, Karla S.; Richardson, John M.

2016-01-01

This article discusses the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Teaching and Research (STAR) Leadership Program, developed at Austin College, which engages students in activities integrated into undergraduate STEM courses that promote the development of leadership behaviors. Students focus on interpersonal communication,…

Retention-Oriented Curricular Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milanovic, Ivana; Eppes, Tom A.; Girouard, Janice; Townsend, Lee

2010-01-01

This paper presents a retention-oriented approach to the educational value stream within the STEM undergraduate area. Faced with several strategic challenges and opportunities, a Flex Advantage Plan was developed to enhance the undergraduate engineering technology programs and better utilize the curricular flexibilities inherent in the current…

Effects of Curriculum and Nonacademic Factors on Undergraduate Electronic Engineering Program Retention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulaiman, Munir

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs in higher education institutions, particularly engineering programs, face challenges related to recruitment, retention, and graduation rates. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are significant relationships among students' major preference, academic skills, nonacademic characteristics and perceptions, and retention to year 2 among students in electronic engineering, other STEM, and non STEM majors. The academic skills considered were study habits, intellectual interest, verbal and writing confidence, and academic assistance. The non-academic factors included academic support, family support, financial support, and student social integration into the campus environment. Tinto's theory of retention served as the theoretical framework. The research design was quantitative with a general linear method of analysis using responses to the College Student Inventory (CSI) survey as secondary data to determine the relationships among the independent variables (major and academic and non-academic factors) and dependent variable (retention). Participants were 3,575 first year undergraduate full-time students from three entering classes, 2012 to 2014. Findings suggested that student major and non-academic factors had no effect on student retention, but student study habits and seeking academic assistance were predictors of retention in each of the three groups of majors: engineering, other STEM majors, and nonSTEM majors. Strategies to help increase undergraduate students' study skills and help seeking behaviors may contribute to positive social change at HBCU institutions.

The Southern California Earthquake Center/Undergraduate Studies in Earthquake Information Technology (SCEC/UseIT) Internship Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perry, S.; Jordan, T.

2006-12-01

Our undergraduate research program, SCEC/UseIT, an NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates site, provides software for earthquake researchers and educators, movies for outreach, and ways to strengthen the technical career pipeline. SCEC/UseIT motivates diverse undergraduates towards science and engineering careers through team-based research in the exciting field of earthquake information technology. UseIT provides the cross-training in computer science/information technology (CS/IT) and geoscience needed to make fundamental progress in earthquake system science. Our high and increasing participation of women and minority students is crucial given the nation"s precipitous enrollment declines in CS/IT undergraduate degree programs, especially among women. UseIT also casts a "wider, farther" recruitment net that targets scholars interested in creative work but not traditionally attracted to summer science internships. Since 2002, SCEC/UseIT has challenged 79 students in three dozen majors from as many schools with difficult, real-world problems that require collaborative, interdisciplinary solutions. Interns design and engineer open-source software, creating increasingly sophisticated visualization tools (see "SCEC-VDO," session IN11), which are employed by SCEC researchers, in new curricula at the University of Southern California, and by outreach specialists who make animated movies for the public and the media. SCEC-VDO would be a valuable tool for research-oriented professional development programs.

Educating Engineers: Designing for the Future of the Field. Book Highlights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheppard, Sheri D.; Macatangay, Kelly; Colby, Anne; Sullivan, William M.

2008-01-01

This multi-year study of undergraduate engineering education in the United States initiated questions about the alignment of engineering programs with the demands of current professional engineering practice. While describing engineering education from within the classroom and the lab, the report on the study offers new possibilities for teaching…

Cognitive diversity in undergraduate engineering: Dyslexia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitzpatrick, Velvet R.

In the United States, institutions have established multiple programs and initiatives aimed at increasing the diversity of both faculty and students in engineering as means to produce a workforce that will better serve society. However, there are two major problems in addressing engineering student diversity. First, the engineering education research community has paid little attention to date as to how engineering education research characterizes diversity in its broadest sense. Second, research on persons with disabilities in undergraduates engineering, a population of interests within diversity, is minimal. Available disability studies tend to be skewed toward physical disabilities, leading to a neglect of cognitive differences such as learning disabilities (LD). In addition, disability research questions and study designs are inherently steeped in ability bias. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the meaning of ability for students with dyslexia while in undergraduate engineering and establish the significance of cognitive diversity, focusing on LD and more specifically dyslexia, in undergraduate engineering education and answer the following research question: How do undergraduate engineering students with dyslexia experience ability while pursuing and persisting in engineering? The motivation was to lay the groundwork for future engineering education studies on undergraduate students with LD in general but dyslexia in specific. The first goal was to conduct a critical literature review pertaining to the academic strengths of undergraduate students with LD, specifically, dyslexia and the second goal was to describe how undergraduate engineering students with dyslexia experience ability. The intent was not to redefine dyslexia or disability. The intent is to provide an inclusive account of dyslexia, weakness and strengths, within the field of engineering education. This study was conducted from a qualitative inquiry approach, within the social constructivism paradigm, and utilized purposive sampling to identify appropriate participants. The thematic analysis methodological framework was used to portray a rich, complex description of experiences in which undergraduate engineering students with dyslexia constructed meaning around ability while pursuing and persisting in engineering. Eight students participated and semi-structured interviews were the data source. The findings are presented in three parts. First, significant findings that were also salient amongst the general undergraduate engineering student populations are presented. This is done to make a clear demarcation from those significant findings found to be unique to undergraduate engineering students with dyslexia presented in the themes: relationships, early exposure to engineering, and securing an internship or co-op position. Second, the four themes that developed from the analysis will were discussed: alignment, dissociation, ideal education environments, and time. Third, additional findings for further investigation were proposed: the role of remediation practices, the representation of dyslexia in media, gender differences in extracurricular activities that constructed different meanings of ability, the prevalence of co-occurring LD amongst the participants, and the visualization of science, engineering, mathematics concepts. The study is closed with a discussion; findings are discussed with respect to relevant research in the conclusion.

Future of Chemical Engineering: Integrating Biology into the Undergraduate ChE Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mosto, Patricia; Savelski, Mariano; Farrell, Stephanie H.; Hecht, Gregory B.

2007-01-01

Integrating biology in the chemical engineering curriculum seems to be the future for chemical engineering programs nation and worldwide. Rowan University's efforts to address this need include a unique chemical engineering curriculum with an intensive biology component integrated throughout from freshman to senior years. Freshman and Sophomore…

Graduate Women in Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberg, Julie L.; Sedlacek, William E.

The transition from undergraduate to graduate school is a point when female students may lose interest in pursuing engineering degrees, and the percentage of women enrolled in engineering graduate programs is small in comparison to that of males. To attempt to mitigate the potential isolation of women graduate engineering students, the Women in…

Competition preparation guideline in undergraduate program of information system school of Industrial Engineering Telkom University based on knowledge conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darmawan, F. R.; Soesanto, R. P.; Kurniawati, A.; Kurniawan, M. T.

2017-12-01

The role of higher education in the development of science and technology is not only from the contribution of the high-quality alumni but also from the research and relevant competition with the needs of development in such a country. In a competition, the student can improve their soft skill and academic skill such as analytical and critical thinking, communication skills and mental. The number of relevant competition by students is also included in accreditation clause, therefore student involvement in competition is seen as important for the undergraduate program in University. The most problem in university is the high turnover from the student. Bachelor program in Indonesia usually takes 4 years to complete, and the high turnover causes the student come and go as they are a graduate from the institution without preserving the knowledge and experience from the competition to other students. This research aims to develop a guidance for competition preparation in the university by using knowledge conversion. The object of this research is an information system undergraduate program in the school of industrial engineering Telkom University. The best practice selection is done by using factor rating method. Delphi method is used to identify the criteria, and AHP method is used to calculate the weight of each criterion. From the factor rating result it is known that from 3 respondent, best practice from respondent A (7.321) is used for preparing the programming competition in an undergraduate program of information system in the school of industrial engineering Telkom University. FGD is done to disseminate the selected best practice into the process stakeholder which is head of the student affair of the school of industrial engineering, students, and laboratory assistants. Future research can be done to create more comprehensive criteria for selecting the best practice.

Defining new aims for BME programs in Latin America: the case of UAM-Iztapalapa.

PubMed

Azpiroz-Leehan, J; Martinez, L F; Urbina, M E G; Cadena, M M; Sacristan, E

2016-08-01

The need for upkeep and management of medical technology has fostered the creation of a large number of under graduate programs in the field of biomedical Engineering. In Latin America alone, there are over 85 programs dedicated to this. This contrasts with programs in other regions where most of the undergraduates continue on to pursue graduate degrees or work as research and development engineers in the biomedical industry. In this work we analyze the situation regarding curricular design in the 48 BME programs in Mexico and compare this to suggestions and classifications of programs according to needs and possibilities. We then focus on a particular institution, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana and due to its characteristics and performance we propose that it should redefine its aims from the undergraduate program on, in order to not only generate research but also to provide a nurturing environment for a budding biomedical industry in Mexico.

Strengthening programs in science, engineering and mathematics. Third annual progress report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sandhu, S.S.

1997-09-30

The Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Claflin College consists of the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics, Engineering and Mathematics. It offers a variety of major and minor academic programs designed to meet the mission and objectives of the college. The division`s pursuit to achieve excellence in science education is adversely impacted by the poor academic preparation of entering students and the lack of equipment, facilities and research participation, required to impart adequate academic training and laboratory skills to the students. Funds were received from the US Department of Energy to improve the divisional facilities and laboratorymore » equipment and establish mechanism at pre-college and college levels to increase (1) the pool of high school students who will enroll in Science and Mathematics courses (2) the pool of well qualified college freshmen who will seek careers in Science, Engineering and Mathematics (3) the graduation rate in Science,engineering and Mathematics at the undergraduate level and (4) the pool of well-qualified students who can successfully compete to enter the graduate schools of their choice in the fields of science, engineering, and mathematics. The strategies that were used to achieve the mentioned objectives include: (1) Improved Mentoring and Advisement, (2) Summer Science Camp for 7th and 8th graders, (3) Summer Research Internships for Claflin SEM Seniors, (4) Summer Internships for Rising High School Seniors, (5) Development of Mathematical Skills at Pre-college/Post-secondary Levels, (6) Expansion of Undergraduate Seminars, (7) Exposure of Undergraduates to Guest Speakers/Roll Models, (8) Visitations by Undergraduate Students to Graduate Schools, and (9) Expanded Academic Program in Environmental Chemistry.« less

Lincoln Advanced Science and Engineering Reinforcement (LASER) program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Willie E.

1989-01-01

Lincoln University, under the Lincoln Advanced Science and Engineering Reinforcement (LASER) Program, has identified and successfully recruited over 100 students for majors in technical fields. To date, over 70 percent of these students have completed or will complete technical degrees in engineering, physics, chemistry, and computer science. Of those completing the undergraduate degree, over 40 percent have gone on to graduate and professional schools. This success is attributable to well planned approaches to student recruitment, training, personal motivation, retention, and program staff. Very closely coupled to the above factors is a focus designed to achieve excellence in program services and student performance. Future contributions by the LASER Program to the pool of technical minority graduates will have a significant impact. This is already evident from the success of the students that began the first year of the program. With program plans to refine many of the already successful techniques, follow-on activities are expected to make even greater contributions to the availability of technically trained minorities. For example, undergraduate research exposure, broadened summer, and co-op work experiences will be enhanced.

Final Report: An Undergraduate Minor in Wind Energy at Iowa State University

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

James McCalley

This report describes an undergraduate minor program in wind energy that has been developed at Iowa State University. The minor program targets engineering and meteorology students and was developed to provide interested students with focused technical expertise in wind energy science and engineering, to increase their employability and ultimate effectiveness in this growing industry. The report describes the requirements of the minor program and courses that fulfill those requirements. Five new courses directly addressing wind energy have been developed. Topical descriptions for these five courses are provided in this report. Six industry experts in various aspects of wind energy sciencemore » and engineering reviewed the wind energy minor program and provided detailed comments on the program structure, the content of the courses, and the employability in the wind energy industry of students who complete the program. The general consensus is that the program is well structured, the course content is highly relevant, and students who complete it will be highly employable in the wind energy industry. The detailed comments of the reviewers are included in the report.« less

Assessing Graduate Engineering Programs with ePortfolios: A Comprehensive Design Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kajfez, Rachael L.; Mohammadi-Aragh, Mahnas J.; Brown, Philip R.; Mann, Katharine A.; Carrico, Cheryl A.; Cross, Kelly J.; Janeski, John A.; McNair, Lisa D.

2013-01-01

ePortfolios (ePs) have been used in a variety of applications ranging from undergraduate assessment to graduate student work showcases. We hypothesize that the flexible, individualized nature of ePs makes them suitable assessment tools for graduate engineering programs, which are likewise flexible and individualized. Our investigation resulted in…

The Chemical Engineer's Toolbox: A Glass Box Approach to Numerical Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coronell, Daniel G.; Hariri, M. Hossein

2009-01-01

Computer programming in undergraduate engineering education all too often begins and ends with the freshman programming course. Improvements in computer technology and curriculum revision have improved this situation, but often at the expense of the students' learning due to the use of commercial "black box" software. This paper describes the…

Recruiting Females into Male Dominated Programs: Effective Strategies and Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsui, Lisa

2009-01-01

This study examines the recruitment of women into a heavily male dominated field of study, in this case mechanical engineering. Qualitative data, in the form of interviews and focus groups, were gathered from six undergraduate mechanical engineering programs that enroll and graduate a relatively high proportion of women. Results revealed that (1)…

U.S. Nuclear Engineering Education: Status and Prospects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems.

This study examines the status of and outlook for nuclear engineering (NE) in the United States. The study resulted from a concern about the downward trends in student enrollments in NE, in both graduate and undergraduate programs. Concerns have also been expressed about the declining number of U.S. university NE departments and programs, the…

The Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science - Columbia

Science.gov Websites

Room Reservation Contact Us Admissions - Undergraduate Admissions - Graduate Office of the Dean Alumni Partnerships Distance Learning (CVN) Current Students Undergraduate Graduate Career Development Distance GradZone Faculty Search Alumni Programs and Events Benefits & Services Get Involved Giving to Columbia

Aerospace engineering educational program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craft, William; Klett, David; Lai, Steven

1992-01-01

The principle goal of the educational component of NASA CORE is the creation of aerospace engineering options in the mechanical engineering program at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. To accomplish this goal, a concerted effort during the past year has resulted in detailed plans for the initiation of aerospace options in both the BSME and MSME programs in the fall of 1993. All proposed new courses and the BSME aerospace option curriculum must undergo a lengthy approval process involving two cirriculum oversight committees (School of Engineering and University level) and three levels of general faculty approval. Assuming approval is obtained from all levels, the options will officially take effect in Fall '93. In anticipation of this, certain courses in the proposed curriculum are being offered during the current academic year under special topics headings so that current junior level students may graduate in May '94 under the BSME aerospace option. The proposed undergraduate aerospace option curriculum (along with the regular mechanical engineering curriculum for reference) is attached at the end of this report, and course outlines for the new courses are included in the appendix.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Engineering Students' Self-Efficacy by Gender, Ethnicity, Year, and Transfer Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Concannon, James P.; Barrow, Lloyd H.

2009-01-01

This is a cross-sectional study of 519 undergraduate engineering majors' self-efficacy beliefs at a large, research extensive, Midwestern university. Engineering self-efficacy is an individual's belief in his or her ability to successfully negotiate the academic hurdles of the engineering program. Engineering self-efficacy was obtained from four…

The Effect of Individual Learning Styles on Student GPA in Engineering Education at Morgan State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hargrove, S. Keith, Sr.; Wheatland, John A.; Ding, Duowen; Brown, Cordelia M.

2008-01-01

The Clarence M. Mitchell School of Engineering at Morgan State University (MSU) is one of nine historically Black colleges and universities with undergraduate engineering programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Since 2001, the School of Engineering at MSU has been a participant in a multi-school…

Minority Undergraduate Training for Energy-Related Careers (MUTEC)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Levy, C.; Yih, T.C.; Ebadian, M.A.

1995-12-01

OAK-B135 Minority Undergraduate Training for Energy-Related Careers (MUTEC). First, all the co-investigators would like to thank the Department of Energy's Minority Impact Office for awarding FIU with the MUTEC grant for the past five years. We believe it has made a difference, especially in the creation of a new, streamlined curriculum that began with the Mechanical Engineering Program and has now become college wide. Second, we have given 774 students an introduction to engineering, something that did not exist 3 years ago. Third, we have given FLAME the opportunity to participate in this program through the equivalent introduction to engineeringmore » course. Over 150 of those students have participated and have a 100% record of completing the program once, they start. Over 80% of those students have gone on to college. Fourth, we have aided 32 undergraduates continue in their engineering studies. Of those half have already graduated, and half of those have gone on to graduate school. One of these graduate school students has graduated with an MSME and another has won an NSF Scholarship. Fifth, we have created a bank of 51 2-hour tapes in 10 science and engineering science areas and covered the spectrum of math courses from geometry/trigonometry to differential equations. Sixth, we have created two examinations for use in preparation for entry into the engineering programs and in preparation for the EIT. Seventh, we have created a streamlined curriculum and four options, two of which are energy related. From these points, we believe that the program was very successful and for that we wish to thank the Department of Energy and specifically Ms. Estela Romo for her unwavering support.« less

The Impact of Engineering Identification and Stereotypes on Undergraduate Women's Achievement and Persistence in Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Brett D.; Ruff, Chloe; Paretti, Marie C.

2013-01-01

Women almost always comprise a minority in engineering programs and a smaller percentage of women pursue engineering than other science and technology majors. The culture of engineering departments and negative stereotypes of women's engineering and mathematical ability have been identified as factors that inhibit women's entry into…

A Renaissance in Engineering PhD Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akay, Adnan

2008-01-01

This paper addresses the role of engineering PhD education and its relationship to innovation and technology, and the need to reconsider how we educate PhD engineers. Much of the effort on engineering education in the last two decades focused on undergraduate education with a few exceptions that relate to master degree programs. Doctoral education…

Insights into Engineering Education Administration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Society for Engineering Education, Washington, DC.

Twelve articles that are designed to provide ideas to engineering department heads are presented. Articles and authors are as follows: "Estimating Undergraduate Student Capacity for an Engineering Department," (T. W. F. Russell, R. L. Daughtery, A. F. Graziano); "Financial Evaluation of Education Programs," (George DePuy and Ralph Swalm); "The…

Infusing Real World Experiences into Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academies Press, 2012

2012-01-01

The aim of this report is to encourage enhanced richness and relevance of the undergraduate engineering education experience, and thus produce better-prepared and more globally competitive graduates, by providing practical guidance for incorporating real world experience in US engineering programs. The report, a collaborative effort of the…

Students' Understanding of Alkyl Halide Reactions in Undergraduate Organic Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cruz-Ramirez de Arellano, Daniel

2013-01-01

Organic chemistry is an essential subject for many undergraduate students completing degrees in science, engineering, and pre-professional programs. However, students often struggle with the concepts and skills required to successfully solve organic chemistry exercises. Since alkyl halides are traditionally the first functional group that is…

Students' Understanding of Alkyl Halide Reactions in Undergraduate Organic Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cruz-Ramírez de Arellano, Daniel; Towns, Marcy H.

2014-01-01

Organic chemistry is an essential subject for many undergraduate students completing degrees in science, engineering, and pre-professional programs. However, students often struggle with the concepts and skills required to successfully solve organic chemistry exercises. Since alkyl halides are traditionally the first functional group that is…

The Robert E. Hopkins Center for Optical Design and Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zavislan, James M.; Brown, Thomas G.

2008-08-01

In 1929, a grant from Eastman Kodak and Bausch and Lomb established The Institute of Optics as the nation's first academic institution devoted to training optical scientists and engineers. The mission was 'to study light in all its phases', and the curriculum was designed to educate students in the fundamentals of optical science and build essential skills in applied optics and optical engineering. Indeed, our historic strength has been a balance between optical science and engineering--we have alumni who are carrying out prize-winning research in optical physics, alumni who are innovative optical engineers, and still other alumni who are leaders in the business community. Faculty who are top-notch optical engineers are an important resource to optical physics research groups -- likewise, teaching and modeling excellent optical science provides a strong underpinning for students on the applied/engineering end of the spectrum. This model -an undergraduate and graduate program that balances fundamental optics, applied optics, and optical engineering- has served us well. The impressive and diverse range of opportunities for our BS graduates has withstood economic cycles, and the students graduate with a healthy dose of practical experience. Undergraduate advisors, with considerable initiative from the program coordinator, are very aggressive in pointing students toward summer research and engineering opportunities. The vast majority of our undergraduate students graduate with at least one summer of experience in a company or a research laboratory. For example, 95% of the class of 2008 spent the summer of 2007 at companies and/or research laboratories: These include Zygo, NRL, Bausch and Lomb, The University of Rochester(The Institute of Optics, Medical Center, and Laboratory for Laser Energetics), QED, ARL Night Vision laboratories, JPL, Kollsman, OptiMax, Northrup Grumman, and at least two other companies. It is an impressive list, and bodes well for the career preparation for these students. While this extracurricular experience is truly world-class, an integrated design experience defined within our academic program is increasingly necessary for those going on to professional careers in engineering. This paper describes the philosophy behind a revision to our undergraduate curriculum that integrates a design experience and describes the engineering laboratory that has been established to make it a reality. The laboratory and design center has been named in honor of Robert E. Hopkins, former director and professor, co-founder of Tropel corporation, and a lifelong devotee to engineering innovation.

Oceanography and Geoscience Scholars at Texas A&M University Funded through the NSF S-STEM (Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, M. J.; Gardner, W. D.

2016-02-01

Over the last seven years we have led the creation and implementation of the Oceanography and Geoscience Scholars programs at Texas A&M University. Through these programs we have been able to provide scholarship support for 92 undergraduates in Geosciences and 29 graduate students in Oceanography. Fifty-seven undergraduate scholars have graduated in Geosciences: 30 undergraduate students in Meteorology, 7 in Geology, and 20 in Environmental Geosciences. Two students have graduated in other STEM disciplines. Twenty-four students are in the process of completing their undergraduate degrees in STEM disciplines. Twenty-three students have graduated with MS or PhD degrees in Oceanography and five PhD students are completing their dissertations. As specified in the program solicitation all of the scholars are academically talented students with demonstrated financial need as defined by the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). We have endeavored to recruit students from underrepresented groups. One-third of the undergraduate scholars were from underrepresented groups; 28% of the graduate students. We will present the challenges and successes of these programs.

Astronomy education awards in the IUSE:EHR portfolio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kevin M.

2017-01-01

Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) program that addresses immediate challenges and opportunities facing undergraduate STEM education. IUSE endeavors to support faculty as they incorporate educational research results into the classroom and advance our understanding of effective teaching and learning. Note that IUSE is an NSF-wide framework. This paper will focus upon IUSE:EHR - the IUSE program administered from NSF's Education and Human Resources Directorate (EHR) through the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE). Other branches of IUSE operating within this framework include IUSE:RED in the Engineering Directorate and IUSE:GEOPATHS in the Geosciences Directorate.

Authentic scientific research in an international setting as a path toward higher education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mladenov, N.; Palomo, M.; Casad, B.; Pietruschka, B.; Buckley, C.

2016-12-01

Studies have shown that undergraduate research opportunities foster student interest in research, encourage minority students to seek advanced degrees, and put students on a path toward higher education. It has been further suggested that engineering projects in international settings address issues of sustainability and promote a connection between engineering and social welfare that may compel students to seek future research opportunities. In this study, we explored the role that authentic research experiences in an international setting play in promoting higher education for students from groups typically under-represented in engineering and sciences. We hypothesized that the international context of the research experiences will provide undergraduate and graduate students with a global perspective of water reuse challenges and promote increased interest in pursuing a higher degree in engineering. Through the Sustainable Sanitation International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) Program, US students conducting research in Durban, South Africa in 2015 and 2016, were tasked with leading 6-week long research projects, collaborating with partners at the University of KwaZulu Natal, and producing papers and presentations for regional and international scientific conferences. All undergraduate participants were from groups under-represented in the sciences. Pre- and post-program survey results revealed that, after completing the program, participants of Cohort 1 had 1) greater research skills, 2) greater identification as an engineer, and 3) stronger intentions to pursue a PhD in engineering. Survey data were also used to evaluate comfort with cultural diversity before and after the international program and the effect of pairing US with South African student researchers. Our results indicate that students' awareness of societal needs and engineering challenges faced in Durban resulted in a positive impact on each student. The benefits gained from the international research experience have important implications for environmental engineering and other scientific fields in terms of inducing greater self-efficacy and fostering an interest in higher education for students from groups traditionally under-represented in the sciences.

Peer Mentoring in Engineering: (Un)Shared Experience of Undergraduate Peer Mentors and Mentees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Jae Hoon; MacLeod, Bailey P.; Tkacik, Peter T.; Dika, Sandra L.

2017-01-01

In this qualitative study, we explored the experiences of 26 engineering student mentors and mentees in a peer mentoring program. We found that mentors and mentees exploited the mentoring program's fluid structure and situated social relationships to enact a specific type of academic/professional goal and identity conducive to their entry to one…

78 FR 37590 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-21

...: Program Evaluation of the Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM... Mathematics (S-STEM) Program, which operates within NSF's Division of Undergraduate Education. The evaluation...

Where are the women? Campus climate and the degree aspirations of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulz, Phyllis

Women remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at all levels of higher education, which has become a concern in the competitive global marketplace. Using both quantitative and qualitative analysis, this dissertation sought to learn more about how the campus climate and self-concept influence the degree aspirations of female undergraduate students majoring in STEM programs. Using the Beginning Post-Secondary dataset, regression analyses showed that a student's initial degree aspirations, SAT scores, and interactions with faculty were all positively related to their degree aspirations three years later. Interviews with seven current STEM undergraduates confirmed the importance of interaction with faculty and suggested undergraduate research and classroom experiences also play a role in the degree aspirations of STEM students. Three of the seven students interviewed began their undergraduate educations as non-STEM majors, suggesting that the traditional STEM pipeline may no longer be the norm. These findings suggest that both future research and current practitioners should focus on undergraduate STEM classroom and research experiences. Additionally, the characteristics of students who switch into STEM majors should be explored so that we may continue to expand the number of students pursuing STEM degrees.

76 FR 93 - Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) NIST Gaithersburg and Boulder Programs...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-03

...: Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Name and Number: Measurement and Engineering Research and Standards... engineering sciences and, as the lead Federal agency for technology transfer, it provides a strong interface... enables the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), Engineering Laboratory (EL), Information...

76 FR 66735 - Announcement of Requirements and Registration for the NIBIB DEsign by Biomedical Undergraduate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-27

...., implants, biomaterials, surgical tools, tissue engineering, drug and gene delivery; (c) Technology to Aid... health information, and other programs with respect to biomedical imaging and engineering and associated... ceremony: October 2012, Biomedical Engineering Society Conference (exact date to be determined). FOR...

Redesigning the Student Learning Approach through Personality Types and Pedagogies, A Case Study in an Undergraduate Engineering Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleischmann, Corinna; Nakagawa, Elizabeth; Kelley, Tyler

2016-01-01

As the National Science Foundation and engineers throughout the world seek to strengthen the future of the engineering profession, the Civil Engineering (CE) program at the United States Coast Guard Academy embodies this initiative with a student focused approach. One course in particular, Materials for Civil and Construction Engineers (CE…

75 FR 20007 - Advisory Committee for Education and Human Resources; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-16

... Foundation's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and human resources... Broadening Participation--Undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM). III. Discussion of Graduate Education/Career Development Programs. IV. Collaborations with the Department of...

Negative Impact of Employment on Engineering Student Time Management, Time to Degree, and Retention: Faculty, Administrator, and Staff Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tyson, Will

2012-01-01

Interviews with faculty, administrators, staff, and students at four engineering programs reveal the role of undergraduate student employment on retention and timely degree completion among engineering students. Dueling narratives reveal how student approaches to earning an engineering degree differ greatly from faculty, administrator, and staff…

DOE Chair of Excellence in Environmental Disciplines-Final Technical Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kurunganty, Sastry; Loran, Roberto; Roque-Malherbe, Rolando

The report Massie Chair of Excellence Program at Universidad del Turabo, contract DE-FG02-95EW12610, during the period of 9/29/1995 to 9/29/2011. The initial program aims included development of academic programs in the Environmental Sciences and Engineering, and Research and Development focused initially on environmentally friendly processes and later revised also include: renewable energy and international cooperation. From 1995 -2005, the Program at UT lead the establishment of the new undergraduate program in electrical engineering at the School of Engineering (SoE), worked on requirements to achieve ABET accreditation of the SoE B.S. Mechanical Engineering and B.S. Electrical Engineering programs, mentored junior faculty,more » taught undergraduate courses in electrical engineering, and revised the electrical engineering curriculum. Engineering undergraduate laboratories were designed and developed. The following research sub-project was developed: Research and development of new perovskite-alumina hydrogen permeable asymmetrical nanostructured membranes for hydrogen purification, and extremely high specific surface area silica materials for hydrogen storage in the form of ammonia, Dr. Rolando Roque-Malherbe Subproject PI, Dr. Santander Nieto and Mr. Will Gómez Research Assistants. In 2006, the Massie Chair of Excellence Program was transferred to the National Nuclear Security Agency, NNSA and DNN. DoE required a revised proposal aligned with the priorities of the Administration. The revised approved program aims included: (1) Research (2) Student Development: promote the development of minority undergraduate and graduate students through research teams, internships, conferences, new courses; and, (3) Support: (a) Research administration and (b) Dissemination through international conferences, the UT Distinguished Lecturer Series in STEM fields and at the annual Universidad del Turabo (UT) Researchers Conference. Research included: Sub-Project 1: Synthesis and Characterization of low Refractive Index Aerogel Silica for Cherenkov Counters- Dr. Rolando Roque-Malherbe Sub-project PI, Dr. Jose Duconge Sub-project Co-PI, Dr. Santander Nieto Assistant Researcher, Francisco Diaz and Carlos Neira Associate Researchers. The initial aim of this sub-project was changed to the synthesis and characterization of extremely high specific surface area aerogel silica for gas storage. A high specific surface area silica gel that has applications in gas drying, cleaning operation useful in nuclear industry in process was developed. Sub-Project 2: Investigation Study of Magnetic and Electronic Transport Properties at Material Interfaces in Magnetic Multilayer Heterostructure using Gd. – Dr. Yazan Hijazi, Sub-project Co-PI. UT developed the capability and infrastructure to produce high quality thin-film magnetic films and magnetic multilayer structures with fine control over film quality and thickness using sputter deposition capability to perform in-house electric and magnetic characterization of these films. The research experimentally quantified the effect of Gd incorporation within the magnetic multilayer structure and produce magnetic media with exchanged decoupled multilevel magnetic anisotropy. From September 2006 to September 2011 the Massie Chair produced nineteen (19) publications, (including 3 books), five (5) presentations and three (3) international conferences abstracts. A total of fourteen (14) undergraduates and (6) graduate students acquired research experience. Two Ph.D. students presented their dissertations on topics related to nuclear energy and graduated as follows: María Cotto (May 2009) and Eric Calderón (May 2011). Five of the participating undergraduate students graduated: Ramon Polanco (BSME, May 2009), Jason Pérez (BSEE, May 2008), Rafael Colón (BSME, May 2008), Jessenia Marfisi (BS Chemistry, May 2008). Eleven (11) students were sent to National Laboratories (LANL, SNL and LLNL), NNSA and DoE facilities for summer internships. Twenty eight (28) undergraduate students participated in Summer Internships (2010, 2011) at the Puerto Rico Energy Center (PREC). Four international energy symposiums were held aligned with the DoE and the NNSA missions and dissemination of Massie Chair research activities (660 attendees). Academic programs developed or revised under advice of the Massie Chair: Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences (revised); MSc in Environmental Sciences (revised); MSc in Mechanical Engineering with concentration in Alternative Energy (new); BS in Industrial Management & Engineering (revised to fulfill the ABET requirements); BS in Civil Engineering including an environmental option (new); BS in Electrical Engineering (revised); and, Associate in Renewable Energy (new). The Puerto Rico Energy Center (PREC) was designed and developed under the Massie Chair initiative. Thirty-three (33) proposals were developed and submitted during the period of which 12 were approved in the amount of $ $1,931,306.« less

Bioengineering and Bioinformatics Summer Institutes: Meeting Modern Challenges in Undergraduate Summer Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Peter J.; Dong, Cheng; Snyder, Alan J.; Jones, A. Daniel; Sheets, Erin D.

2008-01-01

Summer undergraduate research programs in science and engineering facilitate research progress for faculty and provide a close-ended research experience for students, which can prepare them for careers in industry, medicine, and academia. However, ensuring these outcomes is a challenge when the students arrive ill-prepared for substantive research…

Computer Based Data Acquisition in the Undergraduate Lab.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wepfer, William J.; Oehmke, Roger L. T.

1987-01-01

Describes a data acquisition system developed for an undergraduate engineering students' instructional laboratory at Georgia Tech. Special emphasis is placed on the design of an A/D Converter Board used to measure the viscosity and temperature of motor oil. The Simons' BASIC Program Listing for the Commodore 64 microcomputer is appended. (LRW)

Planning and Implementing a Comprehensive Student-Centered Research Program for First-Year STEM Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Kimberly R.; Bickel, Amelia; Morrison-Shetlar, Alison

2015-01-01

Retaining college-level science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students remains a priority in higher education. A variety of methods have been shown to increase retention, including mentorship, tutoring, course enhancements, community building, and engagement in high-impact practices such as undergraduate research. In 2011, an…

ESP for Engineers: A Reassessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yin, Koh Moy

1988-01-01

Many foreign engineering undergraduates already have adequate English skills for the technical part of their academic and professional purposes, but still have problems with communication and interactive skills. Conventional ESP courses may not meet their needs, so an alternate program is proposed. (Author/LMO)

Exploring the Educational Benefits of Introducing Aspect-Oriented Programming Into a Programming Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boticki, I.; Katic, M.; Martin,S.

2013-01-01

This paper explores the educational benefits of introducing the aspect-oriented programming paradigm into a programming course in a study on a sample of 75 undergraduate software engineering students. It discusses how using the aspect-oriented paradigm, in addition to the object-oriented programming paradigm, affects students' programs, their exam…

Specific and Optional Curriculum: An Experience in the Undergraduate Program of Chemical Engineering in Cienfuegos University, Cuba

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martínez, Yolanda García; Velázquez, Claudia Alvarado; Castillo, Rolando Delgado

2016-01-01

This paper pursues to define the pillars for designing the specific (SC) and optional curricula (OC) of Unit Operations and Processes (UOP) Discipline in the Chemical Engineering Program. To achieve this objective a methodology was developed, which was characterized by the participation of every member in the educational process: professors,…

ARO in Review 2011

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

high school or undergraduate student research apprenticeships through HSAP/URAP. Seven institutions were funded under HSAP/URAP in FY11, totaling...The JSHS Program promotes original research and experimentation in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics at the high school level and publicly...national symposia. B. Research and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (REAP) REAP is designed to offer high school students the opportunity to expand their

Mathematics for Physicists and Engineers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris (France).

The text is a report of the OEEC Seminar on "The Mathematical Knowledge Required by the Physicist and Engineer" held in Paris, 1961. There are twelve major papers presented: (1) An American Parallel (describes the work of the Panel on Physical Sciences and Engineering of the Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics of the Mathematical…

Framework for Implementing Engineering Senior Design Capstone Courses and Design Clinics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franchetti, Matthew; Hefzy, Mohamed Samir; Pourazady, Mehdi; Smallman, Christine

2012-01-01

Senior design capstone projects for engineering students are essential components of an undergraduate program that enhances communication, teamwork, and problem solving skills. Capstone projects with industry are well established in management, but not as heavily utilized in engineering. This paper outlines a general framework that can be used by…

Reengineering Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Laboratories at Escola Politecnica, University of Sao Paulo.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seabra, Antonio C.; Consonni, Denise

Brazilian engineering schools are under a strict program to reengineer their courses with the financial support of the federal agencies. At the electronic engineering department at the University of Sao Paulo, this process started by modifying the Basic Electricity and Electronic Laboratories. This paper describes the new structure of these labs…

Survey Result of the Engineering Undergraduate Student's “Human Performance”

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakayama, Minoru; Takahashi, Hideaki; Kusakabe, Osamu; Ohtaguchi, Kazuhisa; Mizutani, Nobuyasu

Development of engineer's “Human Performance” is being required to respond to various changes. “Human Performace” is defined as an ability of putting own knowledge and skill to a practical issue. Current engineering undergraduate education promotes to learn this ability. To examine effectiveness of the educational program, a questionnaire consisting of 66 items was developed and the survey was conducted across eight universities. As results, most students recognize importance of the ability, but their achievement is lower for English communication skill and adaptation of cultural difference. They learned the ability on laboratory experience for their thesis, experiment class, club activities, part-time jobs and other activities.

The CAN Microcluster: Parallel Processing over the Controller Area Network

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuban, Paul A.; Ragade, Rammohan K.

2005-01-01

Most electrical engineering and computer science undergraduate programs include at least one course on microcontrollers and assembly language programming. Some departments offer legacy courses in C programming, but few include C programming from an embedded systems perspective, where it is still regularly used. Distributed computing and parallel…

Scholarship program to benefit future engineers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-02-01

ASDSO this year launched a new scholarship program for undergraduate students interested in dam safety engineering as a career. Two scholarships of $2,500 each will be granted to one junior and one senior, beginning with the 1993 school year. Students taking a full college course load and majoring in civil or agricultural engineering, geology, or a related field, were elgible. ASDSO, which plans to name the recipients by May 1993, received about two dozen applications for the scholarships.

Improving Program Design and Assessment with Broadening Participation Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegfried, D.; Johnson, A.; Thomas, S. H.; Fauver, A.; Detrick, L.

2012-12-01

Many theoretical and research-based approaches suggest how to best use mentoring to enhance an undergraduate research program. The Institute for Broadening Participation's Pathways to Engineering and Pathways to Ocean Sciences projects synthesized a set of mentoring studies, theoretical sources, and other texts pertinent to undergraduate research program design into a suite of practical tools that includes an online mentoring manual, an online reference library of mentoring and diversity literature, and practical guides such as Using Social Media to Build Diversity in Your REU. The overall goal is to provide easy-to-access resources that can assist faculty and program directors in implementing or honing the mentoring elements in their research programs for undergraduates. IBP's Online Mentoring Manual addresses common themes, such as modeling, student self-efficacy, career development, retention and evaluation. The Online Diversity Reference Library provides a comprehensive, annotated selection of key policy documents, research studies, intervention studies, and other texts on broadening participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. IBP's suite of tools provides the theoretical underpinnings and research findings that can help leaders in education integrate site-appropriate mentoring elements into their educational programs. Program directors and faculty from a variety of program types and disciplines have benefitted from using the Manual and other resources. IBP continues the work of translating and synthesizing theory to practice and welcomes your participation and partnership in that effort.

University of Maryland MRSEC - News: Employment

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University of Maryland MRSEC - Collaborations: Educational

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The unique challenge of managing an undergraduate Get-Away-Special experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roming, Peter W. A.; Spute, Mark K.; Williams, Memorie K.

1992-01-01

A group of Bringham Young University (BYU) undergraduate students has undertaken an experiment to design and build a normal incidence soft x ray robotics telescope for solar observations. The design phase of this, GOLDHELOX project, has now been completed and final construction and modifications are in progress. The design and manufacture of the payload is under the direction of team leaders and a system's integrator. A goal of this project is educating and furnishing experiences in space engineering and physics for undergraduate students. Our main source of funding is NASA and the BYU Colleges of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering and Technology. This project is possible because of the NASA Get-Away Special (GAS) program. The only feasible alternative is using an expensive sounding rocket. We estimate the sun tracking and guidance package alone would cost upwards of a million dollars -- at least ten times our entire budget. Because of the GAS program, we simplified the construction, operation, and programming of the instruments with resulting savings in weight, cost, and time spent.

NASA's educational programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Robert W.

1990-01-01

The educational programs of NASA's Educational Affairs Division are examined. The problem of declining numbers of science and engineering students is reviewed. The various NASA educational programs are described, including programs at the elementary and secondary school levels, teacher education programs, and undergraduate, graduate, and university faculty programs. The coordination of aerospace education activities and future plans for increasing NASA educational programs are considered.

Research Laboratory for Engineering and Tehnology (ReLEnT)-Summer Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Okhio, Cyril B.

1996-01-01

During the fiscal years 1994-1995 students at Central State University (CSU) have worked diligently under the supervision of the PI and associates to plan, design and conduct a four-week hands on summer program for high school students in grades 9 to 12. These workshops consists of experiments and computer aided design and manufacturing, designed to constructively stimulate interests in engineering and technology, and promote enrollment at CSU after they matriculate from high school. The experience gained in two years will be utilized to realize one of the deliverables for CSU engineering program during 1996. In FY-96 a new total of 30 students are now being interviewed for the 1996 program. This grant also provides resource for students enrolled in CSU's engineering program to work as undergraduate research assistants and ReLEnT tuition scholarship awards. These students are involved in the development of research, design projects, workshop procedures, laboratory exercises and seminars. Undergraduate students receiving tuition scholarships are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Finally, the ReLEnT award has made it possible for CSU to acquire some experimental and CFD capability which now provides us with the opportunity to compete and respond to RFP's on a competitive basis and a timely manner.

Minority undergraduate programs intended to increase participation in biomedical careers.

PubMed

MacLachlan, Anne J

2012-01-01

This article reviews a selection of undergraduate programs intended to increase successful minority participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors, potentially leading to biomedical careers. The object is to examine their structure, consider how well they address the issues of the target population, and assess the extent to which they have met/meet their goals. As a means of conducting this review, the first step is to examine the concepts used as the building blocks for program design. These concepts are found in a shared, yet often undefined, vocabulary used in most undergraduate programs for minority students. The hypothesis is that a shared vocabulary obscures a broad range of meaning and interpretation that has serious ramifications affecting student success. How these building blocks are understood and implemented strongly reflects the institution where the program is housed. The discussion further considers the nature of a number of programs created by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health specifically for underrepresented minority students and examines one program in detail, the University of California Berkeley's National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Program in Molecular, Cell, and Evolutionary Biology. The characteristics of federally organized programs and the Research Experience for Undergraduates are contrasted with 2 very successful student-centered local programs based on a different conceptual model. © 2012 Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Research Ethics with Undergraduates in Summer Research Training Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheung, I.; Yalcin, K.

2016-02-01

Many undergraduate research training programs incorporate research ethics into their programs and some are required. Engaging students in conversations around challenging topics such as conflict of interest, cultural and gender biases, what is science and what is normative science can difficult in newly formed student cohorts. In addition, discussing topics with more distant impacts such as science and policy, intellectual property and authorship, can be difficult for students in their first research experience that have more immediate concerns about plagiarism, data manipulation, and the student/faculty relationship. Oregon State University's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Ocean Sciences: From Estuaries to the Deep Sea as one model for incorporating a research ethics component into summer undergraduate research training programs. Weaved into the 10-week REU program, undergraduate interns participate in a series of conversations and a faculty mentor panel focused on research ethics. Topics discussed are in a framework for sharing myths, knowledge and personal experiences on issues in research with ethical implications. The series follows guidelines and case studies outlined from the text, On Being A Scientist: Responsible Conduct In Research Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, National Academy of Sciences.

A case study of undergraduate female students majoring in math, science and engineering: An analysis of persistence and success

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyde, Michelle Smoot

This dissertation provides information concerning the educational experience of females studying in undergraduate fields of math, engineering and science at a large research institution in the West. The majority of the participants were Project Access students, chosen because of their high achievements in science and mathematics during their secondary education. The study identifies and attempts to understand critical factors within the academic environment of science that contribute to female persistence in math, engineering and science (MES) disciplines. The study postulates that universities can make a difference in the education of women by providing programs that assure quality education and the fostering of female interest in science domains. The study recommends the incorporation of collaborative learning processes and teaching methods, cohort involvement and the fostering of study groups, encouragement of professorial associations with students, and internship and lab programs in an attempt to provide a more holistic and less fragmented education, thus benefiting women seeking MES degrees. Also, the research presented in this paper determined that the formation of positive associations and support networks was crucial to college female population studied. The interpretive study's aim is to enhance persistence rates among undergraduate students studying in math, engineering and science fields.

A Comparison of Internal Dispositions and Career Trajectories after Collaborative versus Apprenticed Research Experiences for Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frantz, Kyle J.; Demetrikopoulos, Melissa K.; Britner, Shari L.; Carruth, Laura L.; Williams, Brian A.; Pecore, John L.; DeHaan, Robert L.; Goode, Christopher T.

2017-01-01

Undergraduate research experiences confer benefits on students bound for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, but the low number of research professionals available to serve as mentors often limits access to research. Within the context of our summer research program (BRAIN), we tested the hypothesis that a team-based…

77 FR 64794 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-23

... join in a partnership to encourage outstanding undergraduate students to pursue careers in science and engineering. The Program also provides research opportunities for students to work with internationally known... in science and engineering. The information is used for evaluation and selection, and includes...

University of Maryland MRSEC - For Members: Opportunities

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University of Maryland MRSEC - Facilities: Float Zone Furnace

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University of Maryland MRSEC - About Us: Adminsitration

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University of Maryland MRSEC - For Members: Shipping

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University of Maryland MRSEC - For Members: Facilities

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Introduction to Computational Physics for Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubairi, Omair; Weber, Fridolin

2018-03-01

This is an introductory textbook on computational methods and techniques intended for undergraduates at the sophomore or junior level in the fields of science, mathematics, and engineering. It provides an introduction to programming languages such as FORTRAN 90/95/2000 and covers numerical techniques such as differentiation, integration, root finding, and data fitting. The textbook also entails the use of the Linux/Unix operating system and other relevant software such as plotting programs, text editors, and mark up languages such as LaTeX. It includes multiple homework assignments.

Persistence of deaf students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics undergraduate programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchut, Amber E.

Diversifying the student population and workforce under science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a necessity if innovations and creativity are to expand. There has not been a lot of literature regarding Deaf students in STEM especially regarding understanding how they persist in STEM undergraduate programs to successfully become STEM Bachelor of Science degree recipients. This study addresses the literature gap by investigating six students' experiences as they navigate their STEM undergraduate programs. The investigation uses narrative inquiry methodology and grounded theory method through the lens of Critical Race Theory and Critical Deaf Theory. Using videotaped interviews and observations, their experiences are highlighted using narratives portraying them as individuals surviving in a society that tends to perceive being deaf as a deficit that needs to be treated or cured. The data analysis also resulted in a conceptual model providing a description of how they persist. The crucial aspect of the conceptual model is the participants learned how to manage being deaf in a hearing-dominated society so they can reach their aspirations. The essential blocks for the persistence and managing their identities as deaf undergraduate STEMs include working harder, relying on familial support, and affirming themselves. Through the narratives and conceptual model of the six Deaf STEM undergraduates, the goal is to contribute to literature to promote a better understanding of the persistence of Deaf students, members of a marginalized group, as they pursue their dreams.

ALVA: A Successful Program for Increasing the Number of Minority Undergraduates who Earn Engineering Degrees

PubMed Central

Peterson, Lisa; Pinkham, Scott; Jordan, Cathryne

2010-01-01

A highly successful minority outreach and support program for incoming college freshmen in engineering is described. The University of Washington has been running ALVA (Alliances for Learning and Vision for underrepresented Americans) for 11 years and continuously tracks its participants. Partners in ALVA come from the government, education, and industry. This program targets talented underrepresented minority students and addresses four major hurdles that face minority students in engineering: lack of vision of themselves as an engineer, finances, community, and academic preparation. We will present ALVA as a model that can be duplicated at other colleges and universities. PMID:25242894

An Integral, Multidisciplinary and Global Geophysical Field Experience for Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vázquez, O.; Carrillo, D. J.; Pérez-Campos, X.

2007-05-01

The udergraduate program of Geophysical Engineering at the School of Engineering, of the Univesidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), went through an update process that concluded in 2006. As part of the program, the student takes three geophysical prospecting courses (gravity and magnetics, electric, electromagnetics, and seismic methods). The older program required a three-week field experience for each course in order to gradute. The new program considers only one extended field experience. This work stresses the importance of international academic exchange, where undergraduate students could participate, such as the Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience (SAGE), and interaction with research programs, such as the MesoAmerican Subduction Experiment (MASE). Also, we propose a scheeme for this activity based on those examples; both of them have in common real geophysical problems, from which students could benefit. Our proposal covers academic and logistic aspects to be taken into account, enhancing the relevance of interaction between other academic institutions, industry, and UNAM, in order to obtain a broader view of geophysics.

Senior Thesis Research at Princeton.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prud'homme, Robert K.

1981-01-01

Reviews a senior undergraduate research program in chemical engineering at Princeton University. Includes strengths and requirements for a successful program. Senior thesis research provides creative problem solving experiences for students and is congruent with departmental research objectives. Selected student comments are included. (SK)

Engineering Veterinary Education: A Clarion Call for Reform in Veterinary Education--Let's Do It!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radostits, Otto M.

2003-01-01

Supports an engineering model of tracking programs in veterinary medical education and suggests that undergraduate student quotas need to be considered in order to educate a sufficient number of new veterinary graduates in the different fields needed by society. (SLD)

Predicting Academic Performance of Master's Students in Engineering Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calisir, Fethi; Basak, Ecem; Comertoglu, Sevinc

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors affecting academic achievement of the master's students who are enrolling in the executive engineering management master's programs in Turkey. These factors include admission requirements (entrance examination, undergraduate grade point average, English proficiency) and demographic attributes…

Ballistic Deflection Transistors for THz Amplification

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-09

Computer Engineering Rabi Sherstha 0.00 Electrical and Computer Engineering 0.07 7 NAME Total Number: Grahan Jensen Fei Song 2 ...... ...... Sub... Rabi Sherstha spent entire summers working on ARO-related projects under the supervision of Prof. Sobolewski. They were supported by the UR Undergraduate Research Discover Program.

A Program Aimed toward Inclusive Excellence for Underrepresented Undergraduate Women in the Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Laura A.; Aloisio, Kathryn M.; Horton, Nicholas J.; Ly, Minh; Pruss, Sara; Queeney, Kate; Rowen, Cate; DiBartolo, Patricia Marten

2017-01-01

Created to foster inclusive excellence, Smith College's Achieving Excellence in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science (AEMES) Scholars program provides early faculty-mentored research opportunities and other programming as a way to foster success in academic outcomes for underrepresented women in science. Using academic record data, we compared…

Understanding How Science Diversity Programs Are Implemented at Two Predominantly White Research Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comella, Bonnie E.

2012-01-01

Over the past 20 years, many colleges and universities have developed diversity support programs aimed at improving underrepresented minority student success in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. Developing such programs is important for facilitating higher minority-graduation rates in STEM and broadening…

Training program developed for senior undergraduates majoring in optical communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Sheng; Zhang, Xinliang; Ke, Changjian

2017-08-01

Based on the well-known simulation software VPI TransmissionMaker, a comprehensive training program for senior undergraduates majoring in optical communication and optical network technology was developed by the author after detailed study of the teaching difficult and key points in the discipline. Aiming at solving practical scientific and engineering problems, the program helped our students to develop the ability of acquiring and applying knowledge by designing optical devices, optical signal processing algorithms and optical fiber communication systems. Furthermore, innovation is inspired by introducing competition mechanism among project teams. The program was validated through four years of use and achieved good results.

Developing Systems Engineering Skills Through NASA Summer Intern Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhasin, Kul; Barritt, Brian; Golden, Bert; Knoblock, Eric; Matthews, Seth; Warner, Joe

2010-01-01

During the Formulation phases of the NASA Project Life Cycle, communication systems engineers are responsible for designing space communication links and analyzing their performance to ensure that the proposed communication architecture is capable of satisfying high-level mission requirements. Senior engineers with extensive experience in communications systems perform these activities. However, the increasing complexity of space systems coupled with the current shortage of communications systems engineers has led to an urgent need for expedited training of new systems engineers. A pilot program, in which college-bound high school and undergraduate students studying various engineering disciplines are immersed in NASA s systems engineering practices, was conceived out of this need. This rapid summerlong training approach is feasible because of the availability of advanced software and technology tools and the students inherent ability to operate such tools. During this pilot internship program, a team of college-level and recently-hired engineers configured and utilized various software applications in the design and analysis of communication links for a plausible lunar sortie mission. The approach taken was to first design the direct-to-Earth communication links for the lunar mission elements, then to design the links between lunar surface and lunar orbital elements. Based on the data obtained from these software applications, an integrated communication system design was realized and the students gained valuable systems engineering knowledge. This paper describes this approach to rapidly training college-bound high school and undergraduate engineering students from various disciplines in NASA s systems engineering practices and tools. A summary of the potential use of NASA s emerging systems engineering internship program in broader applications is also described.

The women in science and engineering scholars program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Falconer, Etta Z.; Guy, Lori Ann

1989-01-01

The Women in Science and Engineering Scholars Program provides scientifically talented women students, including those from groups underrepresented in the scientific and technical work force, with the opportunity to pursue undergraduate studies in science and engineering in the highly motivating and supportive environment of Spelman College. It also exposes students to research training at NASA Centers during the summer. The program provides an opportunity for students to increase their knowledge of career opportunities at NASA and to strengthen their motivation through exposure to NASA women scientists and engineers as role models. An extensive counseling and academic support component to maximize academic performance supplements the instructional and research components. The program is designed to increase the number of women scientists and engineers with graduate degrees, particularly those with an interest in a career with NASA.

Progress update on a 2015 USIP interdisciplinary undergraduate student microgravity experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dove, A.; Colwell, J. E.; Brisset, J.; Kirstein, J.; Brightwell, K.; Hayden, R.; Jorges, J.; Schwartzberg, D.; Strange, J.; Yates, A.

2016-12-01

Our team was selected by the 2016 USIP program to build, fly, and analyze the results from a granular dynamics experiment that will fly in 2017 on a suborbital flight. The experiment will be designed to test technology and enable science relevant to low-gravity planetary objects, such as asteroids, comets, and small moons. Following on the success of previous NASA Flight Opportunities Program (FOP) and Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) projects, however, the primary driver of the project is to enable undergraduate student participation in the entire lifetime of a science and technology development project. Our mentoring team consists of faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students, who have experience with the past USIP program and similar projects, as well as with mentoring undergraduate students. The undergraduate team includes a diversity of major disciplines, including physics, mechanical/aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, business (accounting), and marketing. Each team member has specific project tasks, as outlined in the proposal, and all members will also help develop and participate in outreach events. In additional to their project roles, students will also be responsible for presentations and milestones, such as design reviews. Through these reviews and the outreach events, all team members have the chance to develop their technical and non-technical communication skills. Previous experience with the NASA USIP program demonstrated that students achieve significant growth through these projects -gaining a better understanding of the entire lifecycle of a project, and, likely more importantly, how to work with a diverse team. In this talk, we will discuss the status of the project, and present student impressions and thoughts on the project thus far.

Tour Guide Robots: An Integrated Research and Design Platform to Prepare Engineering and Technology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yelamarthi, Kumar

2016-01-01

Many interesting research and design questions occur at the intersections of traditional disciplines, yet most coursework and research programs for undergraduate engineering students are focused on one discipline. This leads to underutilization of the potential in better preparing students through multidisciplinary projects. Identifying this…

Understanding One Institutions' Process in Preparing Civil Engineering Students to Be Globally Competent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mavroudhis, Vasiliki Goudanas

2017-01-01

Civil engineering is an increasingly dynamic and global industry experiencing expansion cross borders, resulting in new required competencies sought out by employers and reflected in updated undergraduate program outcomes. These new competencies include attributes that result in global competence. Institutions of higher learning need to…

Women and Men of the Engineering Path: A Model for Analyses of Undergraduate Careers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adelman, Clifford

This monograph provides college academic administrators, institutional researchers, professional and learned societies, and academic advisors with information to improve understanding of the paths students take through engineering programs in higher education. The evidence used in this study comes principally from the 11-year college transcript…

Southwell's Relaxation Search in Computer Aided Advising: An Intelligent Information System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Xueshu

1992-01-01

Describes the development and validation of a microcomputer software system that enhances undergraduate students' interests in becoming engineering graduate students. The development of a database with information on engineering graduate programs is discussed, and a model that matches individual and institutional needs using Southwell's Relaxation…

Teaching the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers the NASA Design Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caruso, Pamela W.; Benfield, Michael P. J.; Justice, Stefanie H.

2011-01-01

The Integrated Product Team (IPT) program, led by The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), is a multidisciplinary, multi-university, multi-level program whose goal is to provide opportunities for high school and undergraduate scientists and engineers to translate stakeholder needs and requirements into viable engineering design solutions via a distributed multidisciplinary team environment. The current program supports three projects. The core of the program is the two-semester senior design experience where science, engineering, and liberal arts undergraduate students from UAH, the College of Charleston, Southern University at Baton Rouge, and Ecole Suprieure des Techniques Aronautiques et de Construction Automobile (ESTACA) in Paris, France form multidisciplinary competitive teams to develop system concepts of interest to the local aerospace community. External review boards form to provide guidance and feedback throughout the semester and to ultimately choose a winner from the competing teams. The other two projects, the Innovative Student Project for the Increased Recruitment of Engineering and Science Students (InSPIRESS) Level I and Level II focus exclusively on high school students. InSPIRESS Level I allows high schools to develop a payload to be accommodated on the system being developed by senior design experience teams. InSPIRESS Level II provides local high school students first-hand experience in the senior design experience by allowing them to develop a subsystem or component of the UAH-led system over the two semesters. This program provides a model for NASA centers to engage the local community to become more involved in design projects.

Developing Energy Technology Course for Undergraduate Engineering Management Study Program in Lake Toba Area with Particular Focus to Sustainable Energy Systems in Development Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manik, Yosef; Sinaga, Rizal; Saragi, Hadi

2018-02-01

Undergraduate Engineering Management Study Program of Institut Teknologi Del is one of the pioneers for its field in Indonesia. Located in Lake Toba Area, this study program has a mission to provide high quality Engineering Management education that produces globally competitive graduates who in turn will contribute to local development. Framing the Energy Technology course—one of the core subjects in Engineering Management Body of Knowledge—in the context of sustainable development of Lake Toba Area is very essential. Thus, one particular focus in this course is sustainable energy systems in local development context that incorporates identification and analysis of locally available energy resources. In this paper we present our experience in designing such course. In this work, we introduce the domains that shape the Engineering Management Body of Knowledge. Then, we explain the results of our evaluation on the key considerations to meet the rapidly changing needs of society in local context. Later, we present the framework of the learning outcomes and the syllabus as a result of mapping the road map with the requirement. At the end, the summary from the first two semesters of delivering this course in academic year 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 are reported.

Redefining Scientist-Educator Partnerships: Science in Service at Stanford

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beck, K.

2005-05-01

The Stanford Solar Observatories Group and Haas Center for Public Service have created an innovative model for scientist-educator partnerships in which science students are trained and mentored by public service education professionals to create outreach events for local communities. The program, Science in Service, is part of the EPO plan for the Solar Group's participation in NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory mission. Based on the principles of service learning, the Science in Service Program mentors college science students in best practices for communicating science and engages these students in public service projects that center on teaching solar science. The program goals are to - Enhance and expand the learning experiences that pre-college students, from underserved and underrepresented groups in particular, have in science and technology. - Promote leadership in community service in the area of science and engineering among the next generation of scientists and engineers, today's undergraduate students. - Encourage science and engineering faculty to think creatively about their outreach requirements and to create a community of faculty committed to quality outreach programs. This talk will describe the unique advantages and challenges of a research-public service partnership, explain the structure of Stanford's Science in Service Program, and present the experiences of the undergraduates and the outreach communities that have been involved in the program.

Critical assessment and outlook for the 50 biomedical engineering undergraduate programs in Mexico.

PubMed

Azpiroz-Leehan, Joaquín; Martínez Licona, Fabiola; Urbina Medal, E Gerardo; Cadena Méndez, Miguel; Sacristán Rock, Emilio

2015-01-01

Biomedical Engineering (BME) has been taught in Mexico at the undergraduate level for over forty years. The rationale for the introduction of this profession was to help manage and maintain the growing technological infrastructure in the health care system during the seventies. Owing to this, it is not surprising that early versions of the BME curricula were oriented towards clinical engineering and medical instrumentation. In the last decade the number of programs has grown from three in the seventies and eighties to fifty at present. This work is the result of the analysis of the BME programs in all the institutions that offer this degree in Mexico. Three main issues were studied: the curricula, the sub-disciplines that were emphasized in the programs and the job market. Results have shown a striking resemblance in most of the programs, which are mostly dedicated to teaching aspects of medical instrumentation and clinical engineering. These results reflect an agreement with the requirements of the job market, but since most job offerings are for low-paying positions in sales, service and hospital maintenance, we question the wisdom of stressing these sub-specialties at research universities, where faculties and research labs offer a wide variety of options. An analysis of work at these centers shows that most of the results are publications, so the need to emphasize translational research and partnerships with industry are suggested.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ryu, Jun-hyung

University education aims to supply qualified human resources for industries. In complex large scale engineering systems such as nuclear power plants, the importance of qualified human resources cannot be underestimated. The corresponding education program should involve many topics systematically. Recently a nuclear engineering program has been initiated in Dongguk University, South Korea. The current education program focuses on undergraduate level nuclear engineering students. Our main objective is to provide industries fresh engineers with the understanding on the interconnection of local parts and the entire systems of nuclear power plants and the associated systems. From the experience there is a hugemore » opportunity for chemical engineering disciple in the context of giving macroscopic overview on nuclear power plant and waste treatment management by strengthening the analyzing capability of fundamental situations. (authors)« less

One more thing: Faculty response to increased emphasis on project teams in undergraduate engineering education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunter, Jane

Tenured and tenure-track faculty members at institutions of higher education, especially those at Research I institutions, are being asked to do more than ever before. With rapidly changing technology, significant decreases in public funding, the shift toward privately funded research, and the ever increasing expectations of students for an education that adequately prepares them for professional careers, engineering faculty are particularly challenged by the escalating demands on their time. In 1996, the primary accreditation organization for engineering programs (ABET) adopted new criteria that required, among other things, engineering programs to teach students to function on multidisciplinary teams and to communicate effectively. In response, most engineering programs utilize project teams as a strategy for teaching these skills. The purpose of this qualitative study of tenured and tenure track engineering faculty at a Research I institution in the southwestern United States was to explore the variety of ways in which the engineering faculty responded to the demands placed upon them as a result of the increased emphasis on project teams in undergraduate engineering education. Social role theory and organizational climate theory guided the study. Some faculty viewed project teams as an opportunity for students to learn important professional skills and to benefit from collaborative learning but many questioned the importance and feasibility of teaching teamwork skills and had concerns about taking time away from other essential fundamental material such as mathematics, basic sciences and engineering sciences. Although the administration of the College of Engineering articulated strong support for the use of project teams in undergraduate education, the prevailing climate did little to promote significant efforts related to effective utilization of project teams. Too often, faculty were unwilling to commit sufficient time or effort to make project teamwork a truly valuable learning opportunity because those efforts were not perceived to be valuable and were rarely rewarded. Few formal professional development opportunities were available and few incentives were in place to encourage other informal efforts to develop the necessary skills. Those who committed significant effort to project teams were challenged by concerns about team composition, student accountability and assigning individual grades for group teamwork.

The ASSURE Summer REU Program: Introducing research to first-generation and underserved undergraduates through space sciences and engineering projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barron, Darcy; Peticolas, Laura; Multiverse Team at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Lab

2018-01-01

The Advancing Space Science through Undergraduate Research Experience (ASSURE) summer REU program is an NSF-funded REU site at the Space Sciences Lab at UC Berkeley that first started in summer 2014. The program recruits students from all STEM majors, targeting underserved students including community college students and first-generation college students. The students have little or no research experience and a wide variety of academic backgrounds, but have a shared passion for space sciences and astronomy. We will describe our program's structure and the components we have found successful in preparing and supporting both the students and their research advisors for their summer research projects. This includes an intensive first week of introductory lectures and tutorials at the start of the program, preparing students for working in an academic research environment. The program also employs a multi-tiered mentoring system, with layers of support for the undergraduate student cohort, as well as graduate student and postdoctoral research advisors.

Hierarchical Mentoring: A Transformative Strategy for Improving Diversity and Retention in Undergraduate STEM Disciplines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Zakiya S.; Holmes, Lakenya; Degravelles, Karin; Sylvain, Monica R.; Batiste, Lisa; Johnson, Misty; McGuire, Saundra Y.; Pang, Su Seng; Warner, Isiah M.

2012-02-01

In the United States, less than half of the students who enter into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate curricula as freshmen will actually graduate with a STEM degree. There is even greater disparity in the national STEM graduation rates of students from underrepresented groups with approximately three-fourths of minority students leaving STEM disciplines at the undergraduate level. A host of programs have been designed and implemented to model best practices in retaining students in STEM disciplines. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Professors Program at Louisiana State University, under leadership of HHMI Professor Isiah M. Warner, represents one of these programs and reports on a mentoring model that addresses the key factors that impact STEM student attrition at the undergraduate level. By integrating mentoring and strategic academic interventions into a structured research program, an innovative model has been developed to guide STEM undergraduate majors in adopting the metacognitive strategies that allow them to excel in their programs of study, as they learn to appreciate and understand science more completely. Comparisons of the persistence of participants and nonparticipants in STEM curricular, at the host university and with other national universities and colleges, show the impact of the model's salient features on improving STEM retention through graduation for all students, particularly those from underrepresented groups.

Undergraduate Students As Effective Climate Change Communicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharif, H. O.; Joseph, J.; Mullendore, G. L.

2014-12-01

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), San Antonio College (SAC), and the University of North Dakota (UND) have partnered with NASA to provide underrepresented undergraduates from UTSA, SAC, and other community colleges climate-related research and education experiences through the Climate Change Communication: Engineer, Environmental science, and Education (C3E3) project. The program aims to develop a robust response to climate change by providing K-16 climate change education; enhance the effectiveness of K-16 education particularly in engineering and other STEM disciplines by use of new instructional technologies; increase the enrollment in engineering programs and the number of engineering degrees awarded by showing engineering's usefulness in relation to the much-discussed contemporary issue of climate change; increase persistence in STEM degrees by providing student research opportunities; and increase the ethnic diversity of those receiving engineering degrees and help ensure an ethnically diverse response to climate change. Students participated in the second summer internship funded by the project. The program is in its third year. More than 75 students participated in a guided research experiences aligned with NASA Science Plan objectives for climate and Earth system science and the educational objectives of the three institutions. The students went through training in modern media technology (webcasts), and in using this technology to communicate the information on climate change to others, especially high school students, culminating in production of webcasts on investigating the aspects of climate change using NASA data. Content developed is leveraged by NASA Earth observation data and NASA Earth system models and tools. Three Colleges were involved in the program: Engineering, Education, and Science.

Bringing Art, Music, Theater and Dance Students into Earth and Space Science Research Labs: A New Art Prize Science and Engineering Artists-in-Residence Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moldwin, M.; Mexicotte, D.

2017-12-01

A new Arts/Lab Student Residence program was developed at the University of Michigan that brings artists into a research lab. Science and Engineering undergraduate and graduate students working in the lab describe their research and allow the artists to shadow them to learn more about the work. The Arts/Lab Student Residencies are designed to be unique and fun, while encouraging interdisciplinary learning and creative production by exposing students to life and work in an alternate discipline's maker space - i.e. the artist in the engineering lab, the engineer in the artist's studio or performance space. Each residency comes with a cash prize and the expectation that a work of some kind will be produced as a response to experience. The Moldwin Prize is designed for an undergraduate student currently enrolled in the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, the Taubman School of Architecture and Urban Planning or the School of Music, Theatre and Dance who is interested in exchange and collaboration with students engaged in research practice in an engineering lab. No previous science or engineering experience is required, although curiosity and a willingness to explore are essential! Students receiving the residency spend 20 hours over 8 weeks (February-April) participating with the undergraduate research team in the lab of Professor Mark Moldwin, which is currently doing work in the areas of space weather (how the Sun influences the space environment of Earth and society) and magnetic sensor development. The resident student artist will gain a greater understanding of research methodologies in the space and climate fields, data visualization and communication techniques, and how the collision of disciplinary knowledge in the arts, engineering and sciences deepens the creative practice and production of each discipline. The student is expected to produce a final work of some kind within their discipline that reflects, builds on, explores, integrates or traces their experience in the residency. This talk will describe the program, the inaugural year's outcomes, and plans to expand the program to other research labs.

Making developmental biology relevant to undergraduates in an era of economic rationalism in Australia.

PubMed

Key, Brian; Nurcombe, Victor

2003-01-01

This report describes the road map we followed at our university to accommodate three main factors: financial pressure within the university system; desire to enhance the learning experience of undergraduates; and motivation to increase the prominence of the discipline of developmental biology in our university. We engineered a novel, multi-year undergraduate developmental biology program which was "student-oriented," ensuring that students were continually exposed to the underlying principles and philosophy of this discipline throughout their undergraduate career. Among its key features are introductory lectures in core courses in the first year, which emphasize the relevance of developmental biology to tissue engineering, reproductive medicine, therapeutic approaches in medicine, agriculture and aquaculture. State-of-the-art animated computer graphics and images of high visual impact are also used. In addition, students are streamed into the developmental biology track in the second year, using courses like human embryology and courses shared with cell biology, which include practicals based on modern experimental approaches. Finally, fully dedicated third-year courses in developmental biology are undertaken in conjunction with stand-alone practical courses where students experiencefirst-hand work in a research laboratory. Our philosophy is a "cradle-to-grave" approach to the education of undergraduates so as to prepare highly motivated, enthusiastic and well-educated developmental biologists for entry into graduate programs and ultimately post-doctoral research.

Partnerships for building strong internship and research experiences for undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goehring, L.; Haacker-Santos, R.; Dutilly, E.

2013-12-01

REU and internship site directors often operate in geographic and institutional isolation from each other, unable to share best practices or resources. When collaboration is possible, benefits for both the students and leaders of these programs can be achieved. In 2013, the SOARS REU program, hosted at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), supported the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) in creating a new internship program aimed at engaging undergraduate science and engineering students in NEON's work. Both student programs share the objective of reaching underrepresented groups in STEM. The year long collaboration allowed NEON to learn best practices in recruitment and support of students, mentor training, and program development, and to customize its internship according to its organization i.e., a science/engineering observatory under construction. Both programs shared several elements: students were housed together so that interns could tap into a larger cohort of supportive peers; students participated in a joint leadership training to strengthen cross program mentoring; and students met weekly for a scientific communications workshop. Having multiple science disciplines represented enhanced the workshop as students learned about writing styles and cultures of each other's fields, fostering an appreciation of different scientific disciplines and interdisciplinary thinking. Finally, at the end of the summer, students presented their findings in a joint poster session. We found that collaboration between programs led to increased recruitment of students from diverse backgrounds and support of students through stronger cohorts, shared trainings, and enhanced program content. In this presentation we share findings of our programs' evaluations and make recommendations on building collaborative partnerships for internships and research experiences for undergraduates.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities in OSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boldyreff, Cornelia; Capiluppi, Andrea; Knowles, Thomas; Munro, James

Using Open Source Software (OSS) in undergraduate teaching in universities is now commonplace. Students use OSS applications and systems in their courses on programming, operating systems, DBMS, web development to name but a few. Studying OSS projects from both a product and a process view also forms part of the software engineering curriculum at various universities. Many students have taken part in OSS projects as well as developers.

An undergraduate program for astronomy in México

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bravo-Alfaro, Hector; Migenes, Victor

Astronomy in Mexico has an ancient tradition, reinforced during the XXth century by groups working in theoretical and observational astronomy. During the 90s, the Great Millimeter Telescope (a single 50-m antenna) has been approved, and a 6-m infrared telescope is under study. Graduate and undergraduate programs must be improved to prepare future Mexican and Latin American astronomers to take advantage of these facilities. To meet the challenge, two traditional Mexican programs (Instituto de Astronomia-UNAM and Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica, Optica y Electronica-INAOE) are updating their graduate programs for. Similarly, the Departamento de Astronomia de la Universidad de Guanajuato is joining physicists in the first undergraduate program in Mexico in Physics and Engineering with an option in Astrophysics. This will prepare students so that they can choose between industry, academia or national laboratories, either in Physics or Astronomy. Jobs in academia have been scarce; many students had to give up their goals after one or two postdoctoral positions. Graduate and undergraduate programs must adjust, by broadening the scope of present programs so that students are better prepared for other job opportunities. We present a BSc program designed by astronomers and physicists to try to address some of these concerns and prepare the students for either continuing with graduate studies or finding employment in an ever-changing job market.

Selected engagement factors and academic learning outcomes of undergraduate engineering students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Justice, Patricia J.

The concept of student engagement and its relationship to successful student performance and learning outcomes has a long history in higher education (Kuh, 2007). Attention to faculty and student engagement has only recently become of interest to the engineering education community. This interest can be attributed to long-standing research by George Kuh's, National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) at the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research. In addition, research projects sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the Academic Pathway Study (APS) at the Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education (CAEE) and the Center for the Advancement of Scholarship on Engineering Education (CASEE), Measuring Student and Faculty Engagement in Engineering Education, at the National Academy of Engineering. These research studies utilized the framework and data from the Engineering Change study by the Center for the Study of Higher Education, Pennsylvania State, that evaluated the impact of the new Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) EC2000 "3a through k" criteria identify 11 learning outcomes expected of engineering graduates. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent selected engagement factors of 1. institution, 2. social, 3. cognitive, 4. finance, and 5. technology influence undergraduate engineering students and quality student learning outcomes. Through the descriptive statistical analysis indicates that there maybe problems in the engineering program. This researcher would have expected at least 50% of the students to fall in the Strongly Agree and Agree categories. The data indicated that the there maybe problems in the engineering program problems in the data. The problems found ranked in this order: 1). Dissatisfaction with faculty instruction methods and quality of instruction and not a clear understanding of engineering majors , 2). inadequate Engineering faculty and advisors availability especially applicable to career paths, 4) engineering program objectives not aligned with student learning outcomes, 5. lack of encouragement to join engineering association for professional development. This study determined statistically that the factors having the most significant influence on undergraduate engineering student and learning outcome is the role that faculty plays inside and outside the classroom. The satisfaction of students regarding faculty on availability and feedback was negative. Engineering programs appear to have issues with alignment of ABET learning outcomes from a student perspective on knowledge, ability of engineering skills and ability acquired at the time of this study. The researcher believes that the findings are valid viewing the maturity of the majority of responses were from upper-class juniors and seniors. In addition, gender and racial/ethnicity disparity were found with low number of females compared to males. The racial/ ethnicity disparity was especially noted for Hispanic and Native American students.

Nastran's Application in Agricultural Engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanwicklen, G. L.

1985-01-01

Finite element analysis has been recognized as a valuable solution method by agricultural engineers. NASTRAN has been obtained by the Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Georgia. The NASTRAN Thermal Analyzer has been used in the teaching program for an undergraduate course in heat transfer and will be used for a new graduate course in finite element analysis. The NASTRAN Thermal Analyzer has also been applied to several research problems in the Agricultural Engineering Department.

Technology to Advance High School and Undergraduate Students with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leddy, Mark H.

2010-01-01

Americans with disabilities are underemployed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at higher rates than their nondisabled peers. This article provides an overview of the National science Foundation's Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) program, of technology use by students with disabilities (SWD) in STEM, and of…

Methodology for Developing Teaching Activities and Materials for Use in Fluid Mechanics Courses in Undergraduate Engineering Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gamez-Montero, P. Javier; Raush, Gustavo; Domènech, Lluis; Castilla, Robert; García-Vílchez, Mercedes; Moreno, Hipòlit; Carbó, Albert

2015-01-01

"Mechanics" and "Fluids" are familiar concepts for any newly-registered engineering student. However, when combined into the term "Fluid Mechanics", students are thrust into the great unknown. The present article demonstrates the process of adaptation employed by the Fluid Mechanics course in the undergraduate…

Advancing Diagnostic Skills for Technology and Engineering Undergraduates: A Summary of the Validation Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, W. Tad; Shahhosseini, A. Mehran; Maughan, George

2016-01-01

Facilitating student growth and development in diagnosing and solving technical problems remains a challenge for technology and engineering educators. With funding from the National Science Foundation, this team of researchers developed a self-guided, computer-based instructional program to experiment with conceptual mapping as a treatment to…

Sacred Mountains Scholars Gaining a New Window on the Universe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ainsworth, Diane

1992-01-01

Describes the Sacred Mountains Scholars Program, a collaborative training program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Northern Arizona University that gives American Indian undergraduates the opportunity to explore engineering, business, and space science careers during summer on-the-job…

Strengthening Capstone Skills in STEM Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eppes, Tom A.; Milanovic, Ivana; Sweitzer, H. Fredrick

2012-01-01

In this article we describe a curricular strategy that improves the full range of skillsets critical to capstone success. Improved Capstone (ICap) was developed and implemented across the thermo-fluids topical area in the undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Technology Program at the University of Hartford. ICap experiential courses sequentially…

"I'm just a boy with girl parts": Understanding gender perception and negotiation in an undergraduate engineering program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickinson Skaggs, Jennifer Anne

The number of women being enrolled and retained in engineering programs has steadily decreased since 1999, even with increased efforts and funding of initiatives to counteract this trend. Why are women not persisting or even choosing to pursue engineering? This qualitative research examines how undergraduate female engineering students perceive and negotiate their gender identities to successfully persist in engineering education. Narrative inquiry including semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and data analysis was conducted at a Research I institution. Participants were recruited through purposeful network sampling. Criteria for inclusion include students who have been in the American K-12 educational pipeline at least eight years and are junior or senior level academic standing and academic eligibility. By including male students in the collection of data, perceptions of the issues for women could be seen in context when compared to the perceptions of men in the same engineering discipline. The study focuses on the individual, institutional, and cultural perceptions of gender performativity within a network and the strategies and negotiations employed by undergraduate female engineering students to achieve their educational goals regarding each of these perspectives. Findings reveal female students utilize strategies of camouflage and costume, as well as internal and external support to persist in engineering education. Also, female engineering students are being prepared to only become engineering-students-in-the-making and kept from the larger engineering network, while male students are becoming engineers-in-the-making automatically connected to the larger engineering network based on gender. This lack of association with the network influences female engineering students in their decisions to pursue a career in professional engineering, or to pursue more traditionally gendered careers after graduation. This research is significant in its use of feminist theory and methodology to study engineering education. It is also significant in its use of qualitative methods allowing students to articulate their experiences in their own words and voices thus allowing for nuanced of meaning and understanding to emerge. Butler's theory of gender performativity in conjunction with Nespor's actor-network theory provides the conceptual framework with inductive analysis used as the primary tool for data analysis.

Team-Based Development of Medical Devices: An Engineering-Business Collaborative.

PubMed

Eberhardt, Alan W; Johnson, Ophelia L; Kirkland, William B; Dobbs, Joel H; Moradi, Lee G

2016-07-01

There is a global shift in the teaching methodology of science and engineering toward multidisciplinary, team-based processes. To meet the demands of an evolving technical industry and lead the way in engineering education, innovative curricula are essential. This paper describes the development of multidisciplinary, team-based learning environments in undergraduate and graduate engineering curricula focused on medical device design. In these programs, students actively collaborate with clinicians, professional engineers, business professionals, and their peers to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems. In the undergraduate senior capstone courses, teams of biomedical engineering (BME) and business students have produced and delivered numerous functional prototypes to satisfied clients. Pursuit of commercialization of devices has led to intellectual property (IP) disclosures and patents. Assessments have indicated high levels of success in attainment of student learning outcomes and student satisfaction with their undergraduate design experience. To advance these projects toward commercialization and further promote innovative team-based learning, a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Design and Commercialization was recently launched. The MEng facilitates teams of graduate students in engineering, life sciences, and business who engage in innovation-commercialization (IC) projects and coursework that take innovative ideas through research and development (R&D) to create marketable devices. The activities are structured with students working together as a "virtual company," with targeted outcomes of commercialization (license agreements and new start-ups), competitive job placement, and/or career advancement.

Integrating undergraduate research into the electro-optics and laser engineering technology program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Andrew F.

2014-07-01

Bringing research into an undergraduate curriculum is a proven and powerful practice with many educational benefits to students and the professional rewards to faculty mentors. In recent years, undergraduate research has gained national prominence as an effective problem-based learning strategy. Developing and sustaining a vibrant undergraduate research program of high quality and productivity is an outstanding example of the problem-based learning. To foster student understanding of the content learned in the classroom and nurture enduring problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities, we have created a collaborative learning environment by building research into the Electro-Optics curriculum for the first- and second-year students. The teaching methodology is described and examples of the research projects are given. Such a research-integrated curriculum effectively enhances student learning and critical thinking skills, and strengthens the research culture for the first- and second-year students.

Creating a Research-Rich Curriculum at Miami University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rauckhorst, William H.

2007-10-01

Miami University has attempted in recent years to build upon a collection of individual student research participation opportunities at the University, and develop a comprehensive ``research-rich'' undergraduate curriculum. A major step in this direction was the creation of the Undergraduate Summer Scholars (USS) program. This program provides 10-week summer research experiences with faculty mentors for 100 juniors or seniors each year. The USS Program is not limited to science and engineering areas, as approximately 30 academic departments participate annually. Development of the USS program at Miami was motivated by the University's prior experience with student research appointments funded by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and other sponsoring agencies. The University's evaluation of these earlier student research experiences provided evidence that such experiences were at least as significant in a student's education as formal course work. A second important step in Miami's effort was obtaining a grant from the National Science Foundation's Comprehensive Reform of Undergraduate Education program. This funding enabled the University to enhance the Undergraduate Summer Scholars (USS) Program and evaluate student intellectual growth within the program. Two outcomes of this NSF-funded project are noteworthy: first, the USS program now is firmly established within the University's offerings; second, the evaluation ndicated profound student intellectual growth as a result of mentored research experiences. We will describe the development of the Undergraduate Summer Scholars Program, our evaluation of the Program, and ongoing efforts to extend the benefits of research experience to more students by incorporating research components within traditional coursework.

Sharing best practices in teaching biomedical engineering design.

PubMed

Allen, R H; Acharya, S; Jancuk, C; Shoukas, A A

2013-09-01

In an effort to share best practices in undergraduate engineering design education, we describe the origin, evolution and the current status of the undergraduate biomedical engineering design team program at Johns Hopkins University. Specifically, we describe the program and judge the quality of the pedagogy by relating it to sponsor feedback, project outcomes, external recognition and student satisfaction. The general pedagogic practices, some of which are unique to Hopkins, that have worked best include: (1) having a hierarchical team structure, selecting team leaders the Spring semester prior to the academic year, and empowering them to develop and manage their teams, (2) incorporating a longitudinal component that incudes freshmen as part of the team, (3) having each team choose from among pre-screened clinical problems, (4) developing relationships and fostering medical faculty, industry and government to allow students access to engineers, clinicians and clinical environments as needed, (5) providing didactic sessions on topics related to requirements for the next presentation, (6) employing judges from engineering, medicine, industry and government to evaluate designs and provide constructive criticisms approximately once every 3-4 weeks and (7) requiring students to test the efficacy of their designs. Institutional support and resources are crucial for the design program to flourish. Most importantly, our willingness and flexibility to change the program each year based on feedback from students, sponsors, outcomes and judges provides a mechanism for us to test new approaches and continue or modify those that work well, and eliminate those that did not.

Influence of an Education Abroad Program on the Intercultural Sensitivity of STEM Undergraduates: A Mixed Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demetry, Chrysanthe; Vaz, Richard F.

2017-01-01

Education abroad programs are becoming more common as a mechanism for developing the global competencies of engineering graduates. An increasing body of research shows that intercultural learning does not occur "de facto" in such programs. This study used quantitative and qualitative methods to explore changes in students' intercultural…

Laptops and the Gender Gap: An Investigation of a High School Core Curriculum Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wade, Melanie

2010-01-01

Girls and women continue to be underrepresented in high school Advanced Placement computer science courses, undergraduate and graduate computer science programs at colleges and universities, and engineering programs and related careers. This is not to suggest that public schools train students to fulfill specific job needs, yet it is evident that…

Cross-Cultural and Global Interdependency Development in STEM Undergraduate Students: Results from Singapore Study Abroad Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexis, Frank; Casco, M.; Martin, J.; Zhang, G.

2017-01-01

The goal of study abroad programs is to educate and train future global leaders. This article examines the effectiveness of Clemson University's Singapore Study Abroad program in meeting this goal by exposing students to global perspectives of science technology, engineering and math (STEM) research and learning through an international summer…

Turning the Corner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Kenneth J.

2012-01-01

Stacyann Morgan got into biomedical engineering through a simple Google search. She got through an undergraduate program in the emerging field thanks to a federally-funded program that provided multi-layered support to Black and Latino students at City College of New York. Starting in 2001, the National Institutes of Health funded the Minority…

Motivational Engineering for Pilot Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herzberg, Frederick I.; And Others

The study was an investigation of student pilot motivation for, and toward, the Air Training Command's undergraduate pilot training (UPT) program. The motivation hygiene approach was used to identify the motivational factors operating in the UPT program systematically. This approach has been used extensively in industry and with success in a…

Large Scale Quality Engineering in Distance Learning Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herron, Rita I.; Holsombach-Ebner, Cinda; Shomate, Alice K.; Szathmary, Kimberly J.

2012-01-01

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University--Worldwide serves more than 36,000 online students across the globe, many of whom are military and other non-traditional students, offering 34 undergraduate, graduate, and professional education/workforce certificate programs, presented both online and via blended delivery modes. The centralized model of online…

Northern Colorado Transportation Internship Program (NCTIP)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-05-01

The field of transportation is rapidly becoming a popular career choice for undergraduate engineering students. Many work opportunities are available in the area of transportation including computer software analysis, field testing, and consulting. U...

Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars. Part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwan, Rafaela (Compiler)

1995-01-01

The Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars (LARSS) Program was established by Dr. Samuel E. Massenberg in 1986. The program has increased from 20 participants in 1986 to 114 participants in 1995. The program is LaRC-unique and is administered by Hampton University. The program was established for the benefit of undergraduate juniors and seniors and first-year graduate students who are pursuing degrees in aeronautical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, material science, computer science, atmospheric science, astrophysics, physics, and chemistry. Two primary elements of the LARSS Program are: (1) a research project to be completed by each participant under the supervision of a researcher who will assume the role of a mentor for the summer, and (2) technical lectures by prominent engineers and scientists. Additional elements of this program include tours of LARC wind tunnels, computational facilities, and laboratories. Library and computer facilities will be available for use by the participants.

Technical Reports: Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars. Part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwan, Rafaela (Compiler)

1995-01-01

The Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars (LARSS) Program was established by Dr. Samuel E. Massenberg in 1986. The program has increased from 20 participants in 1986 to 114 participants in 1995. The program is LaRC-unique and is administered by Hampton University. The program was established for the benefit of undergraduate juniors and seniors and first-year graduate students who are pursuing degrees in aeronautical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, material science, computer science, atmospheric science, astrophysics, physics, and chemistry. Two primary elements of the LARSS Program are: (1) a research project to be completed by each participant under the supervision of a researcher who will assume the role of a mentor for the summer, and (2) technical lectures by prominent engineers and scientists. Additional elements of this program include tours of LARC wind tunnels, computational facilities, and laboratories. Library and computer facilities will be available for use by the participants.

Biomedical Engineering curriculum at UAM-I: a critical review.

PubMed

Martinez Licona, Fabiola; Azpiroz-Leehan, Joaquin; Urbina Medal, E Gerardo; Cadena Mendez, Miguel

2014-01-01

The Biomedical Engineering (BME) curriculum at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) has undergone at least four major transformations since the founding of the BME undergraduate program in 1974. This work is a critical assessment of the curriculum from the point of view of its results as derived from an analysis of, among other resources, institutional databases on students, graduates and their academic performance. The results of the evaluation can help us define admission policies as well as reasonable limits on the maximum duration of undergraduate studies. Other results linked to the faculty composition and the social environment can be used to define a methodology for the evaluation of teaching and the implementation of mentoring and tutoring programs. Changes resulting from this evaluation may be the only way to assure and maintain leadership and recognition from the BME community.

Integrating Research and Extension for the Nsf-Reu Program in Water Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Judge, J.; Migliaccio, K.; Gao, B.; Shukla, S.; Ehsani, R.; McLamore, E.

2011-12-01

Providing positive and meaningful research experiences to students in their undergraduate years is critical for motivating them to pursue advanced degrees or research careers in science and engineering. Such experiences not only offer training for the students in problem solving and critical thinking via hands-on projects, but also offer excellent mentoring and recruiting opportunities for the faculty advisors. The goal of the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program in the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department (ABE) at the University of Florida (UF) is to provide eight undergraduate students a unique opportunity to conduct research in water resources using interdisciplinary approaches, integrating research and extension. The students are selected from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. The eight-week REU Program utilizes the extensive infrastructure of UF - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) through the Research and Education Centers (RECs). Two students are paired to participate in their own project under the direct supervision of one of the four research mentors. Four of the eight students are located at the main campus, in Gainesville, Fl, and four remaining students are located off-campus, at the RECs, where some of the ABE faculty are located. The students achieve an enriching cohort experience through social networking, daily blogs, and weekly video conferences to share their research and other REU experiences. The students are co-located during the Orientation week and also during the 5-day Florida Waters Tour. Weekly group meetings and guest lectures are conducted via synchronously through video conferencing. The integration of research and extension is naturally achieved through the projects at the RECs, the guest lectures, Extension workshops, and visits to the Water Management Districts in Florida. In the last two years of the Program, we have received over 80 applicants, from four-year and advanced degree offering institutions and a variety of majors such as Geology, Meteorology, Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Civil Engineering, Water Resources, Agricultural Engineering, Physics, Geography, Chemical Engineering, to name a few. This model of providing integrated research and extension opportunities in hydrology where not all the REU participants are physically co-located, is unique and can be extended to other disciplines.

Undergraduate Students as Climate Communicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharif, H. O.; Joseph, J.; Mullendore, G. L.

2012-12-01

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), San Antonio College (SAC), and the University of North Dakota (UND) are partnering with NASA to provide underrepresented undergraduates from UTSA, SAC, and other community colleges climate-related research and education experiences. The program aims to develop a robust response to climate change by providing K-16 climate change education; enhance the effectiveness of K-16 education particularly in engineering and other STEM disciplines by use of new instructional technologies; increase the enrollment in engineering programs and the number of engineering degrees awarded by showing engineering's usefulness in relation to the much-discussed contemporary issue of climate change; increase persistence in STEM degrees by providing student research opportunities; and increase the ethnic diversity of those receiving engineering degrees and help ensure an ethnically diverse response to climate change. Students will have the opportunity to participate in guided research experiences aligned with NASA Science Plan objectives for climate and Earth system science and the educational objectives of the three institutions. An integral part of the learning process will include training in modern media technology (webcasts), and in using this technology to communicate the information on climate change to others, especially high school students, culminating in production of a webcast about investigating aspects of climate change using NASA data. Content developed is leveraged by NASA Earth observation data and NASA Earth system models and tools. Several departments are involved in the educational program.

Engineering a Cause and Cure to Climate Change; Working a culture change with our Future Engineers.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudier, E. J. J.

2014-12-01

Where scientist unravel the laws of nature giving the human race the means to remodel their environment, engineers are the tools that put together the very technologies that give humans this power. Early on, along our first steps through this industrialization era, development was the key word, nature could digest our waste products no matter what. We have managed to tamper with our atmosphere's gas composition and the climate is slowly remodelling our way of life. Engineers are now expected to be a key part of the solution. Engineering programs have evolved to include new dimensions such as ethics, communication and environment. We want future engineers to put these dimensions first while working on new machine designs, concepts and procedures. As undergraduate students with a deep science background we also want them to be a source of information for their co-workers and more. How well are we getting through? How good teachers our future engineers will be? This work take a look at the teaching/learning successes comparing engineering students with students attending an undergraduate program in biology. Methods emphasizing the acquisition of knowledge through lectures and reading assignments are tested along with activities aiming at unraveling the scientific fundamental behind environmental issues and putting forward original solutions to specific problematic. Concept knowledge scores, communications' quality and activities evaluations by students are discussed.

Nuclear Security Education Program at the Pennsylvania State University

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Uenlue, Kenan; The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, University Park, PA 16802-2304; Jovanovic, Igor

The availability of trained and qualified nuclear and radiation security experts worldwide has decreased as those with hands-on experience have retired while the demand for these experts and skills have increased. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) has responded to the continued loss of technical and policy expertise amongst personnel and students in the security field by initiating the establishment of a Nuclear Security Education Initiative, in partnership with Pennsylvania State University (PSU), Texas A and M (TAMU), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This collaborative, multi-year initiative forms the basismore » of specific education programs designed to educate the next generation of personnel who plan on careers in the nonproliferation and security fields with both domestic and international focus. The three universities worked collaboratively to develop five core courses consistent with the GTRI mission, policies, and practices. These courses are the following: Global Nuclear Security Policies, Detectors and Source Technologies, Applications of Detectors/Sensors/Sources for Radiation Detection and Measurements Nuclear Security Laboratory, Threat Analysis and Assessment, and Design and Analysis of Security Systems for Nuclear and Radiological Facilities. The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) Nuclear Engineering Program is a leader in undergraduate and graduate-level nuclear engineering education in the USA. The PSU offers undergraduate and graduate programs in nuclear engineering. The PSU undergraduate program in nuclear engineering is the largest nuclear engineering programs in the USA. The PSU Radiation Science and Engineering Center (RSEC) facilities are being used for most of the nuclear security education program activities. Laboratory space and equipment was made available for this purpose. The RSEC facilities include the Penn State Breazeale Reactor (PSBR), gamma irradiation facilities (in-pool irradiator, dry irradiator, and hot cells), neutron beam laboratory, radiochemistry laboratories, and various radiation detection and measurement laboratories. A new nuclear security education laboratory was created with DOE NNSA- GTRI funds at RSEC. The nuclear security graduate level curriculum enables the PSU to educate and train future nuclear security experts, both within the United States as well as worldwide. The nuclear security education program at Penn State will grant a Master's degree in nuclear security starting fall 2015. The PSU developed two courses: Nuclear Security- Detector And Source Technologies and Nuclear Security- Applications of Detectors/Sensors/Sources for Radiation Detection and Measurements (Laboratory). Course descriptions and course topics of these courses are described briefly: - Nuclear Security - Detector and Source Technologies; - Nuclear Security - Applications of Detectors/Sensors/Sources for Radiation Detection and Measurements Laboratory.« less

Experiences Gained Creating a Biophysics Major at a Predominately Undergraduate Institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Link, Justin; Herbert, Steven

2014-03-01

Xavier University, a liberal arts predominately undergraduate institution (PUI) located in Cincinnati, OH, implemented a Biophysics major in the Department of Physics in spring 2012. The program is built upon foundational physics courses and is unique due to the possible selection of upper-division courses that students elect to take towards their undergraduate degree. A capstone course is offered to bring all prior knowledge in the fundamental sciences together to approach complex problems in biology. Due to the flexibility of the program, it serves students well who are interested in pursuing advanced degrees in Biophysics or Biomedical Engineering. It also offers students interested in the health professions an alternate path towards medical school which can be advantageous in the application process. This session will express some of the advantages and challenges to creating such a program at a liberal arts PUI and discuss the capstone course within the major.

Engineering education and a lifetime of learning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eisley, J. (Editor)

1974-01-01

The result of an eleven-week study by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the American Society of Engineering Education is presented. The study was the ninth of a series of programs. The purposes of the programs were: (1) to introduce engineering school faculty members to system design and to a particular approach to teaching system design, (2) to introduce engineering faculty to NASA and to a specific NASA center, and (3) to produce a study of use to NASA and to the participants. The story was concerned with engineering education in the U.S., and concentrated upon undergraduate education and teaching, although this bias was not meant to imply that research and graduate study are less important to engineering education.

A Triangulated Study of Academic Language Needs of Iranian Students of Computer Engineering: Are the Courses on Track?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atai, Mahmood Reza; Shoja, Leila

2011-01-01

Even though English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) courses constitute a significant part of the Iranian university curriculum, curriculum developers have generally developed the programs based on intuition. This study assessed the present and target situation academic language needs of undergraduate students of computer engineering. To this…

Activities in Support of Two-Year College Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics Education, Fiscal Year 1993. Highlights.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Directorate for Education and Human Resources.

This report describes the efforts of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and its Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) to provide educational support to two-year colleges to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs through grants, collaborative efforts, and support for curriculum materials and teacher activities.…

A Hands-On Freshman Survey Course to Steer Undergraduates into Microsystems Coursework and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eddings, M. A.; Stephenson, J. C.; Harvey, I. R.

2009-01-01

Full class loads and inflexible schedules can be a significant obstacle in the implementation of freshman survey courses designed to guide engineering students into emerging research areas such as micro- and nanosystems. A hands-on, interactive course was developed to excite freshmen early in their engineering program to pursue research and…

The Role of Program Climate and Socialization in the Retention of Engineering Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ureksoy, Heather

2011-01-01

Increasing women's participation in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) can promote a healthy economy by ensuring a diverse and well-qualified STEM workforce, not only in the quantity of females in the workforce, but diversity in thinking and creativity. It will also send a positive message to young women about…

Effectiveness of Using a Video Game to Teach a Course in Mechanical Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coller, B. D.; Scott, M. J.

2009-01-01

One of the core courses in the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum has been completely redesigned. In the new numerical methods course, all assignments and learning experiences are built around a video/computer game. Students are given the task of writing computer programs to race a simulated car around a track. In doing so, students…

Team-Based Development of Medical Devices: An Engineering–Business Collaborative

PubMed Central

Eberhardt, Alan W.; Johnson, Ophelia L.; Kirkland, William B.; Dobbs, Joel H.; Moradi, Lee G.

2016-01-01

There is a global shift in the teaching methodology of science and engineering toward multidisciplinary, team-based processes. To meet the demands of an evolving technical industry and lead the way in engineering education, innovative curricula are essential. This paper describes the development of multidisciplinary, team-based learning environments in undergraduate and graduate engineering curricula focused on medical device design. In these programs, students actively collaborate with clinicians, professional engineers, business professionals, and their peers to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems. In the undergraduate senior capstone courses, teams of biomedical engineering (BME) and business students have produced and delivered numerous functional prototypes to satisfied clients. Pursuit of commercialization of devices has led to intellectual property (IP) disclosures and patents. Assessments have indicated high levels of success in attainment of student learning outcomes and student satisfaction with their undergraduate design experience. To advance these projects toward commercialization and further promote innovative team-based learning, a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Design and Commercialization was recently launched. The MEng facilitates teams of graduate students in engineering, life sciences, and business who engage in innovation-commercialization (IC) projects and coursework that take innovative ideas through research and development (R&D) to create marketable devices. The activities are structured with students working together as a “virtual company,” with targeted outcomes of commercialization (license agreements and new start-ups), competitive job placement, and/or career advancement. PMID:26902869

Do Undergraduate Engineering Faculty Include Occupational and Public Health and Safety in the Engineering Curriculum?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farwell, Dianna; And Others

1995-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether and, if so, why engineering faculty include occupational and public health and safety in their undergraduate engineering courses. Data were collected from 157 undergraduate engineering faculty from 65 colleges of engineering in the United States. (LZ)

Undergraduate Women's Participation in Professional Organizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartman, Moshe; Hartman, Harriet

This article focuses on the differences among female undergraduate engineering students who choose to affiliate with student chapters of discipline-specific, mixed-gender professional organizations, the student chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), or not to affiliate at all. Participants in the different kinds of organizations are compared to nonparticipants to explore how participation is related to professionalization and the development of engineering social capital. Compared with nonparticipants, participants were more involved in extracurricular enrichment and "help" activities; they were more satisfied with most aspects of the engineering program; they had higher grades; they were more self-confident about themselves as engineers, and by the end of the academic year, about their engineering competencies; and they were more strongly committed to a future in engineering. Participation in SWE was associated with greater involvement in study activities, higher satisfaction with the coursework load, and a different perception of the problems women face in the field. Data were taken from a survey of engineering students at Rowan University during the 2000-2001 academic year, which was funded by the National Science Foundation.

Designing Effective Undergraduate Research Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Severson, S.

2010-12-01

I present a model for designing student research internships that is informed by the best practices of the Center for Adaptive Optics (CfAO) Professional Development Program. The dual strands of the CfAO education program include: the preparation of early-career scientists and engineers in effective teaching; and changing the learning experiences of students (e.g., undergraduate interns) through inquiry-based "teaching laboratories." This paper will focus on the carry-over of these ideas into the design of laboratory research internships such as the CfAO Mainland internship program as well as NSF REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) and senior-thesis or "capstone" research programs. Key ideas in maximizing student learning outcomes and generating productive research during internships include: defining explicit content, scientific process, and attitudinal goals for the project; assessment of student prior knowledge and experience, then following up with formative assessment throughout the project; setting reasonable goals with timetables and addressing motivation; and giving students ownership of the research by implementing aspects of the inquiry process within the internship.

Persistence of physics and engineering students via peer mentoring, active learning, and intentional advising

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCavit, K.; Zellner, N. E. B.

2016-11-01

Albion College, a private, undergraduate-only, liberal arts college in Michigan, USA, has developed and implemented a low-cost peer-mentoring programme that blends personal and academic support to help students achieve academic success in the introductory courses required for the Physics Major or the Dual-Degree Program in Engineering. This enhanced mentoring programme provides much-needed assistance for undergraduate students to master introductory physics and mathematics coursework, to normalise the struggle of learning hard material, and to accept their identity as physics or engineering students (among other goals). Importantly, this programme has increased retention among entering science, technology, engineering and mathematics students at Albion College as they move through the introductory classes, as shown by a 20% increase in retention from first-semester to third-semester physics courses compared to years when this programme was not in place.

Mars habitat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The College of Engineering & Architecture at Prairie View A&M University has been participating in the NASA/USRA Advanced Design Program since 1986. The interdisciplinary nature of the program allowed the involvement of students and faculty throughout the College of Engineering & Architecture for the last five years. The research goal for the 1990-1991 year is to design a human habitat on Mars that can be used as a permanent base for 20 crew members. The research is being conducted by undergraduate students from the Department of Architecture.

Three new bachelors of photonics in Ontario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nantel, Marc; Beda, Johann; Grevatt, Treena; Chebbi, Brahim; Jessop, Paul; Song, Shaowen

2004-10-01

After the introduction in 2001 of community college programs at the Photonics Technician/Technologist levels, the need to cover the photonics educational space at the undergraduate level was addressed. In the last year, three very different new undergraduate degrees in photonics have started to develop in Ontario. These programs are presented in this paper. The Honours B.Sc. in Photonics at Wilfrid Laurier University (Waterloo) will develop a strong understanding of the theory and application of photonics, with practical hands-on exposure to optics, fibre optics, and lasers. This program benefits from the particularity that the department offering it combines both Physics and Computer Science. At McMaster University, the Engineering Physics program will provide students with a broad background in basic Engineering, Mathematics, Electronics, and Semiconductors, as well as an opportunity to pursue Photonics in greater depth and to have that fact recognized in the program designation. The Niagara and Algonquin College Bachelor of Applied Technology in Photonics program is co-op and joint between the two institutions. Emphasis is placed on the applied aspects of the field, with the more hands-on experimental learning taking precedence in the first years and the more advanced theoretical subjects following in the latter years.

Morehouse Physics & Dual Degree Engineering Program: We C . A . R . E . Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rockward, Willie S.

2015-03-01

Growing the physics major at any undergraduate institution, especially Morehouse College - a private, all-male, liberal arts HBCU, can be very challenging. To address this challenge at Morehouse, the faculty and staff in the Department of Physics and Dual Degree Engineering Program (Physics & DDEP) are applying a methodology and pedagogical approach called ``We C . A . R . E '' which stands for Curriculum,Advisement,Recruitment/Retention/Research, andExtras. This approach utilizes an integrated strategy of cultural (family-orientated), collaborative (shared-governance), and career (personalized-pathways) modalities to provide the momentum of growing the physics major at Morehouse from 10-12 students to over 100 students in less than 5 years. Physics & DDEP at Morehouse, creatively, altered faculty course assignments, curriculum offerings, and departmental policies while expanding research projects, student organizations, and external collaborations. This method supplies a variety of meaningful, academic and research experiences for undergraduates at Morehouse and thoroughly prepares students for graduate studies or professional careers in STEM disciplines. Thus, a detailed overview of the ``We C . A . R . E . '' approach will be presented along with the Physics & DDEP vision, alterations and expansions in growing the physics major at Morehouse College. Department of Physics and Dual Degree Engineering Program, Atlanta, Georgia 30314.

Academic Mentoring and Dropout Prevention for Students in Math, Science and Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larose, Simon; Cyrenne, Diane; Garceau, Odette; Harvey, Marylou; Guay, Frederic; Godin, Fanny; Tarabulsy, George M; Deschenes, Claire

2011-01-01

In this study, we examined the impact of a new academic mentoring program aimed at preventing student dropout in math, science and technology. The MIRES program entails bimonthly meetings between students entering college and university students completing their undergraduate degree in science and engineering. A randomized pretest-posttest control…

Best Practices When Using Student Survey Results in Academic Program Review. SERU Project Technical Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chatman, Steve

2011-01-01

Using the example of responses from civil engineering students at a very highly ranked participating university, this guide demonstrates the importance of comparative data when using student questionnaire data for undergraduate academic program review. It also emphasizes the advantage of using factor structures for better questionnaire-based…

Pharmaceutical Biotechnology: A New Graduate Course at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schreier, Hans; And Others

1990-01-01

The University of Florida's efforts to include aspects of genetically engineered drugs into undergraduate teaching and develop a graduate program focusing on the pharmaceutical aspects of technology are outlined, including constituent contributions, attendance, and evaluation. The program's current status and plans for a lab course are discussed.…

NASA GSFC Opportunities for STEM Professionals Using the Vantage Point of Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meeson, Blanche W.; Robbins, Geraldine B.

2012-01-01

NASA has a variety of learning opportunities for STEM professionals. Three opportunities at GSFC are examined in this chapter: 1) standard summer research and development internship for undergraduates, 2) senior internship for undergraduate and graduate students and 3) a workshop series for informal learning center professionals. We describe these programs, examine their evolution with respect to most effective education practices and their assessment and evaluation, and identify the similarities and differences between them. The internship programs highlight authentic project-based research and development experiences with the senior internship providing a richer, deeper, and more demanding experience that has greater professional value. The workshops for informal learning center professionals on-the-other hand, focus on building knowledge of GSFC s science and engineering strengths among these professionals, and on building enduring partnerships between individuals (participants and GSFC scientist, engineers and educators) and between organizations (GSFC and the informal learning center). Finally, we examine the characteristics of these programs from a design and management perspective. Through this examination we identify a general structure that provides insight into more effective design and management of similar education programs.

Challenges and Opportunities in Interdisciplinary Materials Research Experiences for Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vohra, Yogesh; Nordlund, Thomas

2009-03-01

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) offer a broad range of interdisciplinary materials research experiences to undergraduate students with diverse backgrounds in physics, chemistry, applied mathematics, and engineering. The research projects offered cover a broad range of topics including high pressure physics, microelectronic materials, nano-materials, laser materials, bioceramics and biopolymers, cell-biomaterials interactions, planetary materials, and computer simulation of materials. The students welcome the opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team of basic science, engineering, and biomedical faculty but the challenge is in learning the key vocabulary for interdisciplinary collaborations, experimental tools, and working in an independent capacity. The career development workshops dealing with the graduate school application process and the entrepreneurial business activities were found to be most effective. The interdisciplinary university wide poster session helped student broaden their horizons in research careers. The synergy of the REU program with other concurrently running high school summer programs on UAB campus will also be discussed.

Learning physical biology via modeling and simulation: A new course and textbook for science and engineering undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Philip

To a large extent, undergraduate physical-science curricula remain firmly rooted in pencil-and-paper calculation, despite the fact that most research is done with computers. To a large extent, undergraduate life-science curricula remain firmly rooted in descriptive approaches, despite the fact that much current research involves quantitative modeling. Not only does our pedagogy not reflect current reality; it also creates a spurious barrier between the fields, reinforcing the narrow silos that prevent students from connecting them. I'll describe an intermediate-level course on ``Physical Models of Living Systems.'' The prerequisite is first-year university physics and calculus. The course is a response to rapidly growing interest among undergraduates in a broad range of science and engineering majors. Students acquire several research skills that are often not addressed in traditional undergraduate courses: •Basic modeling skills; •Probabilistic modeling skills; •Data analysis methods; •Computer programming using a general-purpose platform like MATLAB or Python; •Pulling datasets from the Web for analysis; •Data visualization; •Dynamical systems, particularly feedback control. Partially supported by the NSF under Grants EF-0928048 and DMR-0832802.

Students Who Study Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in Postsecondary Education. Stats in Brief. NCES 2009-161

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Xianglei

2009-01-01

Rising concern about America's ability to maintain its competitive position in the global economy has renewed interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. To understand who enters into and completes undergraduate programs in STEM fields, this report examined data from three major national studies: the 1995-96…

Development of undergraduate nuclear security curriculum at College of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamid, Nasri A.; Mujaini, Madihah; Mohamed, Abdul Aziz

2017-01-01

The Center for Nuclear Energy (CNE), College of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) has a great responsibility to undertake educational activities that promote developing human capital in the area of nuclear engineering and technology. Developing human capital in nuclear through education programs is necessary to support the implementation of nuclear power projects in Malaysia in the near future. In addition, the educational program must also meet the nuclear power industry needs and requirements. In developing a certain curriculum, the contents must comply with the university's Outcomes Based Education (OBE) philosophy. One of the important courses in the nuclear curriculum is in the area of nuclear security. Basically the nuclear security course covers the current issues of law, politics, military strategy, and technology with regard to weapons of mass destruction and related topics in international security, and review legal regulations and political relationship that determine the state of nuclear security at the moment. In addition, the course looks into all aspects of the nuclear safeguards, builds basic knowledge and understanding of nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear forensics and nuclear safeguards in general. The course also discusses tools used to combat nuclear proliferation such as treaties, institutions, multilateral arrangements and technology controls. In this paper, we elaborate the development of undergraduate nuclear security course at the College of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional. Since the course is categorized as mechanical engineering subject, it must be developed in tandem with the program educational objectives (PEO) of the Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering program. The course outcomes (CO) and transferrable skills are also identified. Furthermore, in aligning the CO with program outcomes (PO), the PO elements need to be emphasized through the CO-PO mapping. As such, all assessments and distribution of Bloom Taxonomy levels are assigned in accordance with the CO-PO mapping. Finally, the course has to fulfill the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) Graduate Attributes of the Washington Accord.

Enhancing Women's Undergraduate Experience in Physics and Chemistry Through a PUI/MRSEC Collaboration Emphasizing Materials Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldberg, Velda; Malliaras, George; Schember, Helene; Singhota, Nevjinder

2002-04-01

This three-year collaboration between a predominately undergraduate women's college (Simmons College) and a NSF-supported Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR)) provides opportunities for physics and chemistry students to participate in materials-related research throughout their undergraduate careers, have access to sophisticated instrumentation, and gain related work experience in industrial settings. As part of the project, undergraduate students are involved in all aspects of a collaborative Simmons/Cornell research program concentrating on degradation processes in electroluminescent materials. This work is particularly interesting because an understanding and control of these processes will ultimately influence the use of these materials in various types of consumer products.

An evaluation capacity building toolkit for principal investigators of undergraduate research experiences: A demonstration of transforming theory into practice.

PubMed

Rorrer, Audrey S

2016-04-01

This paper describes the approach and process undertaken to develop evaluation capacity among the leaders of a federally funded undergraduate research program. An evaluation toolkit was developed for Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering(1) Research Experiences for Undergraduates(2) (CISE REU) programs to address the ongoing need for evaluation capacity among principal investigators who manage program evaluation. The toolkit was the result of collaboration within the CISE REU community with the purpose being to provide targeted instructional resources and tools for quality program evaluation. Challenges were to balance the desire for standardized assessment with the responsibility to account for individual program contexts. Toolkit contents included instructional materials about evaluation practice, a standardized applicant management tool, and a modulated outcomes measure. Resulting benefits from toolkit deployment were having cost effective, sustainable evaluation tools, a community evaluation forum, and aggregate measurement of key program outcomes for the national program. Lessons learned included the imperative of understanding the evaluation context, engaging stakeholders, and building stakeholder trust. Results from project measures are presented along with a discussion of guidelines for facilitating evaluation capacity building that will serve a variety of contexts. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Bridging the Gulf between Formal Calculus and Physical Reasoning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Der Meer, A.

1980-01-01

Some ways to link calculus instruction with the mathematical models used in physics courses are presented. The activity of modelling is presented as a major tool in synchronizing physics and mathematics instruction in undergraduate engineering programs. (MP)

'can i get your Email': Gender, Networking and Social Capital in AN Undergraduate Bioengineering Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erickson, Shelley K.

Based on observations and interviews, this article explores how female and male biomedical engineering students network and generate social capital (who one knows) in an undergraduate classroom. Stark differences were observed between female and male students and their interactions with a series of guest lecturers. Although women engineering students may be differentially affected by how they raise their social capital, this study does not suggest that women engineering students are wholly incapable of raising their social capital. Rather, a disconnect occurs between the student population receiving information about networking and women students acting on informal and spontaneous opportunities as they arise. Institutional and departmental support (i.e., internship programs and discussion in the classroom and at orientation) appears to favor those who rely on more formal means of networking.

The MetSkill Program — Rapidly Developing Effective Young Engineers in the Workplace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drinkwater, Diana; Bianco, Nina

MetSkill is a professional development program for metallurgical engineers that integrates with normal duties in their first one or two years of service. Graduates work together on a structured technical project, facilitated by specialists and supported by formal learning, and ultimately reported to their technical managers. The program enables graduates to "fill the gaps" in their undergraduate education, which is increasingly pertinent as engineering degrees become more general. Participants report that they enjoy the focus on more challenging (rewarding) aspects of their jobs and feel more confident about problem solving. Sponsor companies add that the relationships developed with external technical specialists enhances opportunities for innovation and development. MetSkill was delivered to two major resource companies in Australia in 2012. This paper provides an outline of the program and the reasons for its success, and demonstrates how the learning model could be applied to groups of graduates in other engineering disciplines.

The Effects of Doctoral Teaching Development on Early-Career STEM Scholars' College Teaching Self-Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connolly, Mark R.; Lee, You-Geon; Savoy, Julia N.

2018-01-01

To help prepare future faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to teach undergraduates, more research universities are offering teaching development (TD) programs to doctoral students who aspire to academic careers. Using social cognitive career theory, we examine the effects of TD programs on early-career STEM…

An analysis of scientific self-efficacy as a benefit of summer research participation for underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, Frances D.

2011-12-01

Low participation and performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields by U.S. citizens are widely recognized as major problems with substantial economic, political, and social ramifications. Studies of collegiate interventions designed to broaden participation in STEM fields suggest that participation in undergraduate research is a key program component that enhances such student outcomes as undergraduate GPA, graduation, persistence in a STEM major, and graduate school enrollment. However, little is known about the mechanisms that are responsible for these positive effects. The current study hypothesizes that undergraduate research participation increases scientific self-efficacy and scientific research proficiency. This hypothesis was tested using data obtained from a survey of minority students from several STEM intervention programs that offer undergraduate research opportunities. Students were surveyed both prior to and following the summer of 2010. Factor analysis was used to examine the factor structure of participants' responses on scientific self-efficacy and scientific research proficiency scales. Difference-in-difference analysis was then applied to the resulting factor score differences to estimate the relationship of summer research participation with scientific self-efficacy and scientific research proficiency. Factor analytic results replicate and further validate previous findings of a general scientific self-efficacy construct (Schultz, 2008). While the factor analytic results for the exploratory scientific research proficiency scale suggest that it was also a measureable construct, the factor structure was not generalizable over time. Potential reasons for the lack of generalizability validity for the scientific research proficiency scale are explored and recommendations for emerging scales are provided. Recent restructuring attempts within federal science agencies threaten the future of STEM intervention programs. Causal estimates of the effect of undergraduate research participation on specific and measurable benefits can play an important role in ensuring the sustainability of STEM intervention programs. Obtaining such estimates requires additional studies that, inter alia, incorporate adequate sample sizes, valid measurement scales, and the ability to account for unobserved variables. Political strategies, such as compromise, can also play an important role in ensuring the sustainability of STEM intervention programs.

Advanced engineering design program at the University of Illinois for the 1987-1988 academic year

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sivier, Kenneth R.; Lembeck, Michael F.

1988-01-01

The participation of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the NASA/USRA Universities Advanced Engineering Design Program (Space) is reviewed for the 1987 to 88 academic year. The University's design project was the Manned Marsplane and Delivery System. In the spring of 1988 semester, 107 students were enrolled in the Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Departments' undergraduate Aerospace Vehicle Design course. These students were divided into an aircraft section (responsible for the Marsplane design), and a spacecraft section (responsible for the Delivery System Design). The design results are presented in Final Design Reports, copies of which are attached. In addition, five students presented a summary of the design results at the Program's Summer Conference.

Joint Task Force on Undergraduate Physics Programs (J-TUPP): What skills and knowledge are needed for a diverse set of careers and what's the basis for these recommendations?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woolf, Lawrence

2016-03-01

A wide variety of reports have been issued recently concerning the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed by employees to be successful. This talk will review findings from reports from the major science and engineering disciplines, from surveys of employers, and from interviews with recent undergraduate physics graduates. Also to be discussed is the correlation between these findings and the detailed J-TUPP recommendations for the skills and knowledge needed by the next generation of undergraduate physics degree holders to be prepared for a diverse set of careers.

The University of Texas Science and Engineering Apprentice Program as a Model for an REU Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, M. B.; Blankenship, D. D.; Ellins, K. E.

2004-12-01

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics at (UTIG) is one of five research labs in the Austin area that hosts recent high school graduates for summer research projects through the Applied Research Lab Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP). The SEAP is a program designed to provide summer research opportunities to recent high school undergraduates who excel in science and math. UTIG has been a large proponent of the SEAP and has typically mentored two to four students each year and a total alumni of about twenty. The program has successfully targeted groups that are typically underrepresented in sciences and engineering. Current statistics show that 25% of past SEAP students are members of an ethnic minority and 80% of SEAP students are female. Many of these students have stayed on after the summer program and continued to work part-time or return during summers to UTIG while completing their undergraduate careers. A significant portion of these students present results at professional meetings and ultimately commit to careers in science and engineering, both in industry and academia. SEAP students at UTIG work alongside scientists and graduate students as part of a team, and, through this interaction, improve their scientific knowledge and problem solving skills. Both graduate and undergraduate students involved in NSF-funded research grants mentor the SEAP students, giving them the opportunity to work on their own research problem while contributing data and interpretation to a more fundamental research problem. By uniting student research under the umbrella of Antarctic ice sheet research, students learn how their individual research projects relate to the more unifying science problem centered on ice sheet variability, and Antarctic continental evolution. They also gain an understanding of how research is carried out. At the same time, scientists and graduate students learn how to communicate their knowledge so that it is interesting and relevant to student learning. We are interested in expanding the SEAP model for student research to a scale that can support multidisciplinary REU site activities by extending research possibilities into polar research, marine studies, seismology, planetary science, and science education at UTIG in future years.

US nuclear engineering education: Status and prospects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-01-01

This study, conducted under the auspices of the Energy Engineering Board of the National Research Council, examines the status of and outlook for nuclear engineering education in the United States. The study resulted from a widely felt concern about the downward trends in student enrollments in nuclear engineering, in both graduate and undergraduate programs. Concerns have also been expressed about the declining number of US university nuclear engineering departments and programs, the aging of their faculties, the appropriateness of their curricula and research funding for industry and government needs, the availability of scholarships and research funding, and the increasing ratiomore » of foreign to US graduate students. A fundamental issue is whether the supply of nuclear engineering graduates will be adequate for the future. Although such issues are more general, pertaining to all areas of US science and engineering education, they are especially acute for nuclear engineering education. 30 refs., 12 figs., 20 tabs.« less

Using CASE Software to Teach Undergraduates Systems Analysis and Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilcox, Russell E.

1988-01-01

Describes the design and delivery of a college course for information system students utilizing a Computer-Aided Software Engineering program. Discusses class assignments, cooperative learning, student attitudes, and the advantages of using this software in the course. (CW)

The Effective and Evolving Role of Graduate Students in the SURFO REU Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pockalny, R. A.

2005-12-01

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Oceanography (SURFO) program is a 10-week research/educational program designed to expose 9 undergraduates per year to cutting-edge, authentic oceanographic research at the Graduate School of Oceanography/University of Rhode Island. The SURFO program primarily focuses on the more quantitative aspects of oceanography (e.g., physical oceanography, geophysical fluid dynamics and marine geophysics), which closely parallel the strengths of GSO/URI. Thus, the primary undergraduate population targeted by the program includes students from various disciplines, but with strong backgrounds in math, physics, computer science, and engineering. Over its 20-year existence, the SURFO program has continuously evolved; however, three basics goals of the program have been maintained: 1) expose students to the breadth and depth of oceanography, 2) provide students with an authentic research experience, and 3) integrate/assimilate students into the lifestyle and community of a graduate research institution. An integral component for achieving these goals has been the inclusion of graduate students as workshop leaders/instructors, research mentors, and social directors. In these roles the graduate students act as a 'big brother/sister' to transition the undergraduates into the academic and research community. The graduate students also initially behave as liaisons between the senior researcher and the SURFO participant by fielding questions and concerns the undergraduate may be too intimidated to voice. As the summer progresses, the graduate students typically evolve into a lead research advisor and begin to learn effective techniques for advising students. Responses from SURFO participants on exit questionnaires frequently comment on how their experience and research project were directly affected by the extent of graduate student participation during the summer. Anecdotal evidence also indicates the participating graduate students gain maturity in their approach to research and become more willing advisees.

Students Across Borders: A Summer Earth Science Workshop for Hispanic High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, R. F.; Kresan, P.; Baez, A.; Sheppard, P.; Forger, G.; Rendon-Coke, G.; Gray, F.

2003-12-01

Southern Arizona has a high school (HS) population that is 28% Hispanic. However this fast-growing minority group represents only 14% of undergraduate students at the University of Arizona and 11% of science and engineering majors. The Students Across Borders Program was designed to assist Hispanic HS students across borders that often separate them from higher education and careers in science. In June 2003, five person student-teacher teams from Tucson, Yuma, and northern Sonora, Mexico lived in dormitories and participated in a weeklong program based on the University of Arizona campus. Activities included: field trips featuring inquiry-based investigations of geology, water quality, and tree rings; tours of engineering and science laboratories; introduction to student support organizations such as the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers; and counseling by Career Services and Admissions personnel. Technology training included instruction in web design, digital imaging and online communication tools. Web sites developed by the student teams were presented to participants and families at the conclusion of the on-campus program. Web site development is continuing during the academic year to foster continuing communication between the student teams and presentation of results of follow-on projects assisted by graduate and undergraduate CATTS fellows and university faculty.

Factors that Influence First-Career Choice of Undergraduate Engineers in Software Services Companies: A South Indian Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gokuladas, V. K.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify how undergraduate engineering students differ in their perception about software services companies in India based on variables like gender, locations of the college and branches of engineering. Design/methodology/approach: Data obtained from 560 undergraduate engineering students who had the…

Undergraduate design projects for assistive technology needs: assisted fishing.

PubMed

Borrego, Nick; Bilan, Kristi; Gebes, T J; Barrett, S F; Morton, S A

2012-01-01

In 2010 the University of Wyoming, College of Engineering and Applied Science was funded for a five year increment of the National Science Foundation’s Research to Aid Persons with Disabilities. This program provides a vital link between challenged individuals who require custom assistive technology devices with senior capstone design students who require challenging, meaningful projects. The program also provides education for our next generation of engineers on the needs of all individuals. In this paper we describe the program organization including project partners in the College and Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND). We also provide a case study of a recently completed project for an assistive fishing device.

Exploring the Experiences of African American Women in an Undergraduate Summer Research Program Designed to Address the Underrepresentation of Women and Minorities in Neuroscience: A Qualitative Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Ericka L.

2010-01-01

African American women compose a critical proportion of the potential science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce of the future, yet are disproportionately represented and largely underutilized. While various programs and initiatives have been designed and implemented to target women and underrepresented minorities, the…

Year-Long Peer Mentoring Activity to Enhance the Retention of Freshmen STEM Students in a NSF Scholarship Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cutright, Teresa J.; Evans, Edward

2016-01-01

The last year of a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded scholarship program was used to provide pseudo-formal peer mentoring activities to engineering, mathematics, and science undergraduates. A one-credit class was used to afford time for peer mentors and mentees to interact. During the fall semester, seniors augmented each week's topics with…

From Numerical Problem Solving to Model-Based Experimentation Incorporating Computer-Based Tools of Various Scales into the ChE Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shacham, Mordechai; Cutlip, Michael B.; Brauner, Neima

2009-01-01

A continuing challenge to the undergraduate chemical engineering curriculum is the time-effective incorporation and use of computer-based tools throughout the educational program. Computing skills in academia and industry require some proficiency in programming and effective use of software packages for solving 1) single-model, single-algorithm…

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Nuclear Energy Training Program: Summary of program activities, fiscal year 1986

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1987-04-27

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Nuclear Energy Training (HBCU NET) Program, funded by DOE, Office of Nuclear Energy and administered by ORAU, began in February 1984. The program provides support for training, study, research participation, and academic enrichment of students and faculty at designated HBCUs in nuclear science, nuclear engineering, and other nuclear-related technologes and disciplines. The program is composed of undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships, student and faculty research participation, and an annual student training institute.

Environmental Engineering Talent Demand and Undergraduate Education in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Huan-zhen; Li, Jian-bo; Luo, Xiang-nan; Zhao, Bin-yan; Luo, Ren-ming; Wang, Qiao-ling

2004-01-01

In Chinese higher environmental education, undergraduate education of environmental engineering starts earliest and develops fastest. The undergraduate has been playing an important role in controlling pollution for more than twenty years. The setting and distribution of the environmental engineering major was analyzed, the conditions of the…

Overview of an REU program: A case study in gender parity, ethnic diversity, and community college students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, J. K.; Noriega, G.; Benthien, M. L.

2017-12-01

The Undergraduate Studies in Earthquake Information Technology (USEIT) is an REU Internship Program focused in multi-disciplinary, collaborative research offered through the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC); a research consortium focused on earthquake science. USEIT is an 8-week intensive undergraduate research program. The program is designed for interns to work as a collaborative engine to solve an overarching real-world earthquake problem referred to as the "Grand Challenge". The interns are organized in teams and paired with mentors that have expertise in their specific task in the Grand Challenge. The program is focused around earthquake system science, where students have the opportunity to use super computers, programming platforms, geographic information systems, and internally designed and developed visualization software. The goal of the USEIT program is to motivate undergraduates from diverse backgrounds towards careers in science and engineering through team-based research in the field of earthquake information technology. Efforts are made to recruit students with diverse backgrounds, taking into consideration gender, ethnic background, socioeconomic standing, major, college year, and institution type (2-year and 4-year colleges). USEIT has a partnership with two local community colleges to recruit underserved students. Our emphasis is to attract students that would 1) grow and develop technical skills, soft skills, and confidence from the program, and 2) provide perspective and innovation to the program. USEIT offers on-campus housing to provide a submerged learning environment, recruits diverse majors to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, maintains a full time in lab mentor for day-to-day intern needs, takes students on field trips to provide context to their research, and plans activities and field trips for team building and morale. Each year metrics are collected through exit surveys, personal statements, and intern experience statements. We highlight lessons learned, including a need for pre-program engagement to ensure student success.

Women in science and engineering: Thriving or surviving?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baxter, Kathleen B.

As a result of the underrepresentation of women in science and engineering programs, the culture is male-dominated and perpetuates an unsupportive and biased climate that discourages undergraduate women from connecting to their gender. Using a social identity framework, this study addresses how gender influences undergraduate women's perception of themselves, their role in the engineering community and their decision to persist. By capturing the experiences of 16 undergraduate women who are enrolled at two elite technical universities in Southern California, this qualitative study utilizes focus groups and individual interviews to provide key insight and perspective on the role of gender in their experience. Through the data, we learn perception has a significant impact on women, that women are willing to acclimate to a masculine culture as a means to both prove legitimacy and feel a sense of belonging and lastly, women manage their gender in two primary ways, one by integrating within the culture through adopting more masculine tendencies and second, by adapting to the environment as needed and persevering in spite of the masculine undercurrent. The implications at the conclusion of this study are two-fold. One focus is helping undergraduate women understand gendered experiences and bringing gender to the forefront of their experience and the second is studying the overall structure of this culture in an effort to move from a masculine, gender-neutral philosophy to one that is gender-sensitive and gender-inclusive.

The Impact of Teaching Communication Strategies on English Speaking of Engineering Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kongsom, Tiwaporn

2016-01-01

This study investigates the impact of teaching communication strategies on Thai engineering undergraduate students' communication strategy use and strategic competence. Fifty-seven engineering undergraduate students were taught ten communication strategies for ten weeks and responded to a self-report communication strategy questionnaire before and…

Enhancing the Undergraduate Computing Experience in Chemical Engineering CACHE Corporation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edgar, Thomas F.

2006-01-01

This white paper focuses on the integration and enhancement of the computing experience for undergraduates throughout the chemical engineering curriculum. The computing experience for undergraduates in chemical engineering should have continuity and be coordinated from course to course, because a single software solution is difficult to achieve in…

Innovations in Nuclear Infrastructure and Education

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

John Bernard

The decision to implement the Innovation in Nuclear Infrastructure and Engineering Program (INIE) was an important first step towards ensuring that the United States preserves its worldwide leadership role in the field of nuclear science and engineering. Prior to INIE, university nuclear science and engineering programs were waning, undergraduate student enrollment was down, university research reactors were being shut down, while others faced the real possibility of closure. For too long, cutting edge research in the areas of nuclear medicine, neutron scattering, radiochemistry, and advanced materials was undervalued and therefore underfunded. The INIE program corrected this lapse in focus andmore » direction and started the process of drawing a new blueprint with positive goals and objectives that supports existing as well the next generation of educators, students and researchers.« less

Technical Writing across the Curriculum: Epics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olds, Barbara M.

Noting that technically competent graduates of professional schools need additional skills to function effectively in an increasingly complex and global society, this paper describes an innovative program in technical writing developed for undergraduate engineering students at the Colorado School of Mines. The paper first provides background…

Assessment in Professional Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elman, Sandra E.; Lynton, Ernest A.

The assessment of professional programs at the undergraduate level is discussed (i.e., engineering, business, education, nursing, and other career-oriented fields). Presently, assessment in professional education relies almost exclusively on written or oral testing of a predetermined set of cognitive and analytical skills. This is followed by…

Training the next generation of scientists: Modeling Infectious Disease and Water Quality of Montana Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fytilis, N.; Wyman, S.; Lamb, R.; Stevens, L.; Kerans, B.; Rizzo, D. M.

2010-12-01

The University of Vermont College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences and the Barrett Foundation have established a scholarship program for undergraduate students. The Barrett Scholarship program, aware of the importance of developing research quantitative and writing skills for undergraduate students, provides scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students for environmental engineering research projects. The intent is to help retain student interest early in their undergraduate engineering careers when few of their first or second year classes have little engineering or real-world application. We focus on one Barrett research project, derived from a NSF Biodiversity and Infectious Disease grant, because of the multiple disciplines (engineering, ecology, biology) and education levels (spanning secondary to graduate) involved. In this research, students across three departments at two universities (University of Vermont, Montana State University) and one independent high school (Vermont Commons School) formed a cohesive collaboration with faculty members to identify different worm taxa of T. Tubifex. Whirling disease has had a severe impact on the native population of salmonids in the upper Madison River MT, USA, resulting in the death of most fish that contract the parasite. T. Tubifex is the intermediate host for Myxobolus cerebralis, the parasite that causes whirling disease in salmonids. Samples collected from eight locations along the Madison River varied in the prevalence of whirling disease. The site-specific worm community structure has been measured and identified using molecular genetic probes and a taxonomic key to link worm communities to geochemical features (e.g. site elevation, slope, pH, conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and percent of organic soil matter). Using a unique clustering algorithm, we group geochemical features to discriminate over a range of water quality gradients (i.e., “clean” to “dirty”). The link between water quality and the presence of these taxa is important in determining stream health. In addition, system dynamics software (STELLA) is used to model the non-linear relationships and feedback between worm prevalence and disease dynamics. These types of collaborations between engineers, biologists, field ecologists and geneticists from secondary, post-secondary and higher institutions proved useful in linking complex geochemical data, worm community structure and molecular genetics to develop the next-generation scientists and better understand disease dynamics.

Current status of nuclear engineering education

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Palladino, N.J.

1975-09-01

The 65 colleges and universities offering undergraduate degrees in nuclear engineering and the 15 schools offering strong nuclear engineering options are, in general, doing a good job to meet the current spectrum of job opportunities. But, nuclear engineering programs are not producing enough graduates to meet growing demands. They currently receive little aid and support from their customers --industry and government--in the form of scholarships, grants, faculty research support, student thesis and project support, or student summer jobs. There is not enough interaction between industry and universities. Most nuclear engineering programs are geared too closely to the technology of themore » present family of reactors and too little to the future breeder reactors and controlled thermonuclear reactors. In addition, nuclear engineering programs attract too few women and members of minority ethnic groups. Further study of the reasons for this fact is needed so that effective corrective action can be taken. Faculty in nuclear engineering programs should assume greater initiative to provide attractive and objective nuclear energy electives for technical and nontechnical students in other disciplines to improve their technical understanding of the safety and environmental issues involved. More aggressive and persistent efforts must be made by nuclear engineering schools to obtain industry support and involvement in their programs. (auth)« less

Lessons in collaboration and effective field research from the Appalachian Headwaters Research Experience for Undergraduates Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, A. L.; Fox, J.; Wilder, M. S.

2009-12-01

In the summer of 2009, the authors launched year one of a three-year National Science Foundation-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates entitled "Carbon Storage and Headwater Health in the Appalachian Headwaters." Eight undergraduates selected from a nationally competitive field of more than 60 applicants participated in the ten-week field- and laboratory-based program along with three middle- and high-school teachers. Each student developed and completed an independent research project related to coal mining’s impact on soil organic carbon and sediment transport processes. Specifically, they used isotope ratio mass spectrometry to measure the carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic signature of soils and sediments in the Appalachian headwater landscapes and first order streams of Kentucky's southeastern coalfields. Among the program's innovative features was its fundamentally collaborative nature--which was represented in several ways. First, the background of the three program leaders was very different: an environmental planner with an academic background in land use planning and administration (Jones); a civil engineer trained in biogeochemistry and watershed modeling (Fox); and an environmental educator experienced in both formal and nonformal educator training and certification (Wilder). The program was also a collaboration between a Carnegie 1 research-oriented institution and an undergraduate/ teaching -focused regional comprehensive university. Finally, the participants themselves represented a diversity of disciplines and institutional backgrounds--including biology, geology, chemistry, environmental science and civil engineering. The Research Experience for Teachers component was another innovative program element. The teachers participated in all field and laboratory research activities during the first six weeks, then developed a unit of study for their own classrooms to be implemented during the current school year. In addition to the six overnight fieldwork trips into the forests and coalfields of Appalachia, two “fun day” field trips were built into the program specifically for team-building and camaraderie. Participant evaluations were overwhelmingly positive, and in particular, students indicated they gained a better understanding and appreciation of the scientific research process, and a greater understanding of relationship between their own disciplines and other related fields. The summer was not without challenges and “incidents”, which ranged from minor miscommunications over field logistics and bureaucratic disconnects between the two universities, to a major instrument breakdown at the lab that was to process the samples. But overall, the research objectives were accomplished, and the program represented a successful collaborative field-based undergraduate research experience.

Research project for increasing pool of minority engineers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, Decatur B.

1995-01-01

The Tennessee State University (TSU) Research Project for Increasing the Pool of Minority Engineers is designed to develop engineers who have academic and research experiences in technical areas of interest to NASA. These engineers will also have some degree of familiarity with NASA Lewis Research Center as a result of interaction with Lewis engineers, field trips and internships at Lewis. The Research Project has four components, which are: (1) Minority Introduction to Engineering (MITE), a high school precollege program, (2) engineering and technology previews, (3) the NASA LeRC Scholars program which includes scholarships and summer internships, and (4) undergraduate research experiences on NASA sponsored research. MITE is a two-week summer engineering camp designed to introduce minority high school students to engineering by exposing them to: (1) engineering role models (engineering students and NASA engineer), (2) field trips to engineering firms, (3) in addition to introducing youth to the language of the engineer (i.e., science, mathematics, technical writing, computers, and the engineering laboratory). Three MITE camps are held on the campus of TSU with an average of 40 participants. MITE has grown from 25 participants at its inception in 1990 to 118 participants in 1994 with participants from 17 states, including the District of Columbia, and 51 percent of the participants were female. Over the four-year period, 77 percent of the seniors who participated in MITE have gone to college, while 53 percent of those seniors in college are majoring in science, engineering or mathematics (SEM). This first Engineering and Technology Previews held in 1993 brought 23 youths from Cleveland, Ohio to TSU for a two-day preview of engineering and college life. Two previews are scheduled for 1994-1995. The NASA LeRC Scholars program provides scholarships and summer internships for minority engineering students majoring in electrical or mechanical engineering. Presently six (6) engineering students are in the Scholars program. The average GPA for the scholars is 3.239. Each scholar must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.000/4.000. NASA LeRC Fred Higgs has been awarded a GEM Fellowship. In addition, he will be presenting a paper entitled 'Design of Helical Spring Using Probabilistic Design Methodology' at the Middle Tennessee Section ASME Student Design Presentations in Nashville on March 23rd and at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research to be held at Union College, Schenectady, New York on April 20-22, 1995. Each of the scholars is working on one of the three NASA sponsored research projects in the college.

Undergraduate Research Collaborations with Government Agencies Involving the Effects of Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurtler, G.

2017-12-01

We discuss the challenges and achievements that a small HSI college had integrating undergraduate research experiences into an existing natural sciences program. Like most introductory college science courses, our natural science courses used textbooks, PowerPoint presentations, and lectures to illustrate basic scientific concepts. Though a collective decision was made by our science faculty to incorporate undergraduate research projects into various STEM courses, our greatest challenge was incorporating mandatory research courses into the degree plans of our Natural Science program. We found that students made considerable progress in understanding natural science by critically evaluating primary research articles and undertaking small research projects. Many of these student projects were conducted in cooperation with the Albuquerque District of the US Army Corps of Engineers, United States Geological Survey in Denver, and the National Ice Core Laboratory. These projects illustrated the effects of climate change on the water quality, sediment buildup, and biodiversity at local reservoirs. Other projects involved the analysis of ice core samples from Greenland and Antarctica. Students presented research posters at various research venues, including Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative colloquiums.

The Contribution of Qualitative Research Towards the Issues Affecting Female Undergraduate Engineering Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duggan, Louise Maria

2015-01-01

This article explores the use of qualitative research methods towards our understanding of the issues affecting female undergraduate engineers. As outlined in this article female engineering students face many challenges during their undergraduate studies. Qualitative research methods provide an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the…

Effect of a "Look-Ahead" Problem on Undergraduate Engineering Students' Concept Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, Kevin; Davis, Julian; McDonald, Thomas

2016-01-01

In an effort to motivate undergraduate engineering students to prepare for class by reviewing material before lectures, a "Look-Ahead" problem was utilized. Students from two undergraduate engineering courses; Statics and Electronic Circuits, were assigned problems from course material that had not yet been covered in class. These…

Transitional Patterns of Adolescent Females in Non-Traditional Career Paths.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciccocioppo, Anna-Lisa; Stewin, Leonard L.; Madill, Helen M.; Montgomerie, T. Craig; Tovell, Dorothy R.; Armour, Margaret-Ann; Fitzsimmons, George W.

2002-01-01

Examines the factors that affected the career decision-making of adolescent females and young women in undergraduate science, engineering, and technology programs. Qualitative analysis was used to uncover seven themes: transition from high school, educational influences, family influences, academic issues, coursework management, gender issues, and…

Predictive validity of five cognitive skills tests among women receiving engineering training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wittig, Michele Andrisin; Hennix Sasse, Sharon; Giacomi, Jean

This article addresses two sets of theoretical and practical issues related to increasing the percentage of women engineers. First, the measurement of women's aptitude for and changes in skills during engineering training was assessed. Five cognitive skills tests were administered in a one-group pretest-posttest design to 24 baccalaureate women enrolled in an eleven-month engineering training course. Significant increases in skills were shown on three of the five assessments. Scores on a mathematics anxiety scale and a measure of conservation of horizontality are also reported. Second, the relationship of academic and demographic information and cognitive skills to degree of success in the program is reported. Pretraining spatial visualization scores predicted posttraining GPA group membership. The results are compared and contrasted with those of studies of male undergraduates. Implications are drawn concerning the ways in which evaluations of such programs can contribute to our understanding of the changes in skills that occur with training in engineering and of the factors that predict success in such programs.

North-South Partnership in Water Resource Education and Research - Lessons learnt from U.S.-Ethiopia Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gebremichael, M.

2015-12-01

In 2010, Ethiopian and U.S. universities formed partnership to train critical mass of Ethiopians in modern water resources tools, techniques, skills and knowledge, and to strengthen the institutional capacity of Ethiopian universities to establish graduate-level programs in Ethiopia. The partnership established Ethiopia's first water resource research institute, two graduate-level programs (water resource engineering and management, water and health) that are currently training about 100 students at M.S. and Ph.D. levels, summer undergraduate outreach program that provided community-based research experience in water resource for undergraduate students, and short-term trainings to practitioners and policy makers. The design, implementation and impact of these programs have had limitations and successes. In this presentation, I will provide lessons learnt from this partnership, and suggestions of elements required for successful North-South partnership in higher education and research.

Evaluating Psychosocial Mechanisms Underlying STEM Persistence in Undergraduates: Evidence of Impact from a Six-Day Pre–College Engagement STEM Academy Program

PubMed Central

Findley-Van Nostrand, Danielle; Pollenz, Richard S.

2017-01-01

The persistence of undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is a national issue based on STEM workforce projections. We implemented a weeklong pre–college engagement STEM Academy (SA) program aimed at addressing several areas related to STEM retention. We validated an instrument that was developed based on existing, validated measures and examined several psychosocial constructs related to STEM (science identity, self-efficacy, sense of belonging to the university and to STEM, career expectancies, and intention to leave STEM majors) before and after the program. We also compared students in the SA program with a matched comparison group of first-year students. Results show that SA students significantly increased in science identity and sense of belonging to STEM and to the university, all predictive of increased STEM retention and a primary aim of the program. Relative to the matched comparison group, SA students began their first semester with higher STEM self-efficacy, sense of belonging, and science identity, positive career expectancies, and lower intention to leave STEM. The SA cohort showed 98% first-year retention and 92% STEM major retention. The SA program serves as a model of a scalable, first-level, cocurricular engagement experience to enhance psychosocial factors that impact undergraduate persistence in STEM. PMID:28572178

Advanced Physics Labs and Undergraduate Research: Helping Them Work Together

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, Richard W.

2009-10-01

The 2009 Advanced Lab Topical Conference in Ann Arbor affirmed the importance of advanced labs that teach crucial skills and methodologies by carefully conducting a time-honored experiment. Others however argued that such a constrained experiment can play a complementary role to more open-ended, project experiences. A genuine ``experiment'' where neither student or faculty member is exactly sure of the best approach or anticipated result can often trigger real excitement, creativity, and career direction for students while reinforcing the advanced lab and undergraduate research interface. Several examples are cited in areas of AMO physics, optics, fluids, and acoustics. Colleges and universities that have dual-degree engineering, engineering physics, or applied physics programs may especially profit from interdisciplinary projects that utilize optical, electromagnetic, and acoustical measurements in conjunction with computational physics and simulation.

Physiology and the Biomedical Engineering Curriculum: Utilizing Emerging Instructional Technologies to Promote Development of Adaptive Expertise in Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Regina K.

2013-01-01

A mixed-methods research study was designed to test whether undergraduate engineering students were better prepared to learn advanced topics in biomedical engineering if they learned physiology via a quantitative, concept-based approach rather than a qualitative, system-based approach. Experiments were conducted with undergraduate engineering…

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study of the Experiences of Female African American Undergraduate Engineering Students at a Predominantly White and an Historically Black Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frillman, Sharron Ann

2011-01-01

This phenomenological study examined the experiences of twelve female African Americans enrolled as fulltime undergraduate engineering students at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, an historically Black university, and seven female African Americans enrolled as undergraduate engineering students at Purdue University in…

US Nuclear Engineering Education: Status and prospects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-01-01

This study, conducted under the auspices of the Energy Engineering Board of the National Research Council, examines the status of and outlook for nuclear engineering education in the United States. The study, as described in this report resulted from a widely felt concern about the downward trends in student enrollments in nuclear engineering, in both graduate and undergraduate programs. Concerns have also been expressed about the declining number of US university nuclear engineering departments and programs, the ageing of their faculties, the appropriateness of their curricula and research funding for industry and government needs, the availability of scholarships and researchmore » funding, and the increasing ratio of foreign to US graduate students. A fundamental issue is whether the supply of nuclear engineering graduates will be adequate for the future. Although such issues are more general, pertaining to all areas of US science and engineering education, they are especially acute for nuclear engineering education. 30 refs., 24 figs., 49 tabs.« less

A hermeneutic phenomenological study of the experiences of female African American undergraduate engineering students at a predominantly White and an historically Black institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frillman, Sharron Ann

2011-12-01

This phenomenological study examined the experiences of twelve female African Americans enrolled as fulltime undergraduate engineering students at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, an historically Black university, and seven female African Americans enrolled as undergraduate engineering students at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, a traditionally White institution. Interviews provided insights into the "lived" experiences of these young women and the factors they believe have contributed to their success in their respective engineering programs. Data analysis involved coding each participant's responses to interview questions using Atlas.ti, a powerful qualitative data analysis tool. This generated 181 codes that were further categorized into nine emergent themes, indicating the potential for extensive associations among the variables. The emergent themes are as follows: (1) Demographic information/special circumstances, (2) Personal attributes and characteristics, (3) Personal insights, (4) Sense of mission, (5) Sources of negative stress, (6) Success strategies, (7) Various forms of support, (8) Would/would not have made it to where she is now, and (9) Being African American and female in engineering. Analysis of these themes and their relationships led to the development of the Frillman Model of Emergent Themes in Female African American Engineering Students. Success. In addressing similarities and differences, three overriding theme categories emerged. These were: (1) Four personhood themes and dual social identity theme; (2) Environmental input and response theme; and (3) Outcome emergent theme of Would/Would not have made it to where she is now. Recommendations were made for future research to expand upon this exploratory study.

STEERing an IDeA in Undergraduate Research at a Rural Research Intensive University

PubMed Central

Sens, Donald A.; Cisek, Karen L.; Garrett, Scott H.; Somji, Seema; Dunlevy, Jane R.; Sens, Mary Ann; Conway, Pat; Doze, Van A.

2017-01-01

This study documents outcomes, including student career choices, of the North Dakota Institutional Development Award Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence program that provides 10-week, summer undergraduate research experiences at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Program evaluation initiated in 2008 and, to date, 335 students have completed the program. Of the 335, 214 students have successfully completed their bachelor’s degree, 102 are still undergraduates, and 19 either did not complete a bachelor’s degree or were lost to follow-up. The program was able to track 200 of the 214 students for education and career choices following graduation. Of these 200, 76% continued in postgraduate health-related education; 34.0% and 20.5% are enrolled in or have completed MD or PhD programs, respectively. Other postbaccalaureate pursuits included careers in pharmacy, optometry, dentistry, public health, physical therapy, nurse practitioner, and physician’s assistant, accounting for an additional 21.5%. Most students electing to stop formal education at the bachelor’s degree also entered fields related to health care or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (19.5%), with only a small number of the 200 students tracked going into service or industries which lacked an association with the health-care workforce (4.5%). These student outcomes support the concept that participation in summer undergraduate research boosts efforts to populate the pipeline of future researchers and health professionals. It is also an indication that future researchers and health professionals will be able to communicate the value of research in their professional and social associations. The report also discusses best practices and issues in summer undergraduate research for students originating from rural environments. PMID:29057317

STEERing an IDeA in Undergraduate Research at a Rural Research Intensive University.

PubMed

Sens, Donald A; Cisek, Karen L; Garrett, Scott H; Somji, Seema; Dunlevy, Jane R; Sens, Mary Ann; Conway, Pat; Doze, Van A

2017-01-01

This study documents outcomes, including student career choices, of the North Dakota Institutional Development Award Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence program that provides 10-week, summer undergraduate research experiences at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Program evaluation initiated in 2008 and, to date, 335 students have completed the program. Of the 335, 214 students have successfully completed their bachelor's degree, 102 are still undergraduates, and 19 either did not complete a bachelor's degree or were lost to follow-up. The program was able to track 200 of the 214 students for education and career choices following graduation. Of these 200, 76% continued in postgraduate health-related education; 34.0% and 20.5% are enrolled in or have completed MD or PhD programs, respectively. Other postbaccalaureate pursuits included careers in pharmacy, optometry, dentistry, public health, physical therapy, nurse practitioner, and physician's assistant, accounting for an additional 21.5%. Most students electing to stop formal education at the bachelor's degree also entered fields related to health care or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (19.5%), with only a small number of the 200 students tracked going into service or industries which lacked an association with the health-care workforce (4.5%). These student outcomes support the concept that participation in summer undergraduate research boosts efforts to populate the pipeline of future researchers and health professionals. It is also an indication that future researchers and health professionals will be able to communicate the value of research in their professional and social associations. The report also discusses best practices and issues in summer undergraduate research for students originating from rural environments.

Alliance for Computational Science Collaboration HBCU Partnership at Fisk University. Final Report 2001

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Collins, W. E.

2004-08-16

Computational Science plays a big role in research and development in mathematics, science, engineering and biomedical disciplines. The Alliance for Computational Science Collaboration (ACSC) has the goal of training African-American and other minority scientists in the computational science field for eventual employment with the Department of Energy (DOE). The involvements of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the Alliance provide avenues for producing future DOE African-American scientists. Fisk University has been participating in this program through grants from the DOE. The DOE grant supported computational science activities at Fisk University. The research areas included energy related projects, distributed computing,more » visualization of scientific systems and biomedical computing. Students' involvement in computational science research included undergraduate summer research at Oak Ridge National Lab, on-campus research involving the participation of undergraduates, participation of undergraduate and faculty members in workshops, and mentoring of students. These activities enhanced research and education in computational science, thereby adding to Fisk University's spectrum of research and educational capabilities. Among the successes of the computational science activities are the acceptance of three undergraduate students to graduate schools with full scholarships beginning fall 2002 (one for master degree program and two for Doctoral degree program).« less

A comparison of educational factors promoting or discouraging the intent to remain in engineering by gender

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amelink, Catherine T.; Meszaros, Peggy S.

2011-03-01

This study seeks to examine key extrinsic and intrinsic factors that encourage or discourage persistence in attaining an engineering degree and pursuing an engineering-related career among both male and female undergraduates. Quantitative and qualitative findings from nine participating undergraduate degree programmes reveal that career expectations formulated through educational experiences as undergraduates play a key role in motivating students. Among females, faculty interaction in the classroom, such as feedback received and the degree to which the faculty treat them with respect, is an important encouraging factor. For both males and females, discouraging elements of the undergraduate experience include the amount of time for coursework, competition in engineering classes and grades. The findings have several practical implications that faculty and administrators can employ in shaping the undergraduate experience to encourage short- and long-term interest in engineering among both male and female students.

2012 Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates at Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castelaz, Michael W.; Cline, J. D.; Whitworth, C.; Clavier, D.; Owen, L.

2013-01-01

Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) offers research experiences for undergraduates (REU). PARI receives support for the internships from the NC Space Grant Consortium, NSF awards, private donations, and industry partner funding. The PARI REU program began in 2001 with 4 students and has averaged 6 students per year over the past 11 years. This year PARI hosted 8 funded REU students. Mentors for the interns include PARI’s Science, Education, and Information Technology staff and visiting faculty who are members of the PARI Research Faculty Affiliate program. Students work with mentors on radio and optical astronomy research, electrical engineering for robotic control of instruments, software development for instrument control and software for citizen science projects, and science education by developing curricula and multimedia and teaching high school students in summer programs at PARI. At the end of the summer interns write a paper about their research which is published in the annually published PARI Summer Student Proceedings. Several of the students have presented their results at AAS Meetings. We will present a summary of specific research conducted by the students with their mentors and the logistics for hosting the PARI undergraduate internship program.

Computer Instructional Aids for Undergraduate Control Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Volz, Richard A.; And Others

Engineering is coming to rely more and more heavily upon the computer for computations, analyses, and graphic displays which aid the design process. A general purpose simulation system, the Time-shared Automatic Control Laboratory (TACL), and a set of computer-aided design programs, Control Oriented Interactive Graphic Analysis and Design…

Intern Programs | Undergraduate Lecture Series

Science.gov Websites

Tuesday June 12 One West Harrison Prosper Florida State University Particle physics Thursday June 14 One Facilities Ops Mechanical Engineering of accelerators Thursday June 21 One West Anne Schukraft Fermilab Neutrino Division / SBN Introduction to neutrino physics Tuesday June 26 One West Leo Aliaga Fermilab SCD

Innovation 101: Promoting Undergraduate Innovation through a Two-Day Boot Camp

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Richard E.; Tateishi, Isaku; Wright, Geoffrey A.; Fonoimoana, Melia

2012-01-01

Over the years, many training methods for creativity and innovation have been developed. Despite these programs and research, further improvement is necessary, particularly in schools of technology and engineering education, where previous efforts have focused on developing solutions to defined problems, not in identifying and defining the…

Teaching Assistant Professional Development in Biology: Designed for and Driven by Multidimensional Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyse, Sara A.; Long, Tammy M.; Ebert-May, Diane

2014-01-01

Graduate teaching assistants (TAs) are increasingly responsible for instruction in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Various professional development (PD) programs have been developed and implemented to prepare TAs for this role, but data about effectiveness are lacking and are derived almost…

Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of the Mathematics Courses Included in the Primary School Teacher Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serin, Mehmet Koray; Incikabi, Semahat

2017-01-01

Mathematics educators have reported on many issues regarding students' mathematical education, particularly students who received mathematics education at different departments such as engineering, science or primary school, including their difficulties with mathematical concepts, their understanding of and preferences for mathematical concepts.…

Undergraduates | Argonne National Laboratory

Science.gov Websites

Directory Argonne National Laboratory Educational Programs Connecting today's world-class research to which you can use to change the world." -Nelson Mandela Undergrads are just beginning their journey into the world of science and engineering. Here at Argonne, we work to make the world a better place

Motivations, interests and retention of female minority engineering students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syed, Naila

In an effort to potentially increase low enrollment of females, particularly minorities, in Engineering programs, this study used a survey to determine motivations, interests and retention of current female Engineering students. A total of 82 participants from varied ethnic (non-Hispanic white, Euro-American, African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, South Asian, Arab American, and Native American participants) and education (high school senior, undergraduate, graduate, and in-service Engineers) backgrounds filled out the survey. With approximately half of the participants being non-minorities (non-Hispanic white or Euro-American), they served as the `control' group for the data, and the comparison group was the minority participants. Notable differences between the two groups were: student participation in female community groups, and extra-curricular activities like sports and arts (writing, drama and band) clubs. Increasing female-minority participation in these clubs and other extra-curricular activities may potentially increase their enrollment numbers in Engineering programs.

An Undergraduate-Built Prototype Altitude Determination System (PADS) for High Altitude Research Balloons.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verner, E.; Bruhweiler, F. C.; Abot, J.; Casarotto, V.; Dichoso, J.; Doody, E.; Esteves, F.; Morsch Filho, E.; Gonteski, D.; Lamos, M.; Leo, A.; Mulder, N.; Matubara, F.; Schramm, P.; Silva, R.; Quisberth, J.; Uritsky, G.; Kogut, A.; Lowe, L.; Mirel, P.; Lazear, J.

2014-12-01

In this project a multi-disciplinary undergraduate team from CUA, comprising majors in Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Biology, design, build, test, fly, and analyze the data from a prototype attitude determination system (PADS). The goal of the experiment is to determine if an inexpensive attitude determination system could be built for high altitude research balloons using MEMS gyros. PADS is a NASA funded project, built by students with the cooperation of CUA faculty, Verner, Bruhweiler, and Abot, along with the contributed expertise of researchers and engineers at NASA/GSFC, Kogut, Lowe, Mirel, and Lazear. The project was initiated through a course taught in CUA's School of Engineering, which was followed by a devoted effort by students during the summer of 2014. The project is an experiment to use 18 MEMS gyros, similar to those used in many smartphones, to produce an averaged positional error signal that could be compared with the motion of the fixed optical system as recorded through a string of optical images of stellar fields to be stored on a hard drive flown with the experiment. The optical system, camera microprocessor, and hard drive are enclosed in a pressure vessel, which maintains approximately atmospheric pressure throughout the balloon flight. The experiment uses multiple microprocessors to control the camera exposures, record gyro data, and provide thermal control. CUA students also participated in NASA-led design reviews. Four students traveled to NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas to integrate PADS into a large balloon gondola containing other experiments, before being shipped, then launched in mid-August at Ft. Sumner, New Mexico. The payload is to fly at a float altitude of 40-45,000 m, and the flight last approximately 15 hours. The payload is to return to earth by parachute and the retrieved data are to be analyzed by CUA undergraduates. A description of the instrument is presented here as well as a preliminary analysis of the anticipated data, which were not available at the time of abstract submission. Acknowledgements: NASA grant NNX13AR61 under NASA's Undergraduate Student Instrument Program (USIP). Participating Brazilian students acknowledge support through Brazil's "Science without Borders" program.

Currently available medical engineering degrees in the UK. Part 1: Undergraduate degrees.

PubMed

Joyce, T

2009-05-01

This paper reviews mechanical-engineering-based medical engineering degrees which are currently provided at undergraduate level in the UK. At present there are 14 undergraduate degree programmes in medical engineering, offered by the University of Bath, University of Birmingham, University of Bradford, Cardiff University, University of Hull, Imperial College London, University of Leeds, University of Nottingham, University of Oxford, Queen Mary University of London, University of Sheffield, University of Southampton, University of Surrey, and Swansea University. All these undergraduate courses are delivered on a full-time basis, both 3 year BEng and 4 year MEng degrees. Half of the 14 degree courses share a core first 2 years with a mechanical engineering stream. The other seven programmes include medical engineering modules earlier in their degrees. Within the courses, a very wide range of medical-engineering-related modules are offered, although more common modules include biomaterials, biomechanics, and anatomy and physiology.

Diving Deep: A Comparative Study of Educator Undergraduate and Graduate Backgrounds and Their Effect on Student Understanding of Engineering and Engineering Careers, Utilizing an Underwater Robotics Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scribner, J. Adam

Numerous studies have demonstrated that educators having degrees in their subjects significantly enhances student achievement, particularly in secondary mathematics and science (Chaney, 1995; Goe, 2007; Rowan, Chiang, & Miller, 1997; Wenglinsky, 2000). Yet, science teachers in states that adopt the Next Generation Science Standards will be facilitating classroom engineering activities despite the fact that few have backgrounds in engineering. This quantitative study analyzed ex-post facto WaterBotics (an innovative underwater robotics curriculum for middle and high school students) data to determine if educators having backgrounds in engineering (i.e., undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering) positively affected student learning on two engineering outcomes: 1) the engineering design process, and 2) understanding of careers in engineering (who engineers are and what engineers do). The results indicated that educators having backgrounds in engineering did not significantly affect student understanding of the engineering design process or careers in engineering when compared to educators having backgrounds in science, mathematics, technology education, or other disciplines. There were, however, statistically significant differences between the groups of educators. Students of educators with backgrounds in technology education had the highest mean score on assessments pertaining to the engineering design process while students of educators with disciplines outside of STEM had the highest mean scores on instruments that assess for student understanding of careers in engineering. This might be due to the fact that educators who lack degrees in engineering but who teach engineering do a better job of "sticking to the script" of engineering curricula.

Women in STEM: The Effect of Undergraduate Research on Persistence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilker, Jodi

The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers constitutes a major issue in postsecondary science education. Perseverance of women in STEM is linked to a strong science identity. Experiential learning activities, such as undergraduate research, increase science identity and thus should help keep women in STEM. Most studies on research program development are from 4-year institutions, yet many women start at community colleges. The goal of this study was to fill this gap. Science identity and experiential learning theories provided the framework for this case study at a local institution (LECC). Semistructured interviews determined college science faculty and administrators perceptions of advantages and disadvantages of undergraduate research, the viability of developing a research program, and specific research options feasible for LECC. Transcripted data were analyzed through multiple rounds of coding yielding five themes: faculty perception of undergraduate research, authentic experiences, health technologies/nursing programs, LECC students career focus, and the unique culture at LECC. The most viable type of undergraduate research for LECC is course-based and of short timeframe. The project study advocates the use of citizen science (CS) studies in the classroom as they are relatively short-term and can take the place of lab sessions. The true benefit is that students perform authentic science by contributing to an actual scientific research project. CS projects can effect social change by developing science literate citizens, empowering faculty to create authentic learning experiences, and by sparking interest in science and directing women into STEM careers.

Science Alive!: Connecting with Elementary Students through Science Exploration.

PubMed

Raja, Aarti; Lavin, Emily Schmitt; Gali, Tamara; Donovan, Kaitlin

2016-05-01

A novel program called Science Alive! was developed by undergraduate faculty members, K-12 school teachers, and undergraduate students to enrich science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) literacy at community schools located near the university. The ultimate goal of the program is to bolster the scientific knowledge and appreciation of local area students and community members and serve as a model for similar programs. Through the program, we observed that elementary school students made gains toward learning their grade-level science curricula after a hands-on learning experience and had fun doing these hands-on activities. Through the program, undergraduate students, working with graduate students and alumni, build scientific learning modules using explanatory handouts and creative activities as classroom exercises. This helps better integrate scientific education through a collaborative, hands-on learning program. Results showed that elementary school students made the highest learning gains in their performance on higher-level questions related to both forces and matter as a result of the hands-on learning modules. Additionally, college students enjoyed the hands-on activities, would consider volunteering their time at such future events, and saw the service learning program as a benefit to their professional development through community building and discipline-specific service. The science modules were developed according to grade-level curricular standards and can be used year after year to teach or explain a scientific topic to elementary school students via a hands-on learning approach.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Program at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cline, J. Donald; Castelaz, M.; Whitworth, C.; Clavier, D.; Owen, L.; Barker, T.

2012-01-01

Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) offers summer undergraduate research internships. PARI has received support for the internships from the NC Space Grant Consortium, NSF awards for public science education, private donations, private foundations, and through a collaboration with the Pisgah Astronomical Research and Education Center of the University of North Carolina - Asheville. The internship program began in 2001 with 4 students. This year 7 funded students participated in 2011. Mentors for the interns include PARI's Science, Education, and Information Technology Directors and visiting faculty who are members of the PARI Research Affiliate Faculty program. Students work with mentors on radio and optical astronomy research, electrical engineering for robotic control of instruments, software development for instrument control and software for citizen science projects, and science education by developing curricula and multimedia and teaching high school students in summer programs at PARI. At the end of the summer interns write a paper about their research which is published in the PARI Summer Student Proceedings. Several of the students have presented their results at AAS Meetings. We will present a summary of specific research conducted by the students with their mentors, the logistics for hosting the PARI undergraduate internship program, and plans for growth based on the impact of an NSF supported renovation to the Research Building on the PARI campus.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Program at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castelaz, Michael W.; Cline, J.; Whitworth, C.; Clavier, D.

2011-01-01

Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) offers summer undergraduate research internships. PARI has received support for the internships from the NC Space Grant Consortium, NSF awards for public science education, private donations, private foundations, and through a collaboration with the Pisgah Astronomical Research and Education Center of the University of North Carolina - Asheville. The internship program began in 2001 with 4 students. This year 9 funded students participated in 2010. Mentors for the interns include PARI's Directors of Science, Education, and Information Technology and visiting faculty who are members of the PARI Research Affiliate Faculty program. Students work with mentors on radio and optical astronomy research, electrical engineering for robotic control of instruments, software development for instrument control and applets for citizen science projects, and science education by developing curricula and multimedia and teaching high school students in summer programs at PARI. At the end of the summer interns write a paper about their research which is published in the PARI Summer Student Proceedings. Several of the students have presented their results at AAS Meetings. We will present a summary of specific research conducted by the students with their mentors, the logistics for hosting the PARI undergraduate internship program, and plans for growth based on the impact of an NSF supported renovation to the Research Building on the PARI campus.

A new course and textbook on Physical Models of Living Systems, for science and engineering undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Philip

2015-03-01

I'll describe an intermediate-level course on ``Physical Models of Living Systems.'' The only prerequisite is first-year university physics and calculus. The course is a response to rapidly growing interest among undergraduates in a broad range of science and engineering majors. Students acquire several research skills that are often not addressed in traditional courses: Basic modeling skills Probabilistic modeling skills Data analysis methods Computer programming using a general-purpose platform like MATLAB or Python Dynamical systems, particularly feedback control. These basic skills, which are relevant to nearly any field of science or engineering, are presented in the context of case studies from living systems, including: Virus dynamics Bacterial genetics and evolution of drug resistance Statistical inference Superresolution microscopy Synthetic biology Naturally evolved cellular circuits. Work supported by NSF Grants EF-0928048 and DMR-0832802.

Systemic Mentoring for Competitiveness: The Model of the Timbuktu Academy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagayoko, Diola

2010-02-01

The Timbuktu Academy is a comprehensive, systemic mentoring program at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge (SUBR), Louisiana. We define systemic mentoring as one that is woven into the core functions of an organization. For most universities, those functions include instruction, research, and service. While the Academy has programs for pre-college and graduate students, its Ten-Strand Systemic Mentoring Model was specifically tailored to undergraduate education. We discuss basic considerations that led to the paradigm, programs, activities, and results of the Timbuktu Academy. The proper implementation of the Ten-Strand Systemic Mentoring Model couples teaching and superior learning, on the one hand, and integrates research and education, on the other hand. For undergraduate education, key strands include support (financially or otherwise), scientific advisement, research participation (academic year or summer), immersion in a professional culture, monitoring, and guidance to graduate school. From the summer of 1994 to 2009, the Academy has engaged 2,093 pre-college scholars in its summer programs. To date, the Academy has assisted in the production of one hundred seventy (170) minority undergraduate scholars who have earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Seventy (70) of 83 physics graduates, twenty (20) of 29 chemistry graduates, and twenty-two (22) of 49 engineering graduates have earned graduate degrees or are successfully enrolled in graduate school, with emphasis on the pursuit of the Ph.D. For the above model and results, the Timbuktu Academy received the 2002 U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. Its director was among the first individual recipients of this award in 1996. The handouts accompanying this presentation are intended to facilitate the adaptive replication of the Timbuktu Academy by individuals, departments, colleges and universities, and other organizations. )

Undergraduate Research at SETI in Astrobiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kress, Monika; Phillips, C.; DeVore, E.; Hubickyj, O.

2012-05-01

The SETI Institute and San Jose State University (SJSU) have begun a partnership (URSA: Undergraduate Research at the SETI Institute in Astrobiology) in which undergraduate science and engineering majors from SJSU participate in research at the SETI Institute during the academic year. We are currently in our second year of the three-year NASA-funded grant. The goal of this program is to expose future scientists, engineers and educators to the science of astrobiology and to NASA in general, and by so doing, to prepare them for the transition to their future career in the Silicon Valley or beyond. The URSA students are mentored by a SETI Institute scientist who conducts research at the SETI Institute headquarters or nearby at NASA Ames Research Center. The SETI Institute is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to scientific research, education and public outreach. Its mission is to explore, understand and explain the origin, nature and prevalence of life in the universe. SJSU is a large urban public university that serves the greater Silicon Valley area in California. Students at SJSU come from diverse ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Many of them face financial pressures that force them to pursue part-time work. URSA students are paid to work for 10 hours/week during the academic year, and also participate in monthly group meetings where they practice their presentation skills and discuss future plans. We encourage underserved and underrepresented students, including women, minority, and those who are the first in their family to go to college, to apply to the URSA program and provide ongoing mentoring and support as needed. While preparing students for graduate school is not a primary goal, some of our students have gone on to MS or PhD programs or plan to do so. The URSA program is funded by NASA EPOESS.

NASA/OAI Collaborative Aerospace Internship and Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

The NASA/OAI Collaborative Aerospace Internship and Fellowship Program is a collaborative undertaking by the Office of Educational Programs at the NASA Lewis Research Center and the Department of Workforce Enhancement at the Ohio Aerospace Institute. This program provides 12 or 14 week internships for undergraduate and graduate students of science and engineering, and for secondary school teachers. Each item is assigned a NASA mentor who facilitates a research assignment. An important aspect of the program is that it includes students with diverse social, cultural and economic backgrounds. The purpose of this report is to document the program accomplishments for 1996.

Does Curriculum Practical Training Affect Engineers' Workplace Outcomes? Evidence from an Engineer Survey in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jing; Zhang, Yu; Tsang, Mun; Li, Manli

2015-01-01

With the increasing attention to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), hands-on Curriculum Practical Training (CPT) has been expanding rapidly worldwide as a requirement of the undergraduate engineering education. In China, a typical CPT for undergraduate engineering students requires several weeks of hands-on training in the…

Development and Evaluation of an Undergraduate Multidisciplinary Project Activity in Engineering and Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, David R.; Cole, Joanne

2012-01-01

The School of Engineering and Design Multidisciplinary Project (MDP) at Brunel University is a one week long project based activity involving first year undergraduate students from across the School subject areas of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Design. This paper describes the main aims of the…

Early Engagement in Course-Based Research Increases Graduation Rates and Completion of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Degrees

PubMed Central

Rodenbusch, Stacia E.; Hernandez, Paul R.; Simmons, Sarah L.; Dolan, Erin L.

2016-01-01

National efforts to transform undergraduate biology education call for research experiences to be an integral component of learning for all students. Course-based undergraduate research experiences, or CUREs, have been championed for engaging students in research at a scale that is not possible through apprenticeships in faculty research laboratories. Yet there are few if any studies that examine the long-term effects of participating in CUREs on desired student outcomes, such as graduating from college and completing a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) major. One CURE program, the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI), has engaged thousands of first-year undergraduates over the past decade. Using propensity score–matching to control for student-level differences, we tested the effect of participating in FRI on students’ probability of graduating with a STEM degree, probability of graduating within 6 yr, and grade point average (GPA) at graduation. Students who completed all three semesters of FRI were significantly more likely than their non-FRI peers to earn a STEM degree and graduate within 6 yr. FRI had no significant effect on students’ GPAs at graduation. The effects were similar for diverse students. These results provide the most robust and best-controlled evidence to date to support calls for early involvement of undergraduates in research. PMID:27252296

Power Processing, Part 1. Electric Machinery Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Howard B.

This publication was developed as a portion of a two-semester sequence commencing at either the sixth or seventh term of the undergraduate program in electrical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. The materials of the two courses, produced by a National Science Foundation grant, are concerned with power conversion systems comprising power…

Power Processing, Part 2. Modeling Power Processing Devices and Circuits.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acker, Frank E.

This publication was developed as a portion of a two-semester sequence commencing at either the sixth or the seventh term of the undergraduate program in electrical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. The materials of the two courses, produced by a National Science Foundation grant, are concerned with power conversion systems comprising…

Problem Manual for Power Processing, Part 1. Electric Machinery Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Howard B.

This publication was developed as a portion of a two-semester sequence commencing at either the sixth or seventh term of the undergraduate program in electrical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. The materials of the two courses, produced by a National Science Foundation grant, are concerned with power conversion systems comprising power…

Career Education at the College Level: A Modest Proposal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reschke, Claus

Foreign language programs in America have not tried to meet the specific needs of undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in professional schools who are preparing for an international career in law, marketing, accounting, hotel management, or engineering. These students need to be able to use the language in the performance of their…

Vicher: A Virtual Reality Based Educational Module for Chemical Reaction Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, John T.; Fogler, H. Scott

1996-01-01

A virtual reality application for undergraduate chemical kinetics and reactor design education, Vicher (Virtual Chemical Reaction Model) was originally designed to simulate a portion of a modern chemical plant. Vicher now consists of two programs: Vicher I that models catalyst deactivation and Vicher II that models nonisothermal effects in…

The Interface between ChE and Mathematics: What Do Students Really Need?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Michael D.; Ganter, Susan L.

2001-01-01

Summarizes the report given to the Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) who is developing new guidelines for instruction in mathematics with a chemical engineering group at Clemson University in order to list specific knowledge and skills in mathematics needed by engineering…

A Course-Based Research Experience: How Benefits Change with Increased Investment in Instructional Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaffer, Christopher D.; Alvarez, Consuelo J.; Bednarski, April E.; Dunbar, David; Goodman, Anya L.; Reinke, Catherine; Rosenwald, Anne G.; Wolyniak, Michael J.; Bailey, Cheryl; Barnard, Daron; Bazinet, Christopher; Beach, Dale L.; Bedard, James E. J.; Bhalla, Satish; Braverman, John; Burg, Martin; Chandrasekaran, Vidya; Chung, Hui-Min; Clase, Kari; DeJong, Randall J.; DiAngelo, Justin R.; Du, Chunguang; Eckdahl, Todd T.; Eisler, Heather; Emerson, Julia A.; Frary, Amy; Frohlich, Donald; Gosser, Yuying; Govind, Shubha; Haberman, Adam; Hark, Amy T.; Hauser, Charles; Hoogewerf, Arlene; Hoopes, Laura L. M.; Howell, Carina E.; Johnson, Diana; Jones, Christopher J.; Kadlec, Lisa; Kaehler, Marian; Key, S. Catherine Silver; Kleinschmit, Adam; Kokan, Nighat P.; Kopp, Olga; Kuleck, Gary; Leatherman, Judith; Lopilato, Jane; MacKinnon, Christy; Martinez-Cruzado, Juan Carlos; McNeil, Gerard; Mel, Stephanie; Mistry, Hemlata; Nagengast, Alexis; Overvoorde, Paul; Paetkau, Don W.; Parrish, Susan; Peterson, Celeste N.; Preuss, Mary; Reed, Laura K.; Revie, Dennis; Robic, Srebrenka; Roecklein-Canfield, Jennifer; Rubin, Michael R.; Saville, Kenneth; Schroeder, Stephanie; Sharif, Karim; Shaw, Mary; Skuse, Gary; Smith, Christopher D.; Smith, Mary A.; Smith, Sheryl T.; Spana, Eric; Spratt, Mary; Sreenivasan, Aparna; Stamm, Joyce; Szauter, Paul; Thompson, Jeffrey S.; Wawersik, Matthew; Youngblom, James; Zhou, Leming; Mardis, Elaine R.; Buhler, Jeremy; Leung, Wilson; Lopatto, David; Elgin, Sarah C. R.

2014-01-01

There is widespread agreement that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs should provide undergraduates with research experience. Practical issues and limited resources, however, make this a challenge. We have developed a bioinformatics project that provides a course-based research experience for students at a diverse group of…

A Rubric to Analyze Student Abilities to Engage in Sustainable Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Mary Katherine; Barrella, Elise; Wall, Thomas A.; Noyes, Caroline; Rodgers, Michael

2017-01-01

As engineering programs have begun to infuse sustainability into their undergraduate curricula, assessment tools are needed to further inform these reform efforts. The goal of this project was to demonstrate the use of a new rubric to examine students' abilities to engage in sustainable design. The rubric includes 16 sustainable design criteria…

Laboratory Manual for Power Processing, Part 1. Electric Machinery Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Howard B.

This publication was developed as a portion of a two-semester sequence commencing at either the sixth or seventh term of the undergraduate program in electrical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. The materials of the two courses, produced by a National Science Foundation grant, are concerned with power conversion systems comprising power…

A Comparison of Peer and Tutor Feedback

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamer, John; Purchase, Helen; Luxton-Reilly, Andrew; Denny, Paul

2015-01-01

We report on a study comparing peer feedback with feedback written by tutors on a large, undergraduate software engineering programming class. Feedback generated by peers is generally held to be of lower quality to feedback from experienced tutors, and this study sought to explore the extent and nature of this difference. We looked at how…

The Value of Career ePortfolios on Job Applicant Performance: Using Data to Determine Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ring, Gail L.; Waugaman, Chelsea; Brackett, Bob

2017-01-01

This research project investigated how the development of an ePortfolio, combined with ePortfolio pedagogies, impacted the interview performance of undergraduate students as they prepared to enter the job market. Participants were students in the Health Sciences and Biosystems Engineering programs at Clemson University, enrolled in…

Job Satisfaction and the Perceived Organizational Culture of U.S. Military and Military Affiliated Personnel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diffenauer, Deborah A.

2010-01-01

This study examined the relationship between demographic characteristics, level of job satisfaction, and current/preferred organizational culture in a sample of 139 off-campus military degree program participants. Responses were received from undergraduate students in the fields of engineering, applied sciences and arts, and education. "The Job…

"A Woman's World": The University of California, Berkeley, during the Second World War

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorn, Charles

2008-01-01

During World War II, female students at the University of California, Berkeley--then the most populous undergraduate campus in American higher education--made significant advances in collegiate life. In growing numbers, women enrolled in male-dominated academic programs, including mathematics, chemistry, and engineering, as they prepared for…

Technology Reinvestment Project Manufacturing Education and Training. Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schroer, Bernard J.; Bond, Arthur J.

1997-01-01

The manufacturing education program is a joint program between the University of Alabama in Huntsville's (UAH) College of Engineering and Alabama A&M University's (AAMLJ) School of Engineering and Technology. The objective of the program is to provide more hands-on experiences to undergraduate engineering and engineering technology students. The scope of work consisted of. Year 1, Task 1: Review courses at Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT); Task 2: Review courses at UAH and AAMU; Task 3: Develop new lab manuals; Task 4: Field test manuals; Task 5: Prepare annual report. Year 2, Task 1: Incorporate feedback into lab manuals; Task 2 : Introduce lab manuals into classes; Task 3: Field test manuals; Task 4: Prepare annual report. Year 3, Task 1: Incorporate feedback into lab manuals; Task 2: Introduce lab manuals into remaining classes; Task 3: Conduct evaluation with assistance of industry; Task 4: Prepare final report. This report only summarizes the activities of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The activities of Alabama A&M University are contained in a separate report.

Development of concept-based physiology lessons for biomedical engineering undergraduate students.

PubMed

Nelson, Regina K; Chesler, Naomi C; Strang, Kevin T

2013-06-01

Physiology is a core requirement in the undergraduate biomedical engineering curriculum. In one or two introductory physiology courses, engineering students must learn physiology sufficiently to support learning in their subsequent engineering courses and careers. As preparation for future learning, physiology instruction centered on concepts may help engineering students to further develop their physiology and biomedical engineering knowledge. Following the Backward Design instructional model, a series of seven concept-based lessons was developed for undergraduate engineering students. These online lessons were created as prerequisite physiology training to prepare students to engage in a collaborative engineering challenge activity. This work is presented as an example of how to convert standard, organ system-based physiology content into concept-based content lessons.

SCALE-UP Your Astronomy and Physics Undergraduate Courses to Incorporate Heliophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Rawi, Ahlam N.; Cox, Amanda; Hoshino, Laura; Fitzgerald, Cullen; Cebulka, Rebecca; Rodriguez Garrigues, Alvar; Montgomery, Michele; Velissaris, Chris; Flitsiyan, Elena

2016-01-01

Although physics and astronomy courses include heliophysics topics, students still leave these courses without knowing what heliophysics is and how heliophysics relates to their daily lives. To meet goals of NASA's Living With a Star Program of incorporating heliophysics into undergraduate curriculum, UCF Physics has modified courses such as Astronomy (for non-science majors), Astrophysics, and SCALE-UP: Electricity and Magnetism for Engineers and Scientists to incorporate heliophysics topics. In this presentation, we discuss these incorporations and give examples that have been published in NASA Wavelength. In an associated poster, we present data on student learnin

Mentoring Undergraduate Students through the Space Shuttle Hitchhiker GoldHELOX Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moody, J. Ward; Barnes, Jonathan; Roming, Peter; Durfee, Dallin; Campbell, Branton; Turley, Steve; Eastman, Paul

2015-01-01

In the late 1980s a team of four BYU undergraduate students designed a space-based telescope to image the sun in soft x-rays from 171-181 Angstroms to gain information on microflares and their relation to the corona-chromosphere transition region. The telescope used a near-normal incidence multi-layered mirror imaging onto film through a micro-channel plate. The system was capable of 1.0 sec time resolution and 2.5 arcsec spatial resolution. Aided by a NASA grant in 1991, a system was built and successfully tested in 1998 at Marshall Space Flight Center. Originally designed to be deployed from a Get-Away-Special (GAS) canister in the bay of a space shuttle, the good results of this test elevated GoldHelox to greater-priority Hitchhiker status. Even so technical and procedural difficulties delayed a launch until after 2003. Unfortunately after the Columbia re-entry break-up in February 2003, the Hitchhiker program was cancelled and the GoldHelox project ended.Well over 200 undergraduate students worked on GoldHelox. Many of these have since earned advanced degrees in a variety of technical fields. Several have gone on to work in the space industry, becoming NASA scientists and engineers with one becoming a PI on the Swift satellite. The broad range of talent on the team has included students majoring in physics, astronomy, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering, design engineering, business and even English majors who have written technical and public relations documents. We report on lessons learned and the pitfalls and successes of this unique mentoring experience.

Improving science literacy and education through space life sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacLeish, Marlene Y.; Moreno, Nancy P.; Tharp, Barbara Z.; Denton, Jon J.; Jessup, George; Clipper, Milton C.

2001-08-01

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) encourages open involvement by scientists and the public at large in the Institute's activities. Through its Education and Public Outreach Program, the Institute is supporting national efforts to improve Kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) and undergraduate education and to communicate knowledge generated by space life science research to lay audiences. Three academic institutions—Baylor College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine and Texas A&M University—are designing, producing, field-testing, and disseminating a comprehensive array of programs and products to achieve this goal. The objectives of the NSBRI Education and Public Outreach program are to: promote systemic change in elementary and secondary science education; attract undergraduate students—especially those from underrepresented groups—to careers in space life sciences, engineering and technology-based fields; increase scientific literacy; and to develop public and private sector partnerships that enhance and expand NSBRI efforts to reach students and families.

The University of Connecticut Biomedical Engineering Mentoring Program for high school students.

PubMed

Enderle, John D; Liebler, Christopher M; Haapala, Stephenic A; Hart, James L; Thonakkaraparayil, Naomi T; Romonosky, Laura L; Rodriguez, Francisco; Trumbower, Randy D

2004-01-01

For the past four years, the Biomedical Engineering Program at the University of Connecticut has offered a summer mentoring program for high school students interested in biomedical engineering. To offer this program, we have partnered with the UConn Mentor Connection Program, the School of Engineering 2000 Program and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Summer Laboratory Apprentice Program. We typically have approximately 20-25 high school students learning about biomedical engineering each summer. The mentoring aspect of the program exists at many different levels, with the graduate students mentoring the undergraduate students, and these students mentoring the high school students. The program starts with a three-hour lecture on biomedical engineering to properly orient the students. An in-depth paper on an area in biomedical engineering is a required component, as well as a PowerPoint presentation on their research. All of the students build a device to record an EKG on a computer using LabView, including signal processing to remove noise. The students learn some rudimentary concepts on electrocardiography and the physiology and anatomy of the heart. The students also learn basic electronics and breadboarding circuits, PSpice, the building of a printed circuit board, PIC microcontroller, the operation of Multimeters (including the oscilloscope), soldering, assembly of the EKG device and writing LabView code to run their device on a PC. The students keep their EKG device, LabView program and a fully illustrated booklet on EKG to bring home with them, and hopefully bring back to their high school to share their experiences with other students and teachers. The students also work on several other projects during this summer experience as well as visit Hartford Hospital to learn about Clinical Engineering.

Experiential Engineering through iGEM--An Undergraduate Summer Competition in Synthetic Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Rudolph; Dori, Yehudit Judy; Kuldell, Natalie H.

2011-01-01

Unlike students in other engineering disciplines, undergraduates in biological engineering typically have limited opportunity to develop design competencies, and even fewer chances to implement their designed projects. The international Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition is a student Synthetic Biology competition that, in 2009,…

Effective Engineering Outreach through an Undergraduate Mentoring Team and Module Database

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Colin; Butterfield, Anthony E.

2014-01-01

The rising need for engineers has led to increased interest in community outreach in engineering departments nationwide. We present a sustainable outreach model involving trained undergraduate mentors to build ties with K-12 teachers and students. An associated online module database of chemical engineering demonstrations, available to educators…

An Engineering Student's Guide to the Humanities & Social Sciences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Association of American Colleges, Washington, DC.

Undergraduate engineering students and their advisors are provided with a handbook to help improve the quality and coherence of the humanities and social sciences (H&SS) component of undergraduate engineering education (fostering more purposeful H&SS course selection). The first of this handbook's three sections has an engineering major…

Engineering Students' Use of Computer Assisted Learning (CAL)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huczynski, Andrzej; Johnston, Scott Paul

2005-01-01

This study examines the use of Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) by undergraduate engineering students studying a business and management course. Discussing both the relationship between management and engineering and CAL applied to engineering education, this study is based on a survey of 82 undergraduates and adopts a quantitative research…

Undergraduate environmental engineering education in China

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, C.; Bero, B.N.

1999-07-01

In this paper, the development process, present situations, causes of improvement, and trends of higher education of environmental engineering in China are discussed. Several education modes in environmental engineering in China are also presented. The development process can be divided into three stages: the beginning stage, the expansion stage, and the modification stage. The 1970's and early 1980's wake of environmental consciousness and serious pollution situation in China resulted in about 20 universities setting up an environmental engineering specialty. The late 1980's and middle 1990's job opportunities for undergraduates in China resulted in many universities' creation of the environmental engineeringmore » specialty from specialties such as geography, geology, hydrology, mining engineering, and mineral separation engineering where job opportunities were stagnant. At present, adjustment and improvement of environmental engineering education are urgently required because of the excessive increase of undergraduate number, change of job opportunities and implementation of five-work-day system in China. Other problems include how to determine the ratio of social science courses to engineering science courses, how to determine the relationship of fundamental and applied courses, and how to determine the specialized direction. Hunan University, as a typical university conferring an accredited Bachelor degree in Environmental Engineering in four academic years in China, has been improving the instruction schedule for undergraduate education in environmental engineering. The curricula of the three phases for undergraduates of environmental engineering specialty at Hunan University are presented as a case study.« less

Chris Webber | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Education Undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering, University of Colorado, Denver, CO Undergraduate studies in electrical engineering, University of Texas, Austin, TX Prior Work Experience Deployment

Mentornet - E-Mentoring for Women Students in Engineering and Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Single, Peg Boyle; Muller, Carol B.; Cunningham, Christine M.; Single, Richard M.; Carlsen, William S.

MentorNet www.MentorNet.net;, the E-Mentoring Network for Diversity in Engineering and Science, addresses the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics "STEM". MentorNet offers a multiinstitutional, structured, electronic mentoring "e-mentoring" program that pairs undergraduate and graduate students, primarily women, with professionals and supports them through e-mentoring relationships of specified lengths. The program evaluations established that over 90% of the participants would recommend MentorNet to a friend or colleague. The e-mentoring program allowed participants to establish satisfactory and beneficial e-mentoring relationships based on investments of approximately 20 minutes per week - in between more serious exchanges, email exchanges that included light-hearted social interactions and jokes were an important aspect of sustaining e-mentoring relationships. Participation in MentorNet increased the students' self-confidence in their f elds - desire to obtain work in industry, national laboratories, or national agencies; and intent to pursue careers in their fields. Three years of evaluation results support the need for and efficacy of the program.

Undergraduate Student Involvement in International Research - The IRES Program at MAX-lab, Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briscoe, William; O'Rielly, Grant; Fissum, Kevin

2014-03-01

Undergraduate students associated with The George Washington University and UMass Dartmouth have had the opportunity to participate in nuclear physics research as a part of the PIONS@MAXLAB Collaboration performing experiments at MAX-lab at Lund University in Sweden. This project has supported thirteen undergraduate students during 2009 - 2011. The student researchers are involved with all aspects of the experiments performed at the laboratory, from set-up to analysis and presentation at national conferences. These experiments investigate the dynamics responsible for the internal structure of the nucleon through the study of pion photoproduction off the nucleon and high-energy Compton scattering. Along with the US and Swedish project leaders, members of the collaboration (from four different countries) have contributed to the training and mentoring of these students. This program provides students with international research experiences that prepare them to operate successfully in a global environment and encourages them to stay in areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) that are crucial for our modern, technology-dependent society. We will present the history, goals and outcomes in both physics results and student success that have come from this program. This work supported by NSF OISE/IRES award 0553467.

Student Opinions and Perceptions of Undergraduate Thermodynamics Courses in Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ugursal, V. Ismet; Cruickshank, Cynthia A.

2015-01-01

Thermodynamics is a fundamental foundation of all engineering disciplines. A vast majority of engineering undergraduate programmes contain one or more courses on thermodynamics, and many engineers use thermodynamics every day to analyse or design energy systems. However, there is extensive anecdotal evidence as well as a wide range of published…

Reaching Students: What Research Says about Effective Instruction in Undergraduate Science and Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kober, Nancy

2015-01-01

The undergraduate years are a turning point in producing scientifically literate citizens and future scientists and engineers. Evidence from research about how students learn science and engineering shows that teaching strategies that motivate and engage students will improve their learning. So how do students best learn science and engineering?…

Teaching Bioprocess Engineering to Undergraduates: Multidisciplinary Hands-On Training in a One-Week Practical Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henkel, Marius; Zwick, Michaela; Beuker, Janina; Willenbacher, Judit; Baumann, Sandra; Oswald, Florian; Neumann, Anke; Siemann-Herzberg, Martin; Syldatk, Christoph; Hausmann, Rudolf

2015-01-01

Bioprocess engineering is a highly interdisciplinary field of study which is strongly benefited by practical courses where students can actively experience the interconnection between biology, engineering, and physical sciences. This work describes a lab course developed for 2nd year undergraduate students of bioprocess engineering and related…

Integrating Discovery-Based Research Experiences into the Undergraduate STEM Curriculum: A Convocation Report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guertin, L. A.; Ambos, E. L.; Brenner, K.; Asher, P. M.; Ryan, J. G.

2015-12-01

New possibilities and challenges to providing and scaling up opportunities for large numbers of undergraduates to engage in discovery-based research and related activities reflect both the evidence base and the current systemic infrastructure of higher education. The National Research Council hosted a Convocation in May 2015 on this very topic, inspired by the 2012 PCAST report "Engage to Excel," which urged the STEM education community and funding agencies to "advocate and provide support for replacing standard laboratory courses with discovery-based research courses." The Convocation report "Integrating Discovery-Based Research into the Undergraduate STEM Curriculum" on which this session is based explores a number of critical issues: Is our current knowledge base robust enough to recommend best practices? Is offering such experiences actually beneficial for all undergraduates? What institutional changes will be required to make such opportunities available to large numbers of students? Can such programs drive institutional change? How can we manage the cost/benefit parameters of such programs? Exploring these important and connected issues is critical for allowing undergraduates to participate in meaningful and relevant research through their coursework, for faculty and administrators to examine and document the evidence for their impact, and institutions to identify variations in what works at different types of colleges and universities.

Science Alive!: Connecting with Elementary Students through Science Exploration†

PubMed Central

Raja, Aarti; Lavin, Emily Schmitt; Gali, Tamara; Donovan, Kaitlin

2016-01-01

A novel program called Science Alive! was developed by undergraduate faculty members, K–12 school teachers, and undergraduate students to enrich science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) literacy at community schools located near the university. The ultimate goal of the program is to bolster the scientific knowledge and appreciation of local area students and community members and serve as a model for similar programs. Through the program, we observed that elementary school students made gains toward learning their grade-level science curricula after a hands-on learning experience and had fun doing these hands-on activities. Through the program, undergraduate students, working with graduate students and alumni, build scientific learning modules using explanatory handouts and creative activities as classroom exercises. This helps better integrate scientific education through a collaborative, hands-on learning program. Results showed that elementary school students made the highest learning gains in their performance on higher-level questions related to both forces and matter as a result of the hands-on learning modules. Additionally, college students enjoyed the hands-on activities, would consider volunteering their time at such future events, and saw the service learning program as a benefit to their professional development through community building and discipline-specific service. The science modules were developed according to grade-level curricular standards and can be used year after year to teach or explain a scientific topic to elementary school students via a hands-on learning approach. PMID:27158309

An undergraduate course, and new textbook, on ``Physical Models of Living Systems''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Philip

2015-03-01

I'll describe an intermediate-level course on ``Physical Models of Living Systems.'' The only prerequisite is first-year university physics and calculus. The course is a response to rapidly growing interest among undergraduates in several science and engineering departments. Students acquire several research skills that are often not addressed in traditional courses, including: basic modeling skills, probabilistic modeling skills, data analysis methods, computer programming using a general-purpose platform like MATLAB or Python, dynamical systems, particularly feedback control. These basic skills, which are relevant to nearly any field of science or engineering, are presented in the context of case studies from living systems, including: virus dynamics; bacterial genetics and evolution of drug resistance; statistical inference; superresolution microscopy; synthetic biology; naturally evolved cellular circuits. Publication of a new textbook by WH Freeman and Co. is scheduled for December 2014. Supported in part by EF-0928048 and DMR-0832802.

The AFRL Scholars Program: a STEM-based summer internship initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spencer, Mark F.; Atencio, Imelda J.; McCullough, Julie A.; Hwang, Eunsook S.

2016-09-01

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars Program offers stipend-paid summer internship opportunities to undergraduate- and graduate-level university students as well as upper-level high school students who are pursuing or plan to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Internships through the AFRL Scholars Program are currently offered through the Directed Energy, Space Vehicles, and Munitions Directorates of AFRL with locations at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and Maui, Hawaii. Throughout their internships, AFRL Scholars gain valuable hands-on experience working with full-time AFRL scientists and engineers on cutting-edge research and technology. Overall, the selected interns are able to contribute to unique, research-based projects which often contain a strong emphasis in optics and photonics. This paper celebrates the continued success of the AFRL Scholars Program and shares a statistical overview of its growth over the past few years. In particular, the analysis focuses on how these STEM-related internships will hopefully meet the needs of an aging AFRL workforce in the years to come. This paper also provides an overview of two optics and photonics related internships at the undergraduate and graduate levels, respectively. Both interns received the Outstanding AFRL Scholar Award in their respective categories and are currently pursuing careers in optics and photonics based on their experiences as AFRL Scholars.

Enhancing STEM Education through Cubesats: Using Satellite Integration as a Teaching Tool at a Non-Tech School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernardes, S.; Cotten, D. L.

2016-12-01

University-based satellite programs have been successfully used as a platform for teaching STEM related fields, bringing tremendous benefits to graduate and undergraduate education. Considering their infrastructure and curricula, tech schools have traditionally been considered logical candidates for hosting such programs. More recently, with the dissemination of small satellites initiatives, non-tech schools have been presented the opportunity of developing satellite design and implementation programs. This work reports on the experiences and challenges associated with implementing a satellite program at the University of Georgia (UGA), a non-tech university. With funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) University Nanosat Program (UNP) and NASA's Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP) a team of undergraduates at UGA has recently been tasked with building two small satellites and helping to create a Small Satellite Research Laboratory (SSRL) at the university. Unique features of the satellite program at UGA include its team of students from a broad range of backgrounds and departments (Engineering, Computer Science, Art, Business, and Geography) and the previous exposure of many of these students to synergistic technologies, including arduino and unmanned aerial systems. We show how informal exposure to those technologies and willingness of students to focus on areas outside of their field of study can benefit from the implementation of satellite programs. In this regard, we report on methods and techniques used to find and recruit driven and knowledgeable students to work in a high paced field such as satellite system integration. We show how students and faculty from multiple departments have collaborated to reach a common, far reaching goal and describe our proposed methods to evaluate and measure educational goals based around SSRL and its projects. We also present the challenges associated with the lack of a developed engineering program, including our solutions to a shortage of equipment and expertise regarding building satellite systems and a satellite laboratory. Finally, we our outreach methods, including K-12, and share our experience and successes finding industry partners, considering an absence of background in the field and prior collaborations.

Using Interactive Videodiscs in Open University Courses. I.E.T. Papers on Broadcasting No. 218.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, Robert G., Ed.

This nine-paper collection from a June 1983 Open University (OU) campus workshop in Milton Keynes, England, describes an interactive video project developed for an OU undergraduate course, T252, Introduction to Engineering Materials, and discusses varied aspects of interactive videodisc program development. The following papers are included:…

A Case Study on a Capsule Robot in the Gastrointestinal Tract to Teach Robot Programming and Navigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guo, Yi; Zhang, Shubo; Ritter, Arthur; Man, Hong

2014-01-01

Despite the increasing importance of robotics, there is a significant challenge involved in teaching this to undergraduate students in biomedical engineering (BME) and other related disciplines in which robotics techniques could be readily applied. This paper addresses this challenge through the development and pilot testing of a bio-microrobotics…

Specialized High Schools and Talent Search Programs: Incubators for Adolescents with High Ability in STEM Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almarode, John T.; Subotnik, Rena F.; Crowe, Edward; Tai, Robert H.; Lee, Geesoo Maie; Nowlin, Fiona

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between self-efficacy and maintenance of interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) resulting in completion of an undergraduate degree in a science related area. To pursue this analysis, the researchers surveyed 3,510 graduates from selective specialized science…

Building an Academic Community: Minority Serving Institutions and How They Influence Students Pursuing Undergraduate Degrees in STEM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flower, Alonzo M., III.

2014-01-01

Scientific and technological innovation, according to a report by the National Academy of Sciences (2007), can only be secured with individuals' success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Because STEM remains White and male-dominated, programs that focus on increasing the participation of female and minority students has…

DOE/Industry Matching Grant Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

John C. Lee

2003-09-30

For the academic year 2001-2002, the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences received $50,000 of industrial contributions, matched by a DOE grant of $35,000. We used the combined DOE/Industry Matching Grant of $85,000 toward (a) undergraduate merit scholarships and research support, (b) graduate student support, and (c) partial support of a research scientist.

A Study of the Familial and Career Attitudes of College Women Enrolled in Typical and Atypical Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Marian L.

A study was conducted to determine if a disparity exists between the familial and occupational attitudes of women in typical and atypical careers. Questionnaire responses of 225 undergraduate women in three typical careers (home economics, nursing, and elementary education) and three atypical careers (engineering, pharmacy, and agriculture)…

Encouraging Undergraduate Engineering Students towards Civic Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallen, Matthew R.; Pandit, Abhay S.

2009-01-01

Responding to the calls for teaching "soft skills" within the undergraduate engineering curriculum and for the university to address a perceived decrease in social capital, a programme titled Community Awareness Initiatives Responsibly Directed by Engineers (CAIRDE, an Irish language word meaning "friends") was instituted at…

Women in Engineering: Insight into Why Some Engineering Departments Have More Success in Recruiting and Graduating Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bossart, Jean; Bharti, Neelam

2017-01-01

Universities across the United States (U.S.) are perplexed as to why fewer women than men study engineering and why even fewer complete the curriculum and earn an undergraduate degree in engineering. The percentage of undergraduate engineering degrees awarded annually to women in the U.S. since 2000 has remained relatively constant at around 20%.…

The NASA-sponsored Maryland center for hypersonic education and research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, Mark J.; Gupta, Ashwani K.

1995-01-01

The Office of Aeronautics of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has established a program to support university programs in the field of hypersonic flight. Beginning in the fall of 1993, three universities, including the University of Maryland at College Park, were selected to participate in this activity. The program at the University of Maryland includes faculty in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, and provides a multidisciplinary environment for graduate and undergraduate students to study and conduct research in the field of hypersonic flight. Ongoing projects cover the range of applications from cruisers through transatmospheric and reentry vehicles. Research activities, focused on propulsion, fluid dynamics, inverse design, and vehicle optimization and integration, are conducted in conjuntion with industrial partners and government laboratories.

An Undergraduate Computer Engineering Option for Electrical Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC. Commission on Education.

This report is the result of a study, funded by the National Science Foundation, of a group constituted as the COSINE Task Force on Undergraduate Education in Computer Engineering in 1969. The group was formed in response to the growing demand for education in computer engineering and the limited opportunities for study in this area. Computer…

MTU-pre-service teacher enhancement program. Final report, September 1992--May 1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, C.S.; Yarroch, W.J.

1996-01-01

The MTU Pre-Service Teacher Enhancement Program was a two year extended project designed to introduce a select group of science and engineering undergraduate students, with good {open_quotes}people skills,{close_quotes} to the teaching profession. Participants were paid for their time spent with area teacher/mentors and were involved in a variety of in school activities, projects and observations to illustrate the teaching profession. They were encouraged to consider the teaching profession as a future career option. The student participants, however, were under no obligation to enter the Teacher Education Program at the conclusion of the program.

Review of 1953-2003 ORAU Follow-Up Studies on Science Education Programs: Impacts on Participants' Education and Careers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oak Ridge Associated Universities

2006-06-01

Through sponsorship of science education programs for undergraduates and graduates, such as research participation programs and fellowships, the Department of Energy (DOE) encouraged the development of adequate numbers of qualified science and engineering (S&E) personnel to meet its current and future research and development (R&D) needs. This retrospective study summarizes impacts of selected programs on these participants. The summary data are from follow-up studies conducted from 1953 through 2003 by Oak Ridge Associated Universities and its predecessor, the Oak Ridge Institute for Nuclear Studies (ORINS).

NASA's Space Life Sciences Training Program.

PubMed

Coulter, G; Lewis, L; Atchison, D

1994-01-01

The Space Life Sciences Training Program (SLSTP) is an intensive, six-week training program held every summer since 1985 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). A major goal of the SLSTP is to develop a cadre of qualified scientists and engineers to support future space life sciences and engineering challenges. Hand-picked, undergraduate college students participate in lectures, laboratory sessions, facility tours, and special projects: including work on actual Space Shuttle flight experiments and baseline data collection. At NASA Headquarters (HQ), the SLSTP is jointly sponsored by the Life Sciences Division and the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs: it has been very successful in attracting minority students and women to the fields of space science and engineering. In honor of the International Space Year (ISY), 17 international students participated in this summer's program. An SLSTP Symposium was held in Washington D.C., just prior to the World Space Congress. The Symposium attracted over 150 SLSTP graduates for a day of scientific discussions and briefings concerning educational and employment opportunities within NASA and the aerospace community. Future plans for the SLSTP include expansion to the Johnson Space Center in 1995.

NASA's Space Life Sciences Training Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coulter, G.; Lewis, L.; Atchison, D.

1994-01-01

The Space Life Sciences Training Program (SLSTP) is an intensive, six-week training program held every summer since 1985 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). A major goal of the SLSTP is to develop a cadre of qualified scientists and engineers to support future space life sciences and engineering challenges. Hand-picked, undergraduate college students participate in lectures, laboratory sessions, facility tours, and special projects: including work on actual Space Shuttle flight experiments and baseline data collection. At NASA Headquarters (HQ), the SLSTP is jointly sponsored by the Life Sciences Division and the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs: it has been very successful in attracting minority students and women to the fields of space science and engineering. In honor of the International Space Year (ISY), 17 international students participated in this summer's program. An SLSTP Symposium was held in Washington D. C., just prior to the World Space Congress. The Symposium attracted over 150 SLSTP graduates for a day of scientific discussions and briefings concerning educational and employment opportunities within NASA and the aerospace community. Future plans for the SLSTP include expansion to the Johnson Space Center in 1995.

Research on the Undergraduate Financial Engineering Education in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Haiyong; Zhang, Weiwei

2011-01-01

The rapid development of modern economy has put forward higher requirements for financial engineering education. This paper analyzes the status and problems in undergraduate financial engineering education in china, such as indistinct training objective, rigid curriculum structure, and superficial teaching methods, etc. and puts forward…

Integrative Approach for a Transformative Freshman-Level STEM Curriculum

PubMed Central

Curran, Kathleen L.; Olsen, Paul E.; Nwogbaga, Agashi P.; Stotts, Stephanie

2016-01-01

In 2014 Wesley College adopted a unified undergraduate program of evidence-based high-impact teaching practices. Through foundation and federal and state grant support, the college completely revised its academic core curriculum and strengthened its academic support structures by including a comprehensive early alert system for at-risk students. In this core, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty developed fresh manifestations of integrated concept-based introductory courses and revised upper-division STEM courses around student-centered learning. STEM majors can participate in specifically designed paid undergraduate research experiences in directed research elective courses. Such a college-wide multi-tiered approach results in institutional cultural change. PMID:27064213

Unique educational opportunities at the Missouri University research reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ketring, A.R.; Ross, F.K.; Spate, V.

1997-12-01

Since the Missouri University Research Reactor (MURR) went critical in 1966, it has been a center where students from many departments conduct their graduate research. In the past three decades, hundreds of graduate students from the MU departments of chemistry, physics, anthropology, nuclear engineering, etc., have received masters and doctoral degrees based on research using neutrons produced at MURR. More recently, the educational opportunities at MURR have been expanded to include undergraduate students and local high school students. Since 1989 MURR has participated in the National Science Foundation-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. As part of this program, undergraduatemore » students from universities and colleges throughout the United States come to MURR and get hands-on research experience during the summer. Another program, started in 1994 by the Nuclear Analysis Program at MURR, allows students from a local high school to conduct a neutron activation analysis (NAA) experiment. We also conduct tours of the center, where we describe the research and educational programs at MURR to groups of elementary school children, high school science teachers, state legislators, professional organizations, and many other groups.« less

Viewgraph description of Penn State's Propulsion Engineering Research Center: Activity highlights and future plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merkle, Charles L.

1991-01-01

Viewgraphs are presented that describe the progress and status of Penn State's Propulsion Engineering Research Center. The Center was established in Jul. 1988 by a grant from NASA's University Space Engineering Research Centers Program. After two and one-half years of operation, some 16 faculty are participating, and the Center is supporting 39 graduate students plus 18 undergraduates. In reviewing the Center's status, long-term plans and goals are reviewed and then the present status of the Center and the highlights and accomplishments of the past year are summarized. An overview of plans for the upcoming year are presented.

The C-MORE Scholars Program: Engaging minority students in STEM through undergraduate research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, B. A.; Bruno, B. C.

2010-12-01

There have been several studies that show how undergraduate research experiences (REU) have a positive impact on a student’s academic studies and career path, including being a positive influence toward improving the student's lab skills and ability to work independently. Moreover, minority students appear to relate to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts better when they are linked with (1) a service learning component, and (2) STEM courses that include a cultural and social aspect that engages the student in a way that does not distract from the student’s technical learning. It is also known that a “place-based” approach that incorporates traditional (indigenous) knowledge can help engage underrepresented minority groups in STEM disciplines and increase science literacy. Based on the methods and best practices used by other minority serving programs and described in the literature, the Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE) has successfully developed an academic-year REU to engage and train the next generation of scientists. The C-MORE Scholars Program provides undergraduate students majoring in an ocean or earth science-related field, especially underrepresented students such as Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, the opportunity to participate in unique and cutting edge hands-on research experiences. The program appoints awardees at one of three levels based on previous research and academic experience, and students can progress through the various tiers as their skills and STEM content knowledge develop. All awardees receive guidance on a research project from a mentor who is a scientist at the university and/or industry. A key component of the program is the inclusion of professional development activities to help the student continue towards post graduation education or prepare for career opportunities after they receive their undergraduate STEM degree.

Exploring deliberate mentoring approaches aimed at improving the recruitment and persistence of undergraduate women in the geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollack, I. B.; Adams, A. S.; Barnes, R. T.; Burt, M. A.; Clinton, S. M.; Godfrey, E.; Hernandez, P.; Bloodhart, B.; Donaldson, L.; Henderson, H.; Sayers, J.; Sample McMeeking, L. B.; Bowker, C.; Fischer, E. V.

2015-12-01

In the United States, men outnumber women in many science and engineering fields by nearly 3 to 1. In fields like physics or the geosciences, the gender gap can be even wider. Previous studies have identified the early college years as a critical point where many women exit STEM disciplines. An interdisciplinary team including experts in the geosciences, psychology, education, and STEM persistence have recently begun a 5-year project focused on understanding whether mentoring can increase the interest, persistence, and achievement of undergraduate women in the geosciences. The program focuses on mentoring first and second year female undergraduate students from three universities in Colorado and Wyoming and four universities in North and South Carolina. The mentoring program includes a weekend workshop, access to professional women across geoscience fields and both in-person and virtual peer networks. The first weekend workshops will be held in October 2015. We will present an overview of the major components and lessons learned from these workshops and showcase the web center, including the online peer-networking forum.

Advancing Earth System Science Literacy and Preparing the Future Geoscience Workforce Through Strategic Investments at the National Science Foundation (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karsten, J. L.; Patino, L. C.; Rom, E. L.; Weiler, C. S.

2010-12-01

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created 60 years ago by the U.S. Congress "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…" NSF is the primary funding agency in the U.S. to support basic, frontier research across all fields in science, engineering, and education, except for medical sciences. With a FY 2011 budget request of more than $955 million, the NSF Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) is the principle source of federal funding for university-based fundamental research in the geosciences and preparation of the next generation of geoscientists. Since its inception, GEO has supported the education and training of a diverse and talented pool of future scientists, engineers, and technicians in the Earth, Ocean, Atmospheric and Geospatial Sciences sub-fields, through support of graduate research assistants, post-doctoral fellows, and undergraduate research experiences. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, GEO initiated several programs that expanded these investments to also support improvements in pre-college and undergraduate geoscience education through a variety of mechanisms (e.g., professional development support for K-12 teachers, development of innovative undergraduate curricula, and scientist-mentored research experiences for elementary and secondary students). In addition to GEO’s Geoscience Education (GeoEd), Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences (OEDG), Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE), and Geoscience Teacher Training (GEO-Teach) programs, GEO participates in a number of cross-Foundation programs, including the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT), Ethics Education in Science and Engineering (EESE), NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12), and Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) programs, and the new Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP) program. Many broader impact activities associated with individual research grants supported by GEO contribute to the mix, through integration of research and education. Improving access to high quality geoscience education, developing educational resources and pedagogies that reflect current understandings based on cognitive research on how people learn science in formal and informal settings, cultivating a diverse talent pool for the future, and developing robust mechanisms to evaluate the quality of these various approaches and tools are challenges faced by the entire geosciences research and education community, not just NSF/GEO. In the past two years, GEO has worked collaboratively with the Education and Human Resources (EHR) Directorate, and sister agencies NOAA and NASA, to establish a new GEO Education and Diversity Strategic Framework, that will guide our investments in the future, and identify opportunities for a more cohesive, collaborative, and synergistic approach across NSF and the federal government. Details of this new strategic framework, results of recent program evaluations, and their implications for future NSF/GEO education program funding will be discussed.

UAF Space Systems Engineering Program: Engaging Students through an Apprenticeship Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorsen, D.

2017-12-01

Learning by doing has been the mantra of engineering education for decades, however, the constraints of semester length courses limits the types and size of experiences that can be offered to students. The Space Systems Engineering Program (SSEP) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks provides interdisciplinary engineering and science students with hands-on experience in all aspects of space systems engineering through a design, build, launch paradigm applied to balloon and rocket payloads and small satellites. The program is structured using an apprenticeship model such that students, freshmen through graduate, can participate in multi-year projects thereby gaining experiences appropriate to their level in college. Students enter the lab in a trainee position and receive training on lab processes and design software. Depending on the student's interests they learn how to use specific lab equipment and software design tools. Trainees provide support engineering under guidance of an upper classman. As the students' progress in their degree program and gain more expertise, they typically become part of a specific subsystem team, where they receive additional training in developing design documents and in writing requirements and test documents, and direct their efforts to meeting specific objectives. By the time the student reaches their senior year, they have acquired the leadership role for a specific subsystem and/or a general leadership role in the lab. If students stay to pursue graduate degrees, they assume the responsibility of training and mentoring other undergraduates in their areas of expertise. Throughout the program upper class students mentor the newer students. The Space Systems Engineering Program strives to reinforce a student's degree program through these large scale projects that place engineering in context.

Efficient Optoelectronics Teaching in Undergraduate Engineering Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matin, M. A.

2005-01-01

The Engineering Department's vision for undergraduate education for the next century is to develop a set of laboratory experiences that are thoughtfully sequenced and integrated to promote the full development of students in all courses. Optoelectronics is one of the most important and most demanding courses in Electrical and Computer Engineering.…

"Quebrando Fronteras": Trends among Latino and Latina Undergraduate Engineers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camacho, Michelle Madsen; Lord, Susan M.

2011-01-01

Engineering, a field that has shaped the world's industrial and technological base, is ripe for an influx of Latino undergraduate students. Given U.S. Latino population increases, what is the trajectory of Latino participation in engineering education? Using an interdisciplinary lens, we critically examine Latino trends in undergraduate…

Uncovering Black Womanhood in Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, Sheree L.; Espino, Michelle M.

2016-01-01

Despite the growing research that outlines the experiences of Blacks and women undergraduates in engineering, little is known about Black women in this field. The purpose of this qualitative study was to uncover how eight Black undergraduate women in engineering understood their race and gender identities in a culture that can be oppressive to…

Assessment Tool Development for Extracurricular Smet Programs for Girls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

House, Jody; Johnson, Molly; Borthwick, Geoffrey

Many different programs have been designed to increase girls' interest in and exposure to science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET). Two of these programs are discussed and contrasted in the dimensions of length, level of science content, pedagogical approach, degree of self- vs. parent-selected participants, and amount of communitybuilding content. Two different evaluation tools were used. For one program, a modified version of the University of Pittsburgh's undergraduate engineering attitude assessment survey was used. Program participants' responses were compared to those from a fifth grade, mixed-sex science class. The only gender difference found was in the area of parental encouragement. The girls in the special class were more encouraged to participate in SMET areas. For the second program, a new age-appropriate tool developed specifically for these types of programs was used, and the tool itself was evaluated. The results indicate that the new tool has construct validity. On the basis of these preliminary results, a long-term plan for the continued development of the assessment tool is outlined.

Technology of interdisciplinary open-ended designing in engineering education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaev, A. P.; Plotnikov, L. V.; Fomin, N. I.

2017-11-01

Author’s technology of interdisciplinary open-ended engineering is presented in this article. This technology is an integrated teaching method that significantly increases the practical component in the educational program. Author’s technology creates the conditions to overcome the shortcomings in the engineering education. The basic ideas of the technology of open-ended engineering, experience of their implementation in higher education and the author’s vision of the teaching technology are examined in the article. The main stages of development process of the author’s technology of open-ended engineering to prepare students (bachelor) of technical profile are presented in the article. Complex of the methodological tools and procedures is shown in the article. This complex is the basis of the developed training technology that is used in educational process in higher school of engineering (UrFU). The organizational model of the technology of open-ended engineering is presented. Organizational model integrates the functions in the creation and implementation of all educational program. Analysis of the characteristics of educational activity of students working on author’s technology of interdisciplinary open-ended engineering is presented. Intermediate results of the application of author’s technology in the educational process of the engineering undergraduate are shown.

NGSS and the Next Generation of Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bybee, Rodger W.

2014-03-01

This article centers on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and their implications for teacher development, particularly at the undergraduate level. After an introduction to NGSS and the influence of standards in the educational system, the article addresses specific educational shifts—interconnecting science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts; recognizing learning progressions; including engineering; addressing the nature of science, coordinating with Common Core State Standards. The article continues with a general discussion of reforming teacher education programs and a concluding discussion of basic competencies and personal qualities of effective science teachers.

A program wide framework for evaluating data driven teaching and learning - earth analytics approaches, results and lessons learned

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasser, L. A.; Gold, A. U.

2017-12-01

There is a deluge of earth systems data available to address cutting edge science problems yet specific skills are required to work with these data. The Earth analytics education program, a core component of Earth Lab at the University of Colorado - Boulder - is building a data intensive program that provides training in realms including 1) interdisciplinary communication and collaboration 2) earth science domain knowledge including geospatial science and remote sensing and 3) reproducible, open science workflows ("earth analytics"). The earth analytics program includes an undergraduate internship, undergraduate and graduate level courses and a professional certificate / degree program. All programs share the goals of preparing a STEM workforce for successful earth analytics driven careers. We are developing an program-wide evaluation framework that assesses the effectiveness of data intensive instruction combined with domain science learning to better understand and improve data-intensive teaching approaches using blends of online, in situ, asynchronous and synchronous learning. We are using targeted online search engine optimization (SEO) to increase visibility and in turn program reach. Finally our design targets longitudinal program impacts on participant career tracts over time.. Here we present results from evaluation of both an interdisciplinary undergrad / graduate level earth analytics course and and undergraduate internship. Early results suggest that a blended approach to learning and teaching that includes both synchronous in-person teaching and active classroom hands-on learning combined with asynchronous learning in the form of online materials lead to student success. Further we will present our model for longitudinal tracking of participant's career focus overtime to better understand long-term program impacts. We also demonstrate the impact of SEO optimization on online content reach and program visibility.

Materials Science and Engineering |

Science.gov Websites

? UNDERGRADUATE GRADUATE FACULTY DIRECTORY STAFF DIRECTORY RESEARCH RET PROGRAM ALUMNI EMPLOYMENT GIVE TO MSE at CS ManTech Christou and students travel to Austin, TX to present short course and diamond power Alumni Assoc. June 22, 2018 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center (7801 Alumni Drive, College

Culturally Relevant Inquiry-Based Laboratory Module Implementations in Upper-Division Genetics and Cell Biology Teaching Laboratories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siritunga, Dimuth; Montero-Rojas, Maria; Carrero, Katherine; Toro, Gladys; Velez, Ana; Carrero-Martinez, Franklin A.

2011-01-01

Today, more minority students are entering undergraduate programs than ever before, but they earn only 6% of all science or engineering PhDs awarded in the United States. Many studies suggest that hands-on research activities enhance students' interest in pursuing a research career. In this paper, we present a model for the implementation of…

Master's in Autonomous Systems: An Overview of the Robotics Curriculum and Outcomes at ISEP, Portugal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silva, E.; Almeida, J.; Martins, A.; Baptista, J. P.; Campos Neves, B.

2013-01-01

Robotics research in Portugal is increasing every year, but few students embrace it as one of their first choices for study. Until recently, job offers for engineers were plentiful, and those looking for a degree in science and technology would avoid areas considered to be demanding, like robotics. At the undergraduate level, robotics programs are…

A Discussion on an Expression Written about Dimensional Analysis in a Physics Textbook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildiz, Ali

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to discuss a wrong statement written about dimensional analysis in a physics text book prepared for the students who are studying in science, engineering and teaching undergraduate programs at universities and who have to take compulsory physics courses, to analyse the use of the text book including the wrong…

The Effects of Doctoral Teaching Development on Early-Career STEM Scholars' College-Teaching Self-Efficacy. WCER Working Paper No. 2015-1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connolly, Mark R.; Lee, You-Geon

2015-01-01

As a result of increased national emphasis on preparing future faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to teach undergraduates, more research universities offer teaching development (TD) programs to doctoral students who aspire to academic careers. Using social cognitive career theory, we examine the effects of these…

A Theoretical Lens on a Biology Intensive Orientation Program: A Study of Self-Efficacy and Self-Regulation of Freshman Biology Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheeler, Erin R.

2012-01-01

There is a national effort to increase the number of undergraduate students graduating in science, math, engineering, and technology (STEM) (National Science Foundation, 2007). The majority of students initially populating these STEM majors ultimately switch to and graduate from non-STEM majors (Seymour & Hewitt, 2000; Seymour, 2002). The…

NASA Propulsion Engineering Research Center, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

Over the past year, the Propulsion Engineering Research Center at The Pennsylvania State University continued its progress toward meeting the goals of NASA's University Space Engineering Research Centers (USERC) program. The USERC program was initiated in 1988 by the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology to provide an invigorating force to drive technology advancements in the U.S. space industry. The Propulsion Center's role in this effort is to provide a fundamental basis from which the technology advances in propulsion can be derived. To fulfill this role, an integrated program was developed that focuses research efforts on key technical areas, provides students with a broad education in traditional propulsion-related science and engineering disciplines, and provides minority and other under-represented students with opportunities to take their first step toward professional careers in propulsion engineering. The program is made efficient by incorporating government propulsion laboratories and the U.S. propulsion industry into the program through extensive interactions and research involvement. The Center is comprised of faculty, professional staff, and graduate and undergraduate students working on a broad spectrum of research issues related to propulsion. The Center's research focus encompasses both current and advanced propulsion concepts for space transportation, with a research emphasis on liquid propellant rocket engines. The liquid rocket engine research includes programs in combustion and turbomachinery. Other space transportation modes that are being addressed include anti-matter, electric, nuclear, and solid propellant propulsion. Outside funding supports a significant fraction of Center research, with the major portion of the basic USERC grant being used for graduate student support and recruitment. The remainder of the USERC funds are used to support programs to increase minority student enrollment in engineering, to maintain Center infrastructure, and to develop research capability in key new areas. Significant research programs in propulsion systems for air and land transportation complement the space propulsion focus. The primary mission of the Center is student education. The student program emphasizes formal class work and research in classical engineering and science disciplines with applications to propulsion.

Explaining Participation: An Explanatory History of Select Gender Patterns in Undergraduate STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mastroianni, Michael Pasquale

This explanatory study examines three focal periods in undergraduate STEM as related to the gender gap. Social, economic, and more general historical data are used to develop a clear and powerful explanation of baccalaureate trends in biology and engineering. Specifically, historical accounts are offered for 1) a ten-year period in undergraduate biology in which the number of baccalaureates awarded to men decreased 44 percent, while the number of baccalaureates awarded to women decreased one percent; 2) the start of a twenty-year period in which the number of bachelor's degrees awarded in the biological sciences increased 150 percent---from 36,068 degrees in 1989, to 90,003 bachelor's degrees in 2011; and 3) a ten year period in undergraduate engineering where female graduation rates septupled---this ten-year time period is the only instance of meaningful and noteworthy growth for women in undergraduate engineering over the past half century. Findings from each history reveal a common narrative underlying baccalaureate trends. Implications for undergraduate STEM are discussed.

Women Working in Engineering and Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luna, Bernadette; Kliss, Mark (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

The presentation will focus on topics of interest to young women pursuing an engineering or scientific career, such as intrinsic personality traits of most engineers, average salaries for the various types of engineers, appropriate preparation classes at the high school and undergraduate levels, gaining experience through internships, summer jobs and graduate school, skills necessary but not always included in engineering curricula (i.e., multimedia, computer skills, communication skills), the work environment, balancing family and career, and sexual harassment. Specific examples from the speaker's own experience in NASA's Space Life Sciences Program will be used to illustrate the above topics. In particular, projects from Extravehicular Activity and Protective Systems research and Regenerative Life Support research will be used as examples of real world problem-solving to enable human exploration of the solar system.

Encouraging the pursuit of advanced degrees in science and engineering: Top-down and bottom-up methodologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maddox, Anthony B.; Smith-Maddox, Renee P.; Penick, Benson E.

1989-01-01

The MassPEP/NASA Graduate Research Development Program (GRDP) whose objective is to encourage Black Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians, Puerto Ricans, and Pacific Islanders to pursue graduate degrees in science and engineering is described. The GRDP employs a top-down or goal driven methodology through five modules which focus on research, graduate school climate, technical writing, standardized examinations, and electronic networking. These modules are designed to develop and reinforce some of the skills necessary to seriously consider the goal of completing a graduate education. The GRDP is a community-based program which seeks to recruit twenty participants from a pool of Boston-area undergraduates enrolled in engineering and science curriculums and recent graduates with engineering and science degrees. The program emphasizes that with sufficient information, its participants can overcome most of the barriers perceived as preventing them from obtaining graduate science and engineering degrees. Experience has shown that the top-down modules may be complemented by a more bottom-up or event-driven methodology. This approach considers events in the academic and professional experiences of participants in order to develop the personal and leadership skills necessary for graduate school and similar endeavors.

Renewable Microgrid STEM Education & Colonias Outreach Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

To provide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) outreach and education to secondary students to encourage them to select science and engineering as a career by providing an engineering-based problem-solving experience involving renewable energy systems such as photovoltaic (PV) panels or wind turbines. All public and private schools, community colleges, and vocational training programs would be eligible for participation. The Power Microgrids High School Engineering Experience used renewable energy systems (PV and wind) to provide a design capstone experience to secondary students. The objective for each student team was to design a microgrid for the student’s school using renewable energymore » sources under cost, schedule, performance, and risk constraints. The students then implemented their designs in a laboratory environment to evaluate the completeness of the proposed design, which is a unique experience even for undergraduate college students. This application-based program was marketed to secondary schools in the 28th Congressional District through the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) Regional Service Centers. Upon application, TEES identified regionally available engineers to act as mentors and supervisors for the projects. Existing curriculum was modified to include microgrid and additional renewable technologies and was made available to the schools.« less

"I Don't Want to Be an Almost Engineer": Women's Voices of Persistence in Undergraduate Engineering Degrees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yates, Heather N.

2012-01-01

This narrative qualitative study focused on the experiences of four women pursuing undergraduate engineering degrees and how the experiences affect their self-efficacy and in turn persistence in the degree. The use of narrative methodologies allowed the addition of the voice of the women engineering students to the study providing a more robust…

An Evaluation of HigherEd 2.0 Technologies in Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orange, Amy; Heinecke, Walter; Berger, Edward; Krousgrill, Charles; Mikic, Borjana; Quinn, Dane

2012-01-01

Between 2006 and 2010, sophomore engineering students at four universities were exposed to technologies designed to increase their learning in undergraduate engineering courses. Our findings suggest that students at all sites found the technologies integrated into their courses useful to their learning. Video solutions received the most positive…

Heat Exchanger Lab for Chemical Engineering Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rajala, Jonathan W.; Evans, Edward A.; Chase, George G.

2015-01-01

Third year chemical engineering undergraduate students at The University of Akron designed and fabricated a heat exchanger for a stirred tank as part of a Chemical Engineering Laboratory course. The heat exchanger portion of this course was three weeks of the fifteen week long semester. Students applied concepts of scale-up and dimensional…

Engineering Education through the Latina Lens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Villa, Elsa Q.; Wandermurem, Luciene; Hampton, Elaine M.; Esquinca, Alberto

2016-01-01

Less than 20% of undergraduates earning a degree in engineering are women, and even more alarming is minority women earn a mere 3.1% of those degrees. This paper reports on a qualitative study examining Latinas' identity development toward and in undergraduate engineering and computer science studies using a sociocultural theory of learning. Three…

Undergraduate Engineering Students' Attitudes and Perceptions towards "Professional Ethics" Course: A Case Study of India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sethy, Satya Sundar

2017-01-01

"Professional Ethics" has been offered as a compulsory course to undergraduate engineering students in a premier engineering institution of India. It was noticed that students' perceptions and attitudes were frivolous and ornamental towards this course. Course instructors and institution authorities were motivated to find out the factors…

Enhancing the Undergraduate Industrial Engineering Curriculum: Defining Desired Characteristics and Emerging Topics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eskandari, Hamidreza; Sala-Diakanda, Serge; Furterer, Sandra; Rabelo, Luis; Crumpton-Young, Lesia; Williams, Kent

2007-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to present the results of an initial research study conducted to identify the desired professional characteristics of an industrial engineer with an undergraduate degree and the emerging topic areas that should be incorporated into the curriculum to prepare industrial engineering (IE) graduates for the future workforce.…

Improving science literacy and education through space life sciences.

PubMed

MacLeish, M Y; Moreno, N P; Tharp, B Z; Denton, J J; Jessup, G; Clipper, M C

2001-01-01

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) encourages open involvement by scientists and the public at large in the Institute's activities. Through its Education and Public Outreach Program, the Institute is supporting national efforts to improve Kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) and undergraduate education and to communicate knowledge generated by space life science research to lay audiences. Three academic institution Baylor College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine and Texas A&M University are designing, producing, field-testing, and disseminating a comprehensive array of programs and products to achieve this goal. The objectives of the NSBRI Education and Public Outreach program are to: promote systemic change in elementary and secondary science education; attract undergraduate students--especially those from underrepresented groups--to careers in space life sciences, engineering and technology-based fields; increase scientific literacy; and to develop public and private sector partnerships that enhance and expand NSBRI efforts to reach students and families. c 2001. Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving science literacy and education through space life sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

MacLeish, M. Y.; Moreno, N. P.; Tharp, B. Z.; Denton, J. J.; Jessup, G.; Clipper, M. C.

2001-01-01

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) encourages open involvement by scientists and the public at large in the Institute's activities. Through its Education and Public Outreach Program, the Institute is supporting national efforts to improve Kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) and undergraduate education and to communicate knowledge generated by space life science research to lay audiences. Three academic institution Baylor College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine and Texas A&M University are designing, producing, field-testing, and disseminating a comprehensive array of programs and products to achieve this goal. The objectives of the NSBRI Education and Public Outreach program are to: promote systemic change in elementary and secondary science education; attract undergraduate students--especially those from underrepresented groups--to careers in space life sciences, engineering and technology-based fields; increase scientific literacy; and to develop public and private sector partnerships that enhance and expand NSBRI efforts to reach students and families. c 2001. Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Characteristics and Experiences of Successful Undergraduate Latina Students Who Persist in Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Carrie

Females and underrepresented ethnic minorities earn a small percentage of engineering and computer science bachelor's degrees awarded in the United States, earn an even smaller proportion of master's and doctoral degrees, and are underrepresented in the engineering workforce (Engineering Workforce Commission, [2006], as cited in National Science Foundation, 2012; United States Department of Education, [2006], as cited in National Science Foundation, 2009a; United States Department of Education, [2006], as cited in National Science Foundation, 2009b). Considerable research has examined the perceptions, culture, curriculum, and pedagogy in engineering that inhibits the achievement of women and underrepresented ethnic minorities. This action research study used a qualitative approach to examine the characteristics and experiences of Latina students who pursued a bachelor's degree in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University (ASU) as part of the 2008 first-time full-time freshman cohort. The researcher conducted two semi-structured individual interviews with seven undergraduate Latina students who successfully persisted to their fourth (senior) year in engineering. The researcher aimed to understand what characteristics made these students successful and how their experiences affected their persistence in an engineering major. The data collected showed that the Latina participants were motivated to persist in their engineering degree program due to their parents' expectations for success and high academic achievement; their desire to overcome the discrimination, stereotyping, and naysayers that they encountered; and their aspiration to become a role model for their family and other students interested in pursuing engineering. From the data collected, the researcher provided suggestions to implement and adapt educational activities and support systems within the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering to improve the retention and graduation rates of Latinas in engineering at ASU.

Astronautics degrees for the space industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruntman, M.; Brodsky, R. F.; Erwin, D. A.; Kunc, J. A.

2004-01-01

The Astronautics Program (http://astronautics.usc.edu) of the University of Southern California (USC) offers a full set of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Aerospace Engineering with emphasis in Astronautics. The Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree programs in Astronautics combine basic science and engineering classes with specialized classes in space technology. The Certificate in Astronautics targets practicing engineers and scientists who enter space-related fields and/or who want to obtain training in specific space-related areas. Many specialized graduate classes are taught by adjunct faculty working at the leading space companies. The Master of Science degree and Certificate are available entirely through the USC Distance Education Network (DEN). Today, the Internet allows us to reach students anywhere in the world through webcasting. The majority of our graduate students, as well as those pursuing the Certificate, work full time as engineers in the space industry and government research and development centers while earning their degrees. The new world of distance learning presents new challenges and opens new opportunities. Distance learning, and particularly the introduction of webcasting, transform the organization of the graduate program and class delivery. We describe in detail the program's academic focus, student reach, and structure of program components. Program development is illustrated by the student enrollment dynamics and related industrial trends; the lessons learned emphasize the importance of feedback from the students and from the space industry.

Energy Experiments for STEM Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fanchi, John

2011-03-01

Texas Christian University (TCU) is developing an undergraduate program that prepares students to become engineers with an emphasis in energy systems. One of the courses in the program is a technical overview of traditional energy (coal, oil and gas), nuclear energy, and renewable energy that requires as a pre-requisite two semesters of calculus-based physics. Energy experiments are being developed that will facilitate student involvement and provide hands-on learning opportunities. Students participating in the course will improve their understanding of energy systems; be introduced to outstanding scientific and engineering problems; learn about the role of energy in a global and societal context; and evaluate contemporary issues associated with energy. This talk will present the status of experiments being developed for the technical energy survey course.

Advanced educational program in optoelectronics for undergraduates and graduates in electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vladescu, Marian; Schiopu, Paul

2015-02-01

The optoelectronics education included in electronics curricula at Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology of "Politehnica" University of Bucharest started in early '90s, and evolved constantly since then, trying to address the growing demand of engineers with a complex optoelectronics profile and to meet the increased requirements of microelectronics, optoelectronics, and lately nanotechnologies. Our goal is to provide a high level of theoretical background combined with advanced experimental tools in laboratories, and also with simulation platforms. That's why we propose an advanced educational program in optoelectronics for both grades of our study program, bachelor and master.

The 2013 Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Program at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castelaz, Michael W.; Cline, J. D.; Whitworth, C.; Clavier, D.; Barker, T.

2014-01-01

Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) offers summer undergraduate research internships. PARI has received support for the internships from the EMC Corporation, private donations, private foundations, and through a collaboration with the Pisgah Astronomical Research and Education Center of the University of North Carolina - Asheville. The internship program began in 2001 with 4 students. This year 10 funded students participated. Mentors for the interns include PARI’s Directors of Science, Education, and Information Technology and visiting faculty who are members of the PARI Research Faculty Affiliate program. Students work with mentors on radio and optical astronomy research, electrical engineering for robotic control of instruments, software development for instrument control and and science education by developing curricula and multimedia and teaching high school students in summer programs at PARI. At the end of the summer interns write a paper about their research which is published in the PARI Summer Student Proceedings. Students are encouraged to present their research at AAS Meetings. We will present a summary of specific research conducted by the students with their mentors.

Pyroelectric Crystal Accelerator In The Department Of Physics And Nuclear Engineering At West Point

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gillich, Don; Kovanen, Andrew; Anderson, Tom

The Nuclear Science and Engineering Research Center (NSERC), a Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) office located at the United States Military Academy (USMA), sponsors and manages cadet and faculty research in support of DTRA objectives. The NSERC has created an experimental pyroelectric crystal accelerator program to enhance undergraduate education at USMA in the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering. This program provides cadets with hands-on experience in designing their own experiments using an inexpensive tabletop accelerator. This device uses pyroelectric crystals to ionize and accelerate gas ions to energies of {approx}100 keV. Within the next year, cadets and faculty atmore » USMA will use this device to create neutrons through the deuterium-deuterium (D-D) fusion process, effectively creating a compact, portable neutron generator. The double crystal pyroelectric accelerator will also be used by students to investigate neutron, x-ray, and ion spectroscopy.« less

Teaching And Training Tools For The Undergraduate: Experience With A Rebuilt AN-400 Accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Andrew D.

2011-06-01

There is an increasingly recognized need for people trained in a broad range of applied nuclear science techniques, indicated by reports from the American Physical Society and elsewhere. Anecdotal evidence suggests that opportunities for hands-on training with small particle accelerators have diminished in the US, as development programs established in the 1960's and 1970's have been decommissioned over recent decades. Despite the reduced interest in the use of low energy accelerators in fundamental research, these machines can offer a powerful platform for bringing unique training opportunities to the undergraduate curriculum in nuclear physics, engineering and technology. We report here on the new MSU Applied Nuclear Science Lab, centered around the rebuild of an AN400 electrostatic accelerator. This machine is run entirely by undergraduate students under faculty supervision, allowing a great deal of freedom in its use without restrictions from graduate or external project demands.

Teaching And Training Tools For The Undergraduate: Experience With A Rebuilt AN-400 Accelerator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roberts, Andrew D.

2011-06-01

There is an increasingly recognized need for people trained in a broad range of applied nuclear science techniques, indicated by reports from the American Physical Society and elsewhere. Anecdotal evidence suggests that opportunities for hands-on training with small particle accelerators have diminished in the US, as development programs established in the 1960's and 1970's have been decommissioned over recent decades. Despite the reduced interest in the use of low energy accelerators in fundamental research, these machines can offer a powerful platform for bringing unique training opportunities to the undergraduate curriculum in nuclear physics, engineering and technology. We report here onmore » the new MSU Applied Nuclear Science Lab, centered around the rebuild of an AN400 electrostatic accelerator. This machine is run entirely by undergraduate students under faculty supervision, allowing a great deal of freedom in its use without restrictions from graduate or external project demands.« less

Differences in Chemical Engineering Student-Faculty Interactions by Student Age and Experience at a Large, Public, Research University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciston, Shannon; Sehgal, Sanya; Mikel, Tressa; Carnasciali, Maria-Isabel

2018-01-01

Adult undergraduate students aged 25+ in engineering disciplines are an important demographic bringing a wealth of life experience to the classroom. This study uses qualitative data drawn from semi-structured interviews with two groups of undergraduate chemical engineering students at a large, public research university: adult students with…

Co-Curricular Connections: The Role of Undergraduate Research Experiences in Promoting Engineering Students' Communication, Teamwork, and Leadership Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Deborah Faye; Ro, Hyun Kyoung; Alcott, Benjamin; Lattuca, Lisa R.

2016-01-01

This study examined the impact of undergraduate research (UR) in engineering, focusing on three particular learning outcomes: communication, teamwork, and leadership. The study included 5126 students across 31 colleges of engineering. The authors employed propensity score matching method to address the selection bias for selection into (and…

Engineering Undergraduates' Views of A-Level Mathematics and Further Mathematics as Preparation for Their Degree

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darlington, Ellie; Bowyer, Jessica

2017-01-01

An ongoing reform programme of the post-16 Advanced "A"-level qualifications in England and Wales means that pre-university mathematics content and assessment will change from 2017. Undergraduate engineering is a subject that relies heavily on mathematics, and applicants to engineering degree programmes in the UK are required to have…

Connecting Physics Bachelors to Their Dream Jobs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, Shouvik

2013-01-01

People who earn bachelor’s degrees in physics are highly employable. Employers value the skills that physics bachelor’s recipients acquire and develop over their four years of a college education, such as complex problem solving, advanced mathematics, teamwork and programming. The Career Pathways Project of the American Institute of Physics (AIP) aims to better prepare physics undergraduates for the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce. This presentation will include a discussion of common features among departments visited by the AIP’s Career Pathways team, ideas for a career workshop for physics undergraduates, and advice on how to make the most out of a job fair and how to start effective online professional networking.

Awhina Revolution: A Bayesian Analysis of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Completion Rates from a Program for Maori and Pacific Success in STEM Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Ken; Clark, Zaramasina; Gaines, Michael; Kingi, Hautahi; Miller, Sonja; Pearson, Willie, Jr.; Richardson, Liz

2018-01-01

Maori and Pacific students generally do not attain the same levels of tertiary success as New Zealanders of European descent, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Te Ropu Awhina (Awhina), an equity initiative at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand between 1999 and 2015, aimed to produce…

Forging Strategic Business Partnerships to Develop the 21st Century Workforce: A Case Study of the University of Houston's Undergraduate Petroleum Engineering Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Business-Higher Education Forum, 2013

2013-01-01

The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) is committed to aligning education and the workforce to create the talent and capacity for innovation necessary to keep regions, states, and the nation economically competitive. As part of that work, BHEF strives to analyze the factors that contribute to effective business and higher education…

Topography of Learning Style Preferences of Undergraduate Students in Industrial Technology and Engineering Programs at Historically Black and Predominantly White Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fazarro, Dominick E.; Stevens, Anthony

2004-01-01

There has been a growing awareness among educators of the increasing diversity in college classrooms. Currently, institutions are seeing an increase in students of color who are pursuing advanced degrees. An understanding of how individuals or groups of individuals learn is essential to designing and implementing the shift in teaching practice so…

Selection of software for mechanical engineering undergraduates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheah, C. T.; Yin, C. S.; Halim, T.

A major problem with the undergraduate mechanical course is the limited exposure of students to software packages coupled with the long learning curve on the existing software packages. This work proposes the use of appropriate software packages for the entire mechanical engineering curriculum to ensure students get sufficient exposure real life design problems. A variety of software packages are highlighted as being suitable for undergraduate work in mechanical engineering, e.g. simultaneous non-linear equations; uncertainty analysis; 3-D modeling software with the FEA; analysis tools for the solution of problems in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, mechanical system design, and solid mechanics.

Undergraduate Research in Physics as a course for Engineering and Computer Science Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, James; Rueckert, Franz; Sirokman, Greg

2017-01-01

Undergraduate research has become more and more integral to the functioning of higher educational institutions. At many institutions undergraduate research is conducted as capstone projects in the pure sciences, however, science faculty at some schools (including that of the authors) face the challenge of not having science majors. Even at these institutions, a select population of high achieving engineering students will often express a keen interest in conducting pure science research. Since a foray into science research provides the student the full exposure to the scientific method and scientific collaboration, the experience can be quite rewarding and beneficial to the development of the student as a professional. To this end, the authors have been working to find new contexts in which to offer research experiences to non- science majors, including a new undergraduate research class conducted by physics and chemistry faculty. An added benefit is that these courses are inherently interdisciplinary. Students in the engineering and computer science fields step into physics and chemistry labs to solve science problems, often invoking their own relevant expertise. In this paper we start by discussing the common themes and outcomes of the course. We then discuss three particular projects that were conducted with engineering students and focus on how the undergraduate research experience enhanced their already rigorous engineering curriculum.

NASA/OAI Collaborative Aerospace Internship and Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The NASA/OAI Collaborative Aerospace Internship and Fellowship Program is a collaborative undertaking by the Office of Educational Programs at the NASA Lewis Research Center and the Department of Workforce Enhancement at the Ohio Aerospace Institute. This program provides 12 or 14 week internships and 10 or 12 week fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students of science and engineering, and for secondary school teachers. Approximately 200 interns are selected to participate in this program and begin arriving the second week in May. Each intern is assigned a NASA mentor who facilitates a research assignment. An important aspect of the program is that it includes students with diverse social, cultural and economic backgrounds. The purpose of this report is to document the program accomplishments for 1994.

NASA/OAI Collaborative Aerospace Internship and Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The NASA/OAI Collaborative Aerospace Internship and Fellowship Program is a collaborative undertaking by the Office of Educational Programs at the NASA Lewis Research Center and the Department of Workforce Enhancement at the Ohio Aerospace Institute. This program provides 12 or 14 week internships and 10 or 12 week fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students of science and engineering, and for secondary school teachers. Approximately 150 interns are selected to participate in this program and begin arriving the second week in May. Each intern is assigned a NASA mentor who facilitates a research assignment. An important aspect of the program is that it includes students with diverse social, cultural and economic backgrounds. The purpose of this report is to document the program accomplishments for 1995.

A Qatari perspective on women in the engineering pipeline: an exploratory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fauziah Sulaiman, Noor; AlMuftah, Hend

2010-10-01

Under-representation of women in engineering has received a great deal of attention, but remained limited largely to a Western context. Thus, this article aims to unveil the barriers to progress, tracking the performance and the emerging trend of success at the undergraduate level of women in engineering in a different cultural dimension. Secondary research, particularly statistical data of female undergraduate engineering students at Qatar University (QU), is used in this study. Findings show that the booming economic development and access to modern education are the key drivers that change the position of women in Qatari society. A shift away from a masculine-dominated society to a more balance masculine/feminine society was identified as the impetus for better enrolment and achievement of female engineering students in Qatar. Similar to the trend in the USA, recruitment and not retention was the reason behind the under-representation of female undergraduate engineering students at QU.

A Survey of Campus Coordinators of Undergraduate Research Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hensley, Merinda Kaye; Shreeves, Sarah L.; Davis-Kahl, Stephanie

2015-01-01

Interest in supporting undergraduate research programs continues to grow within academic librarianship. This article presents how undergraduate research program coordinators perceive and value library support of their programs. Undergraduate research coordinators from a variety of institutions were surveyed on which elements of libraries and…

Adsorption laboratory experiment for undergraduate chemical engineering: Introducing kinetic, equilibrium and thermodynamic concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muryanto, S.; Djatmiko Hadi, S.

2016-11-01

Adsorption laboratory experiment for undergraduate chemical engineering program is discussed. The experiment demonstrated adsorption of copper ions commonly found in wastewater using bio-sorbent, i.e. agricultural wastes. The adsorption was performed in a batch mode under various parameters: adsorption time (up to 120 min), initial pH (2 to 6), adsorbent dose (2.0 to 12.0 g L-1), adsorbent size (50 to 170 mesh), initial Cu2+ concentration (25 to 100 ppm) and temperatures (room temp to 40°C). The equilibrium and kinetic data of the experiments were calculated using the two commonly used isotherms: Langmuir and Lagergren pseudo-first-order kinetics. The maximum adsorption capacity for Cu2+ was found as 94.34 mg g-1. Thermodynamically, the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The calculated activation energy for the adsorption was observed as high as 127.94 kJ mol-1. Pedagogically, the experiment was assumed to be important in increasing student understanding of kinetic, equilibrium and thermodynamic concepts.

Exploring the undergraduate experience of Latina students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors: Motivators and strategies for achieving baccalaureate attainment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carbajal, Sandy C.

Drawing from Latino/a Critical Race Theory and the related Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) model, I concentrate on three forms of CCW---aspirational, navigational, and resistance capital---for this qualitative study on the undergraduate experience of Latina students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors, focusing on strategies and achieving baccalaureate attainment. I interviewed ten Latina students and asked them questions regarding their educational experiences in STEM majors, what contributed to their degree completion, and the strategies they employed for achieving baccalaureate attainment. I identified and described six themes within the study (the underrepresentation of Latinas in STEM majors, the lack of preparation by academic programs for upper division courses, motivators, involvement, time management, and support networks) that, when combined, contributed to participants' degree attainment. This study concludes with implications for policy and practice that would allow universities to better assist Latinas in STEM majors to achieve baccalaureate attainment.

Attributes and characteristics of the Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement (MESA) high school program for first-generation Latino students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores, Ramon

This study used a web-based survey collected data from 28 first-generation Latino engineers who participated in the Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement (MESA) program during their high school years. From the set of 28 respondents, 5 volunteered to participate in an optional telephone interview. The purpose of this study was to describe the critical attributes and characteristics of the MESA program that lead to success at both the high school and college levels for first-generation Latino students. Success at the high school level was operationally defined as successfully graduating with a high school diploma. Success at the college level was operationally defined here as college graduation with an engineering degree. Using a mixed-methods technique, the researcher attempted to secure consensus of opinion from a sample population of 28 first-generation Latino engineers. The mixed-methods technique was chosen since it allowed the researcher to draw on the strengths of quantitative and qualitative approaches. According to the findings, the typical respondent felt that mentoring was the attribute of the MESA program that most prepared him to graduate from high school. The respondents felt that the following MESA attributes most helped them transition into an undergraduate engineering program: Academic and University Advising; Enrichment Activities; Career Advising; Field Trips; Mentoring; Scholarship Incentive Awards; and Speakers. The respondents viewed study groups as the MESA attribute that best prepared them to graduate college with an engineering degree. This study was purposefully designed as a descriptive study. Future research is required to extend this work into an evaluative study. This would allow for the generalization of the critical attributes to the general student population serviced by the MESA program.

Women, Men, and Academic Performance in Science and Engineering: The Gender Difference in Undergraduate Grade Point Averages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sonnert, Gerhard; Fox, Mary Frank

2012-01-01

Using longitudinal and multi-institutional data, this article takes an innovative approach in its analyses of gender differences in grade point averages (GPA) among undergraduate students in biology, the physical sciences, and engineering over a 16-year period. Assessed are hypotheses about (a) the gender ecology of science/engineering and (b) the…

MIT Space Engineering Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crawley, Edward F.; Miller, David W.

1990-01-01

The Space Engineering Research Center (SERC) at MIT, started in Jul. 1988, has completed two years of research. The Center is approaching the operational phase of its first testbed, is midway through the construction of a second testbed, and is in the design phase of a third. We presently have seven participating faculty, four participating staff members, ten graduate students, and numerous undergraduates. This report reviews the testbed programs, individual graduate research, other SERC activities not funded by the Center, interaction with non-MIT organizations, and SERC milestones. Published papers made possible by SERC funding are included at the end of the report.

Astronautics Degrees for Space Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruntman, M.; Brodsky, R.; Erwin, D.; Kunc, J.

The Astronautics Program (http://astronautics.usc.edu) of the University of Southern California (USC) offers a full set of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Aerospace Engineering with emphasis in Astronautics. The Bachelor of Science degree program in Astronautics combines basic science and engineering classes with specialized astronautics classes. The Master of Science degree program in Astronautics offers classes in various areas of space technology. The Certificate in Astronautics targets practicing engineers and scientists who enter space-related fields and/or who want to obtain training in specific space-related areas. Many specialized graduate classes are taught by adjunct faculty working at the leading space companies. The Master of Science degree and Certificate are available through the USC Distance Education Network (DEN). Today, the Internet allows us to reach students anywhere in the world through webcasting. The majority of our graduate students, as well as those pursuing the Certificate, work full time as engineers in the space industry and government research and development centers. The new world of distance learning presents new challenges and opens new opportunities. We show how the transformation of distance learning and particularly the introduction of webcasting transform organization of the program and class delivery. We will describe in detail the academic focus of the program, student reach, and structure of program components. Program development is illustrated by the student enrollment dynamics and related industrial trends; the lessons learned emphasize the importance of feedback from the students and from the space industry.

Numerical Problem Solving Using Mathcad in Undergraduate Reaction Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parulekar, Satish J.

2006-01-01

Experience in using a user-friendly software, Mathcad, in the undergraduate chemical reaction engineering course is discussed. Example problems considered for illustration deal with simultaneous solution of linear algebraic equations (kinetic parameter estimation), nonlinear algebraic equations (equilibrium calculations for multiple reactions and…

Educational initiative for EE/RE engineering skills: Solar Two student interns. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Norbeck, J.M.

1997-07-01

The US Department of Energy sponsored five student interns from the University of California, Riverside, College of Engineering to work during the summer of 1996 at the Solar Two Energy facility in the Mojave Desert. Through the DOE intern program, engineering students supported the Solar Two Project under the supervision of engineers from Southern California Edison. The prime purpose was to provide outreach and educational support for expanding interactions with university students to increase awareness of careers in renewable energy and energy efficiency fields. The College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) coordinated this project. CE-CERT is primarilymore » a research facility focusing on air pollution and energy efficiency. CE-CERT serves undergraduate and graduate students by employing them on research projects, supporting them in the research and experimentation required for Senior Design Projects, and sponsoring them in student engineering competitions.« less

Undergraduate research studies program at participating institutions of the HBCU fossil energy consortium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bhatia, S.C.; Cardelino, B.H.; Hall, J.H. Jr.

1990-04-30

The objectives of this research program are to expose students in minority institutions to energy and fossil fuels research, to stimulate their interest in the sciences and engineering, and to encourage them to pursue graduate studies, thereby ensuring the necessary supply of manpower for the industrial and energy sectors of the national economy. This report describes a project focused on the surface chemical properties of coal and their influence on the adsorption of aqueous soluble catalyst metals, and research on the characterization of coal liquids. 2 refs., 1 fig.

Student Outreach With Renewable Energy Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Eric B. (Technical Monitor); Buffinger, D.; Fuller, C.; Kalu, A.

2003-01-01

The Student Outreach with Renewable Energy Technology (SORET) program is a joint grant that involves a collaboration between three HBCU's (Central State University, Savannah State University, and Wilberforce University) and NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field. The overall goal of the grant is to increase the interest of minority students in the technical disciplines, to encourage participating minority students to continue their undergraduate study in these disciplines, and to promote graduate school to these students. As a part of SORET, Central State University has developed an undergraduate research associates program over the past two years. As part of this program, students are required to take special laboratory courses offered at Wilberforce University that involve the application of renewable energy systems. The course requires the students to design, construct, and install a renewable energy project. In addition to the applied renewable energy course, Central State University provided four undergraduate research associates the opportunity to participate in summer internships at Texas Southern University (Renewable Energy Environmental Protection Program) and the Cleveland African-American Museum (Renewable Energy Summer Camp for High School Students) an activity co sponsored by NASA and the Cleveland African-American Museum. Savannah State University held a high school summer program with a theme of the Direct Impact of Science on Our Every Day Lives. The purpose of the institute was to whet the interest of students in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) by demonstrating the effectiveness of science to address real world problems. The 2001 institute involved the design and installation of a PV water pumping system at the Center for Advanced Water Technology and Energy Systems at Savannah State. Both high school students and undergraduates contributed to this project. Wilberforce University has used NASA support to provide resources for an Applied Renewable Energy Laboratory offered to both Central State and Wilberforce students. In addition, research endeavors for high school and undergraduates were funded during the summer. The research involved attempts to layer photovoltaic materials on a conducting polymer (polypyrrole) substrate. Two undergraduate students who were interested in polymer research originated this concept. Finally, the university was able to purchase a meteorological station to assist in the analysis of the solar/wind hybrid power system operating at the university.

A community-based, interdisciplinary rehabilitation engineering course.

PubMed

Lundy, Mary; Aceros, Juan

2016-08-01

A novel, community-based course was created through collaboration between the School of Engineering and the Physical Therapy program at the University of North Florida. This course offers a hands-on, interdisciplinary training experience for undergraduate engineering students through team-based design projects where engineering students are partnered with physical therapy students. Students learn the process of design, fabrication and testing of low-tech and high-tech rehabilitation technology for children with disabilities, and are exposed to a clinical experience under the guidance of licensed therapists. This course was taught in two consecutive years and pre-test/post-test data evaluating the impact of this interprofessional education experience on the students is presented using the Public Service Motivation Scale, Civic Actions Scale, Civic Attitudes Scale, and the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale.

Collaborative Learning Works! Resources for Faculty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathieu, R. D.; Brissenden, G.; NISE College Level-1 Team

1998-12-01

Recent calls for instructional innovation in undergraduate science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) courses highlight the need for a solid foundation of education research at the undergraduate level on which to base policy and practice. We report the results of a meta-analysis that integrates research on undergraduate SMET education since 1980. The meta-analysis demonstrates that various forms of small-group learning are effective in promoting greater academic achievement, more favorable attitudes toward learning, and increased persistence through SMET courses and programs. The magnitude of the effects reported in this study exceeds most findings in comparable reviews of research on educational innovations and supports more widespread implementation of small-group learning in undergraduate SMET courses. We have created a web-site to assist instructors who wish to incorporate collaborative learning in their lectures, classrooms, and laboratories. The site provides straightforward, easy-to-use ideas for those just getting started, extensive additional resources for those already using small-group techniques, and the educational research foundation for the use of collaborative learning (including the meta-analysis). You can visit the site at www.wcer.wisc.edu/nise/cl1.

Excel spreadsheet in teaching numerical methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djamila, Harimi

2017-09-01

One of the important objectives in teaching numerical methods for undergraduates’ students is to bring into the comprehension of numerical methods algorithms. Although, manual calculation is important in understanding the procedure, it is time consuming and prone to error. This is specifically the case when considering the iteration procedure used in many numerical methods. Currently, many commercial programs are useful in teaching numerical methods such as Matlab, Maple, and Mathematica. These are usually not user-friendly by the uninitiated. Excel spreadsheet offers an initial level of programming, which it can be used either in or off campus. The students will not be distracted with writing codes. It must be emphasized that general commercial software is required to be introduced later to more elaborated questions. This article aims to report on a teaching numerical methods strategy for undergraduates engineering programs. It is directed to students, lecturers and researchers in engineering field.

[Research-oriented experimental course of plant cell and gene engineering for undergraduates].

PubMed

Xiaofei, Lin; Rong, Zheng; Morigen, Morigen

2015-04-01

Research-oriented comprehensive experimental course for undergraduates is an important part for their training of innovation. We established an optional course of plant cell and gene engineering for undergraduates using our research platform. The course is designed to study the cellular and molecular basis and experimental techniques for plant tissue culture, isolation and culture of protoplast, genetic transformation, and screening and identification of transgenic plants. To develop undergraduates' ability in experimental design and operation, and inspire their interest in scientific research and innovation consciousness, we integrated experimental teaching and practice in plant genetic engineering on the tissue, cellular, and molecular levels. Students in the course practiced an experimental teaching model featured by two-week teaching of principles, independent experimental design and bench work, and ready-to-access laboratory. In this paper, we describe the contents, methods, evaluation system and a few issues to be solved in this course, as well as the general application and significance of the research-oriented experimental course in reforming undergraduates' teaching and training innovative talents.

Persistence of Undergraduate Women in STEM Fields

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedone, Maggie Helene

2016-01-01

The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a complex problem that continues to persist at the postsecondary level, particularly in computer science and engineering fields. This dissertation explored the pre-college and college level factors that influenced undergraduate women's persistence in…

Action Learning in Undergraduate Engineering Thesis Supervision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stappenbelt, Brad

2017-01-01

In the present action learning implementation, twelve action learning sets were conducted over eight years. The action learning sets consisted of students involved in undergraduate engineering research thesis work. The concurrent study accompanying this initiative investigated the influence of the action learning environment on student approaches…

A Study of The Influence of Advising on Underrepresented Minority Undergraduate Student Persistence in STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weir, Michael J.

In the United States, undergraduate underrepresented minority (URM) students tend to change out of declared majors in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines at a rate of nearly sixty percent prior to earning a post secondary degree. This phenomenon contributes to a general concern that the United States is not producing enough STEM trained skilled workers to meet future employment needs of industry and government. Although there has been research developed to examine how to increase the numbers of URM students enrolling in STEM programs at higher education institutions, retention of these students remains critical. One area of increasing focus for researchers is to understand how multiple factors impact the college experience of URM students and how those factors may contribute to the student decision to persist in earning a STEM disciple degree. This research study is a phenomenological mixed method study that examines how students experience the phenomenon of advising and the influence of the advising experience of undergraduate URM students on their likelihood of persisting in STEM at a northeast US technology oriented post secondary institution. Persistence, from the perspective of the student, is driven by cognitive psychological attributes such as confidence, motivation and self-efficacy. Utilizing a Social Cognitive theoretical framework, this study examines how three distinct undergraduate URM student populations enrolled in; an Academic Services Program, Honors College, and the general undergraduate population at this institution experience advising and how their experiences may influence their propensity to persist in earning a STEM oriented degree.

Research Experience for Undergraduate Students and Its Impact on STEM Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhan, Wei

2014-01-01

Research experience has been proven to be effective in enhancing the overall educational experience for undergraduate students. In this article, two engineering research projects with undergraduate students involvement are discussed. The projects provided the undergraduate student researchers with motivation for independent research work and…

Retaining Underrepresented Minority Undergraduates in STEM through Hands-on Internship Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bamzai, A.; Mcpherson, R. A.; DeLong, K. L.; Rivera-Monroy, V. H.; Zak, J.; Earl, J.; Owens, K.; Wilson, D.

2015-12-01

The U.S. Department of the Interior's South Central Climate Science Center (SCCSC) hosts an annual 3-week summer internship opportunity for undergraduate students of underrepresented minorities interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Internship participants travel across the south-central U.S. to visit university campuses and field locations. The students interact with faculty conducting cutting edge research and with resource managers facing decision-making under uncertainty. This internship format allows the participants to see the direct impacts of climate variability and change on the Texas Hill Country, prairie and forest ecosystems and tribal cultures in Oklahoma, and the bayous, delta and coastline of Louisiana. Immersive experiences are key for exposing students to academic research and providing them with the skills and experiences needed to continue on in their professional careers. The SCCSC's program introduces students to how research is conducted, gives them a broad perspective on how collaborations form, and starts each student on the path to building a large and diverse professional network. By providing participants with a "buffet" of options, our internship serves as a launching pad from which each student can move forward towards experiences such as participating in a Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, gaining employment in a STEM-related career path, and being accepted into a graduate degree program. This presentation will describe the components of the SCCSC's internship program and provide a summary of post-internship student successes.

A broadly implementable research course in phage discovery and genomics for first-year undergraduate students.

PubMed

Jordan, Tuajuanda C; Burnett, Sandra H; Carson, Susan; Caruso, Steven M; Clase, Kari; DeJong, Randall J; Dennehy, John J; Denver, Dee R; Dunbar, David; Elgin, Sarah C R; Findley, Ann M; Gissendanner, Chris R; Golebiewska, Urszula P; Guild, Nancy; Hartzog, Grant A; Grillo, Wendy H; Hollowell, Gail P; Hughes, Lee E; Johnson, Allison; King, Rodney A; Lewis, Lynn O; Li, Wei; Rosenzweig, Frank; Rubin, Michael R; Saha, Margaret S; Sandoz, James; Shaffer, Christopher D; Taylor, Barbara; Temple, Louise; Vazquez, Edwin; Ware, Vassie C; Barker, Lucia P; Bradley, Kevin W; Jacobs-Sera, Deborah; Pope, Welkin H; Russell, Daniel A; Cresawn, Steven G; Lopatto, David; Bailey, Cheryl P; Hatfull, Graham F

2014-02-04

Engaging large numbers of undergraduates in authentic scientific discovery is desirable but difficult to achieve. We have developed a general model in which faculty and teaching assistants from diverse academic institutions are trained to teach a research course for first-year undergraduate students focused on bacteriophage discovery and genomics. The course is situated within a broader scientific context aimed at understanding viral diversity, such that faculty and students are collaborators with established researchers in the field. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) course has been widely implemented and has been taken by over 4,800 students at 73 institutions. We show here that this alliance-sourced model not only substantially advances the field of phage genomics but also stimulates students' interest in science, positively influences academic achievement, and enhances persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Broad application of this model by integrating other research areas with large numbers of early-career undergraduate students has the potential to be transformative in science education and research training. Engagement of undergraduate students in scientific research at early stages in their careers presents an opportunity to excite students about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and promote continued interests in these areas. Many excellent course-based undergraduate research experiences have been developed, but scaling these to a broader impact with larger numbers of students is challenging. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance Phage Hunting Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program takes advantage of the huge size and diversity of the bacteriophage population to engage students in discovery of new viruses, genome annotation, and comparative genomics, with strong impacts on bacteriophage research, increased persistence in STEM fields, and student self-identification with learning gains, motivation, attitude, and career aspirations.

GREEN ENGINEERING TO REDUCE THE USE OF PETROLEUM ENERGY RESOURCES. PHASE I. USE OF SUSTAINABLE SOURCES OF FEEDSTOCKS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIODIESEL FUEL – AN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

SHORT TERM TASKS:

1. Compare the properties of biodiesel produced from other plant oils that are available in some of the third-world countries or are not in competition as a food product. Examine how the differences relate to the chemical composition of the oils ...

2. Undergraduate optics program for the 21st Century

   NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

   Palmer, James M.

   2002-05-01

   We have been offering a successful BS degree in optical engineering for the past ten years. We have produced more than 100 graduates, highly trained in basic optics and electronics. Our Industrial Affiliates, while very pleased with our graduates, requested that we produce some with greater mechanical engineering skills and knowledge. Our response was the creation of a new degree program, retaining the virtues of the previous one, but allowing a high degree of flexibility through the inclusion of minors within the program. The new program allows sufficient room for a variety of minors. Engineering minors identified include aerospace, computer, electrical, materials and mechanical. Science minors include astronomy, computer science, math and physics. Non-science minors accommodated include business, pre-health and pre-law. The new BSO program features: (1) Better structure and flow, more tightly coupling related classes; (2) New laboratory classes for juniors, linked to lecture classes; (3) Expanded optical deign, fabrication and testing classes; (4) New class in electronics for optics; (5) New classes in fiber optics and optical communications; (6) New capstone/senior project class for ABET compliance. This new BSO program will produce better entry-level optical scientists and engineers, and better candidates for graduate school. Our interactions with the external community will provide inputs concerning industrial needs, leading towards improved student counseling and program development. We will better serve national needs for skilled personnel in optics, and contribute even more to the optics workforce pipeline.

3. Pre-freshman enrichment program [University of New Haven

   DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

   NONE

   1997-06-01

   The Connecticut Pre-Engineering Program, Inc. (CPEP), is a collaboration of school districts, businesses, colleges, universities, government and community organizations whose mission and program efforts are aimed at increasing the pool of African-American, Hispanic, Native-American Indian, Asian American, Women and other under-represented minority students who pursue mathematics, science, engineering and other technological based college study and careers. CPEP provides enrichment programs and activities throughout the year in New Haven. Since 1987, CPEP has sponsored summer enrichment programs designed to motivate and stimulate middle school and high school students to pursue careers in mathematics, science, engineering and other technology related fields. Throughmore » the Summer Enrichment Program, CPEP has been able to better prepare under-represented and urban students with skills that will facilitate their accessing colleges and professionals careers. The essential premise of the program design and academic content is that targeted students must be taught and nurtured as to develop their self-confidence and personal ambitions so that they can seriously plan for and commit to college-level studies. The program stresses multi-disciplinary hands-on science and mathematics experience, group learning and research, and career exploration and academic guidance. Students study under the direction of school teachers and role model undergraduate students. Weekly field trips to industrial sites, science centers and the shoreline are included in this program.« less

4. Development of a problem - based learning (PBL) and cooperative learning (CL) transportation engineering course For undergraduate students.

   DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

   2008-08-01

   This study reports the findings of a project that was done during the implementation of a : problem-based learning (PBL) and cooperative learning (CL) elements into an : undergraduate transportation engineering course. The study procedure used the st...

5. A Research Experiences for Undergraduates program (REU) Program Designed to Recruit, Engage and Prepare a Diverse Student Population for Careers in Ocean Sciences.

   NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

   Clarkston, B. E.; Garza, C.

   2016-02-01

   The problem of improving diversity within the Ocean Sciences workforce—still underperforming relative to other scientific disciplines—can only be addressed by first recruiting and engaging a more diverse student population into the discipline, then retaining them in the workforce. California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) is home to the Monterey Bay Regional Ocean Science Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. As an HSI with strong ties to multiple regional community colleges and other Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) in the CSU system, the Monterey Bay REU is uniquely positioned to address the crucial recruitment and engagement of a diverse student body. Eleven sophomore and junior-level undergraduate students are recruited per year from academic institutions where research opportunities in STEM are limited and from groups historically underrepresented in the Ocean Sciences, including women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, and veterans. During the program, students engage in a 10-week original research project guided by a faculty research mentor in one of four themes: Oceanography, Marine Biology and Ecology, Ocean Engineering, and Marine Geology. In addition to research, students develop scientific self-efficacy and literacy skills through rigorous weekly professional development workshops in which they practice critical thinking, ethical decision-making, peer review, writing and oral communication skills. These workshops include tangible products such as an NSF-style proposal paper, Statement of Purpose and CV modelled for the SACNAS Travel Award Application, research abstract, scientific report and oral presentation. To help retain students in Ocean Sciences, students build community during the REU by living together in the CSUMB dormitories; post-REU, students stay connected through an online facebook group, LinkedIn page and group webinars. To date, the REU has supported 22 students in two cohorts (2014, 2015) and here we present successes, challenges and lessons learned for an innovative program designed to recruit, engage and prepare students for Ocean Science careers.

6. Development of a global education environment to study the Equatorial Ionosphere with Cognitive Radars

   NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

   Urbina, J. V.

   2011-12-01

   The author has recently been awarded the NSF Career award to develop a radar with cognitive sensing capabilities to study Equatorial plasma instabilities in the Peruvian Andes. Educational research has shown that a rich learning environment contributes tremendously toward improvement in learning achievements and also attitudes toward studies. One of the benefits of this project is that it provides such an environment and a global platform to involve several students at both graduate and undergraduate levels from the US, Puerto Rico, and Peru, and who will benefit from designing, installing, and deploying a radar in multi-instrument science campaigns. In addition to working in the laboratories, students will gain invaluable real world experience building this complex instrument and making it work under challenging conditions at remote sites. The PI will describe how these components are being developed in a Freshman Seminar course and Graduate courses in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Penn State University, and how they are aligned well with the department's and university's strategy for greater global engagement through a network of Global Engagement Nodes in South America (GENSA). The issues of mentoring, recruitment, and retention become particularly important in consideration of the educational objective of this career project to involve underrepresented students with diverse backgrounds and interest them in research projects. The author is working very closely with the Office of Engineering Diversity to leverage existing programs at Penn State designed to increase the participation of women and minority students in science and engineering research: (a) WISER (Women In Science and Engineering Research), and (b) MURE (Minority Undergraduate Research Experience). The Electrical Engineering Department at Penn State is also currently an NSF REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) site. The PI will also present his efforts in connecting his career project in providing research experiences during summer to underrepresented groups as well as students from schools without extensive research environments.

7. Impact of a women's program for science, mathematics and engineering on undergraduate women: Activity systems on the periphery

   NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

   Kahveci, Ajda

   National reports such as National Science Foundation's highlight women's disproportionate distribution and differential treatment in the science, mathematics, and engineering (SM&E) fields, in both education and the workforce in the US. Women are less likely than men to choose a career that involves SM&E, and are more likely than men to earn bachelor's degrees in non-science and non-engineering fields. The need for support and encouragement is obvious for women already in college intending to pursue a major in a SM&E field. Comprehensive support networks can be and are established through programs for women entering college and willing to pursue careers in SM&E fields. The context of this research was the Program for Women in Science, Engineering and Mathematics (PWISEM) established in 2001 by a Southern teaching and research university in the US. I constructed a thorough theoretical lens by interweaving the theory of situated learning/legitimate peripheral participation and the cultural-historical activity theory. I explored the interactions and contradictions that affected the science identity formation of the PWISEM students, how they identified themselves as future scientists, and the key factors PWISEM involved in motivating and supporting women students in their intended SM&E majors. The design of the research was dominant-less dominant, the dominant approach being qualitative and the less-dominant being quantitative. The Program was successful in fostering the participation and retention of undergraduate women in SM&E. However, the women in the Program were more likely to internalize the status quo in the SM&E realms without actively challenging it (liberal feminist approach). To change the masculine culture embedded in SM&E, engaging in activism is essential. This research suggests that in fact, programs like PWISEM provide promising contexts for reforming the SM&E culture to be more appealing and inclusive of all. I suggest that there can be both explicit and implicit ways of transformation within such contexts and argue that the implicit approach is more powerful. This research also informs the theory of situated learning in that newcomer interactions are a key aspect and their actions should be understood to involve much more than knowledge circulation.

8. University of Wyoming College of Engineering undergraduate design projects to aid Wyoming persons with disabilities, a mid-program review.

   PubMed

   Barrett, Steven F; Gray, J Renee

   2005-01-01

   In Spring 2002 the University of Wyoming received National Science Foundation funding from the Division of Bioengineering and Environmental Systems to provide a meaningful design experience for University of Wyoming, College of Engineering students that will directly aid individuals with disabilities within the state of Wyoming. At the 2003 RMBS we presented a paper on the value of starting such a program. We have found that students receive a much richer capstone design experience when developing a project for direct use by a challenged individual. We are now approximately midway through this project. Since its inception the program has blossomed to include serving individuals in several regional states, outreach short courses to the community, projects have become of increasing difficulty and involve interdisciplinary teamwork, and many challenged individuals have been provided specialized one of a kind assistive devices. In this paper we will report on these advancements, lessons learned, and benefits received by participating in this vital program.

9. NASA Astrophysics EPO Community: Enhancing STEM Experience of Undergraduates

   NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

   Manning, J.; Meinke, B. K.; Lawton, B.; Smith, D. A.; Bartolone, L.; Schultz, G.; NASA Astrophysics EPO Community

   2015-11-01

   The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach (EPO) community and Forum work together to capitalize on the cutting-edge discoveries of NASA Astrophysics missions to enhance the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) experience of undergraduates. The NASA SMD Astrophysics EPO community has proven expertise in providing both professional development and resources to faculty at two- and four-year institutions and in offering internships and student collaboration opportunities. These mission- and grant-based EPO programs are uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. We present examples of how the NASA Astrophysics EPO community and Forum engage the higher education community in these ways, including associated metrics and evaluation findings.

10. Using an Undergraduate Materials Research Project to Foster Multidisciplinary Teaming Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newell, James A.; Cleary, Doug D.

    2004-01-01

    This paper describes the use of undergraduate materials multidisciplinary research projects as a means of addressing the growing industrial demand for graduates experienced in working in multidisciplinary teams. It includes a detailed description of a project in which a multidisciplinary team of chemical engineering and civil engineering students…

11. Evaluating Risk Awareness in Undergraduate Students Studying Mechanical Engineering

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Langdon, G. S.; Balchin, K.; Mufamadi, P.

    2010-01-01

    This paper examines the development of risk awareness among undergraduate students studying mechanical engineering at a South African university. A questionnaire developed at the University of Liverpool was modified and used on students from the first, second and third year cohorts to assess their awareness in the areas of professional…

12. Student Plagiarism and Faculty Responsibility in Undergraduate Engineering Labs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parameswaran, Ashvin; Devi, Poornima

    2006-01-01

    In undergraduate engineering labs, lab reports are routinely copied. By ignoring this form of plagiarism, teaching assistants and lab technicians neglect their role responsibility. By designing courses that facilitate it, however inadvertently, professors neglect their causal responsibility. Using the case of one university, we show via interviews…

13. Introducing Programmable Logic to Undergraduate Engineering Students in a Digital Electronics Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Todorovich, E.; Marone, J. A.; Vazquez, M.

    2012-01-01

    Due to significant technological advances and industry requirements, many universities have introduced programmable logic and hardware description languages into undergraduate engineering curricula. This has led to a number of logistical and didactical challenges, in particular for computer science students. In this paper, the integration of some…

14. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography in the Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Laboratory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frey, Douglas D.; Guo, Hui; Karnik, Nikhila

    2013-01-01

    This article describes the assembly of a simple, low-cost, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system and its use in the undergraduate chemical engineering laboratory course to perform simple experiments. By interpreting the results from these experiments students are able to gain significant experience in the general method of…

15. The Federal Role in Undergraduate Science and Engineering Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bloch, Erich

    The role of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in supporting college science and engineering education at the undergraduate level is discussed, along with important factors in the national environment, including economic challenges facing the country, and the foundation's relationship to research and education. Because of a shift to a global…

16. Peer Learning in a MATLAB Programming Course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reckinger, Shanon

    2016-11-01

    Three forms of research-based peer learning were implemented in the design of a MATLAB programming course for mechanical engineering undergraduate students. First, a peer learning program was initiated. These undergraduate peer learning leaders played two roles in the course, (I) they were in the classroom helping students' with their work, and, (II) they led optional two hour helps sessions outside of the class time. The second form of peer learning was implemented through the inclusion of a peer discussion period following in class clicker quizzes. The third form of peer learning had the students creating video project assignments and posting them on YouTube to explain course topics to their peers. Several other more informal techniques were used to encourage peer learning. Student feedback in the form of both instructor-designed survey responses and formal course evaluations (quantitative and narrative) will be presented. Finally, effectiveness will be measured by formal assessment, direct and indirect to these peer learning methods. This will include both academic data/grades and pre/post test scores. Overall, the course design and its inclusion of these peer learning techniques demonstrate effectiveness.

17. Correlation of admissions statistics to graduate student success in medical physics

    PubMed Central

    McSpadden, Erin; Rakowski, Joseph; Nalichowski, Adrian; Yudelev, Mark; Snyder, Michael

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this work is to develop metrics for evaluation of medical physics graduate student performance, assess relationships between success and other quantifiable factors, and determine whether graduate student performance can be accurately predicted by admissions statistics. A cohort of 108 medical physics graduate students from a single institution were rated for performance after matriculation based on final scores in specific courses, first year graduate Grade Point Average (GPA), performance on the program exit exam, performance in oral review sessions, and faculty rating. Admissions statistics including matriculating program (MS vs. PhD); undergraduate degree type, GPA, and country; graduate degree; general and subject GRE scores; traditional vs. nontraditional status; and ranking by admissions committee were evaluated for potential correlation with the performance metrics. GRE verbal and quantitative scores were correlated with higher scores in the most difficult courses in the program and with the program exit exam; however, the GRE section most correlated with overall faculty rating was the analytical writing section. Students with undergraduate degrees in engineering had a higher faculty rating than those from other disciplines and faculty rating was strongly correlated with undergraduate country. Undergraduate GPA was not statistically correlated with any success metrics investigated in this study. However, the high degree of selection on GPA and quantitative GRE scores during the admissions process results in relatively narrow ranges for these quantities. As such, these results do not necessarily imply that one should not strongly consider traditional metrics, such as undergraduate GPA and quantitative GRE score, during the admissions process. They suggest that once applicants have been initially filtered by these metrics, additional selection should be performed via the other metrics shown here to be correlated with success. The parameters used to make admissions decisions for our program are accurate in predicting student success, as illustrated by the very strong statistical correlation between admissions rank and course average, first year graduate GPA, and faculty rating (p<0.002). Overall, this study indicates that an undergraduate degree in physics should not be considered a fundamental requirement for entry into our program and that within the relatively narrow range of undergraduate GPA and quantitative GRE scores of those admitted into our program, additional variations in these metrics are not important predictors of success. While the high degree of selection on particular statistics involved in the admissions process, along with the relatively small sample size, makes it difficult to draw concrete conclusions about the meaning of correlations here, these results suggest that success in medical physics is based on more than quantitative capabilities. Specifically, they indicate that analytical and communication skills play a major role in student success in our program, as well as predicted future success by program faculty members. Finally, this study confirms that our current admissions process is effective in identifying candidates who will be successful in our program and are expected to be successful after graduation, and provides additional insight useful in improving our admissions selection process. PACS number: 01.40.‐d PMID:24423842

18. Engaging Undergraduates to Solve Global Health Challenges: A New Approach Based on Bioengineering Design

    PubMed Central

    Oden, Maria; Mirabal, Yvette; Epstein, Marc

    2010-01-01

    Recent reports have highlighted the need for educational programs to prepare students for careers developing and disseminating new interventions that improve global public health. Because of its multi-disciplinary, design-centered nature, the field of Biomedical Engineering can play an important role in meeting this challenge. This article describes a new program at Rice University to give undergraduate students from all disciplines a broad background in bioengineering and global health and provides an initial assessment of program impact. Working in partnership with health care providers in developing countries, students in the Beyond Traditional Borders (BTB) initiative learn about health challenges of the poor and put this knowledge to work immediately, using the engineering design process as a framework to formulate solutions to complex global health challenges. Beginning with a freshman design project and continuing through a capstone senior design course, the BTB curriculum uses challenges provided by partners in the developing world to teach students to integrate perspectives from multiple disciplines, and to develop leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. Exceptional students implement their designs under the guidance of clinicians through summer international internships. Since 2006, 333 students have designed more than 40 technologies and educational programs; 28 have been implemented in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, southeast Asia, and the United States. More than 18,000 people have benefited from these designs. 95% of alumni who completed an international internship reported that participation in the program changed or strengthened their career plans to include a focus on global health medicine, research, and/or policy. Empowering students to use bioengineering design to address real problems is an effective way to teach the new generation of leaders needed to solve global health challenges. PMID:20387116

19. SPARTNIK: Engineering catalyst for government and industry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prass, James D.; Romano, Thomas C.; Hunter, Jeanine M.

    1995-01-01

    Industrial demands for highly motivated and competent technical personnel to carry forward with the technological goals of the US has posed a significant challenge to graduating engineers. While curricula has improved and diversified over time to meet these industry demands, relevant industry experience is not always available to undergraduates. The microsatellite development program at San Jose State University (SJSU) has allowed an entire undergraduate senior class to utilize a broad range of training and education to refine their engineering skills, bringing them closer to becoming engineering professionals. Close interaction with industry mentors and manufacturers on a real world project provides a significant advantage to educators and students alike. With support from companies and government agencies, the students have designed and manufactured a microsatellite, designed to be launched into a low Earth orbit. This satellite will gather telemetry for characterizing the state of the spacecraft. This will enable the students to have a physical check on their predicted value of spacecraft subsystem performance. Additional experiments will also be undertaken during the two year lifetime, including micro-meteorite impact sensing and capturing digital color images of the Earth. This paper will detail the process whereby students designed, prototype and manufactured a small satellite in a large team environment, along with the experiments that will be performed on board. With the project's limited funds, it needed the support of many industry companies to help with technical issues and hardware acquisition. Among the many supporting companies, NASA's space shuttle small payloads program could be used for an affordable launch vehicle for the student project. The paper address these collaborations between the student project and industry support, as well as explaining the benefits to both. The paper draws conclusion on how these types of student projects can be used by industry as a feasible resource for developing small platforms for space based experiments, as well as increasing the practical experience and engineering knowledge of graduating students. These benefits to industry and universities, can lead to a close working relationship between the two. These types of projects can facilitate the development of low-cost space rated parts to be used by the industry and university projects. It can also help with the understanding and use of acceptable risk non-space rated parts reducing the cost of the spacecraft. This will lead to the development of low cost platforms for space based experiments, providing research companies an inexpensive, long duration platform to conduct their in-space experiments, while better preparing engineering undergraduates for their transition into the work force.

SPARTNIK: Engineering catalyst for government and industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prass, James D.; Romano, Thomas C.; Hunter, Jeanine M.

1995-09-01

Industrial demands for highly motivated and competent technical personnel to carry forward with the technological goals of the US has posed a significant challenge to graduating engineers. While curricula has improved and diversified over time to meet these industry demands, relevant industry experience is not always available to undergraduates. The microsatellite development program at San Jose State University (SJSU) has allowed an entire undergraduate senior class to utilize a broad range of training and education to refine their engineering skills, bringing them closer to becoming engineering professionals. Close interaction with industry mentors and manufacturers on a real world project provides a significant advantage to educators and students alike. With support from companies and government agencies, the students have designed and manufactured a microsatellite, designed to be launched into a low Earth orbit. This satellite will gather telemetry for characterizing the state of the spacecraft. This will enable the students to have a physical check on their predicted value of spacecraft subsystem performance. Additional experiments will also be undertaken during the two year lifetime, including micro-meteorite impact sensing and capturing digital color images of the Earth. This paper will detail the process whereby students designed, prototype and manufactured a small satellite in a large team environment, along with the experiments that will be performed on board. With the project's limited funds, it needed the support of many industry companies to help with technical issues and hardware acquisition. Among the many supporting companies, NASA's space shuttle small payloads program could be used for an affordable launch vehicle for the student project. The paper address these collaborations between the student project and industry support, as well as explaining the benefits to both. The paper draws conclusion on how these types of student projects can be used by industry as a feasible resource for developing small platforms for space based experiments, as well as increasing the practical experience and engineering knowledge of graduating students. These benefits to industry and universities, can lead to a close working relationship between the two. These types of projects can facilitate the development of low-cost space rated parts to be used by the industry and university projects. It can also help with the understanding and use of acceptable risk non-space rated parts reducing the cost of the spacecraft. This will lead to the development of low cost platforms for space based experiments, providing research companies an inexpensive, long duration platform to conduct their in-space experiments, while better preparing engineering undergraduates for their transition into the work force.

Undergraduate study in psychology: Curriculum and assessment.

PubMed

Norcross, John C; Hailstorks, Robin; Aiken, Leona S; Pfund, Rory A; Stamm, Karen E; Christidis, Peggy

2016-01-01

The undergraduate curriculum in psychology profoundly reflects and shapes the discipline. Yet, reliable information on the undergraduate psychology curriculum has been difficult to acquire due to insufficient research carried out on unrepresentative program samples with disparate methods. In 2014, APA launched the first systematic effort in a decade to gather national data on the psychology major and program outcomes. We surveyed a stratified random sample of department chairs/coordinators of accredited colleges and universities in the United States that offer undergraduate courses and programs in psychology. A total of 439 undergraduate psychology programs (45.2%) completed the survey. This article summarizes, for both associate and baccalaureate programs, the results of the Undergraduate Study in Psychology. Current practices concerning the introductory course, the courses offered, core requirements, the psychology minor, and tracks/concentrations are presented. The frequency of formal program reviews and program-level assessment methods are also addressed. By extending prior research on the undergraduate curriculum, we chronicle longitudinal changes in the psychology major over the past 20 years. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Undergraduate Research Experience in Ocean/Marine Science (URE-OMS) with African Student Component

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

The Undergraduate Research Experience in Ocean/Marine Science program supports active participation by underrepresented undergraduate students in remote sensing and Ocean/Marine Science research training activities. The program is based on a model for undergraduate research programs supported by the National Science Foundation . The

Development of an advanced undergraduate course in acoustics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gee, Kent L.; Neilsen, Tracianne B.; Sommerfeldt, Scott D.

2016-03-01

Within many physics undergraduate programs, acoustics is given only a cursory treatment, usually within an introductory course. Because acoustics is a natural vehicle for students to develop intuition about wave phenomena, an advanced undergraduate acoustics course has been developed at Brigham Young University. Although it remains an elective course, enrollment has increased steadily since its inception. The course has been taken by students in physics, applied physics, physics teaching, and mechanical and electrical engineering. In addition to providing training for students motivated by interest in undergraduate research, internship, employment, and graduate schooling opportunities in acoustics, the course facilitates connections between various areas of physics. Explicit connections are made to mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, optics, quantum mechanics, and experimental and computational laboratory courses. Active learning is emphasized through Just-in-Time-Teaching and course structure. Homework exercises are both theoretical and practical and often require making and interpreting of graphs. For example, students may model traffic noise as a series of uncorrelated monopoles or examine highway barrier effectiveness using Fresnel diffraction techniques. Additionally, students participate in resumé-building measurements and learn to report their results in the form of technical memoranda. Course evaluations and post-graduation student surveys rate it among the most valuable undergraduate student courses offered.

Palmetto Academy: Undergraduates Exploring and Communicating the Multidisciplinary Nature of STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, C.; Ali, A.; Runyon, C. J.; Colgan, M. W.

2012-12-01

One of the pillars of the US economy is a well-trained Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) workforce (National Academy of Sciences, 2007). The number of students choosing to study science and engineering has taken a dramatic decline. The percentage of those degrees conferred in SC was substantially lower than the national average and the percentage of those occupations within the SC workforce also falls below the national average, supporting the need for engaging and educational STEM programs. The NASA South Carolina Space Grant Consortium's Palmetto Research Academy (PRA) program is an immersive and integrated multidisciplinary exposure and training for undergraduate students with various backgrounds and career aspirations of critical importance to the Nation. This program offers exciting and inspiring hands-on research experiences that are aligned with NASA missions. The PRA advances NASA's research interest in areas such as aeronautics, biomedical science, sun-earth connections, planetary and Earth science. The PRA helps to develop the STEM workforce in STEM disciplines, a necessity in South Carolina. In addition, the PRA incorporates an education/outreach component, where the students engage secondary educators and students in NASA scientific and technical expertise. In 2012, the PRA had 10 research projects across the state in disciplines of mechanical and chemical engineering, bioengineering, chemistry, biogeooptical sciences, physics and astronomy and biomedical sciences. 18 undergraduates and 2 technical college students participated in authentic hands-on research mentored by leading scientists and engineers throughout the state. Examples projects include: A) Development of a series of astronomical telescopes to be mounted on a commercial human-tended suborbital rockets. The students built the instrument, including the power system and the mechanical interface, and performed function and fit testing on the XCOR Aerospace Lynx vehicle mock-up. B) Mechanical modeling and statistical analysis to understand effects of radiation exposure on the joints of astronauts. The students characterized the effect of radiation on porcine cartilage biomechanics and biosynthesis through nano and microscale soft tissue mechanical testing, histological staining, and tissue biological assay techniques. C) Spectroscopy and derivation of water quality parameters from satellite visible/near-infrared (VIR) spectral radiometry. The student analyzed data, which provided frequent spatial information critical to the understanding of biogeochemical processes of interest to climate studies. The student conducted an intensive sampling campaign aboard a research vessel measuring biogeooptical properties and developed bio-optical models using NASA's MODIS sensor aboard the Aqua satellite to characterize water quality parameters (phytoplankton, suspended sediment, and dissolved organic matter). The student outreach project centered around the NASA Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover. The PRA interns organized an event with several general astronomy and Mars/Curiosity planetarium shows, space-related games, and a viewing of the landing for over 50 elementary-middle school students, their parents, and numerous undergraduates. The results and the opportunities provided by PRA will be discussed.

A case study for integrated STEM outreach in an urban setting using a do-it-yourself vertical jump measurement platform.

PubMed

Drazan, John F; Danielsen, Heather; Vercelletto, Matthew; Loya, Amy; Davis, James; Eglash, Ron

2016-08-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and deploy a low cost vertical jump platform using readily available materials for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and outreach in the inner city. The platform was used to measure the jumping ability of participants to introduce students to the collection and analysis of scientific data in an engaging, accessible manner. This system was designed and fabricated by a student team of engineers as part of a socially informed engineering and design class. The vertical jump platform has been utilized in 10 classroom lectures in physics and biology. The system was also used in an after school program in which high school volunteers prepared a basketball based STEM outreach program, and at a community outreach events with over 100 participants. At present, the same group of high school students are now building their own set of vertical jump platform under the mentorship of engineering undergraduates. The construction and usage of the vertical jump platform provides an accessible introduction to the STEM fields within the urban community.

An examination of the identity development of African American undergraduate engineering students attending an HBCU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Kenneth J.

This study examined the identity development for a sample of 90 African American undergraduate engineering male and female students attending an HBCU. Using the Student Development Task and Lifestyle Assessment (SDTLA), which is based on Chickering and Reisser's identity development theory, differences in identity development were examined with respect to gender, academic classification, and grade point average. Previous research has shown the need to look beyond academic factors to understand and influence the persistence of African American engineering students. Non-cognitive factors, including identity development have proven to be influential in predicting persistence, especially for African American engineering students. Results from the analysis revealed significant means for academic classification and five of the dependent variables to include career planning peer relations, emotional autonomy, educational involvement, and establishing and clarifying purpose. Post hoc analysis confirmed significant differences for four of those dependent variables. However, the analysis failed to confirm statistical significant differences in peer relations due to academic classification. The significant decline in the mean scores for development in these four areas, as students progressed from sophomore to senior year revealed strong implications for the need to provide programming and guidance for those students. Institutions of higher education should provide more attention to the non-cognitive areas of development as a means of understanding identity development and working toward creating support systems for students.

Structural engineering masters level education framework of knowledge for the needs of initial professional practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balogh, Zsuzsa Enriko

For at least the last decade, engineering, civil engineering, along with structural engineering as a profession within civil engineering, have and continue to face an emerging need for "Raising the Bar" of preparedness of young engineers seeking to become practicing professional engineers. The present consensus of the civil engineering profession is that the increasing need for broad and in-depth knowledge should require the young structural engineers to have at least a Masters-Level education. This study focuses on the Masters-Level preparedness in the structural engineering area within the civil engineering field. It follows much of the methodology used in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Body of Knowledge determination for civil engineering and extends this type of study to better define the portion of the young engineers preparation beyond the undergraduate program for one specialty area of civil engineering. The objective of this research was to create a Framework of Knowledge for the young engineer which identifies and recognizes the needs of the profession, along with the profession's expectations of how those needs can be achieved in the graduate-level academic setting, in the practice environment, and through lifelong learning opportunities with an emphasis on the initial five years experience past completion of a Masters program in structural engineering. This study applied a modified Delphi method to obtain the critical information from members of the structural engineering profession. The results provide a Framework of Knowledge which will be useful to several groups seeking to better ensure the preparedness of the future young structural engineers at the Masters-Level.

An Internship Model for Culturally Relevant Success for Native American High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nall, J.; Graham, E. M.

2004-12-01

Culturally relevant educational practices can be challenging to implement in the workplace. In an effort to support equity in access to undergraduate internship opportunities for Native American students, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Education Office, Minority Education Initiatives offers a unique approach to supporting students from Native American reservation high schools in Washington State to participate in eight-week technical (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics related) summer internships. This talk will address the Alliance for Learning and Vision for Americans (ALVA) program's twelve years of success based on four programmatic principals, annual review and the critical support of scientists and engineers.

"Setting up for the Next Big Thing": Undergraduate Women Engineering Students' Postbaccalaureate Career Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Kathleen N.; Gayles, Joy Gaston

2017-01-01

Using social cognitive career theory and the cognitive information processing model as frameworks, in this constructivist case study we examined the career-related experiences and decisions of 10 women engineering undergraduate seniors who accepted full-time positions. From the data analysis 3 major themes emerged: critical undergraduate…

Molecular Modeling as a Self-Taught Component of a Conventional Undergraduate Chemical Reaction Engineering Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rothe, Erhard W.; Zygmunt, William E.

2016-01-01

We inserted a self-taught molecular modeling project into an otherwise conventional undergraduate chemical-reaction-engineering course. Our objectives were that students should (a) learn with minimal instructor intervention, (b) gain an appreciation for the relationship between molecular structure and, first, macroscopic state functions in…

A Photovoltaics Module for Incoming Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dark, Marta L.

2011-01-01

Photovoltaic-cell-based projects have been used to train eight incoming undergraduate women who were part of a residential summer programme at a women's college. A module on renewable energy and photovoltaic cells was developed in the physics department. The module's objectives were to introduce women in science, technology, engineering and…

Electronics from the Bottom up: Strategies for Teaching Nanoelectronics at the Undergraduate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaidyanathan, M.

2011-01-01

Nanoelectronics is an emerging area of electrical and computer engineering that deals with the current-voltage behavior of atomic-scale electronic devices. As the trend toward ever smaller devices continues, there is a need to update traditional undergraduate curricula to introduce electrical engineers to the fundamentals of the field. These…

Gender Differences in the Academic Performance and Retention of Undergraduate Engineering Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haemmerlie, Frances Montgomery; Montgomery, Robert L.

2012-01-01

This study examined the role of academic performance factors, and personality traits as measured by the "Hogan Personality Inventory" (Hogan & Hogan, 2007), in the academic success and retention of undergraduate engineering majors. With regard to academic performance, the academic measures of ACT score and high school GPA were…

Centrifugal Pump Experiment for Chemical Engineering Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanderslice, Nicholas; Oberto, Richard; Marrero, Thomas R.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe a Centrifugal Pump Experiment that provided an experiential learning experience to chemical engineering undergraduates at the University of Missouri in the spring of 2010 in the Unit Operations Laboratory course. Lab equipment was used by senior students with computer-based data and control technology. In…

Proceedings of the Undergraduate Mathematics Teaching Conference (Birmingham, England, September 3-6, 2001).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egerton, Patricia, Ed.

The 27th Undergraduate Mathematics Teaching Conference took place in September of 2001 at the University of Birmingham. Major topics of the conference included preparing a teaching portfolio, engineering mathematics should be taught by engineers, issues in teaching discrete mathematics, action research, study skills, and issues for web-delivered…

New Project System for Undergraduate Electronic Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiu, Dirk M.; Chiu, Shen Y.

2005-01-01

A new approach to projects for undergraduate electronic engineering in an Australian university has been applied successfully for over 10 years. This approach has a number of projects running over three year period. Feedback from past graduates and their managers has confirmed that these projects train the students well, giving them the ability…

An Undergraduate Course on Operating Systems Principles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC. Commission on Education.

This report is from Task Force VIII of the COSINE Committee of the Commission on Education of the National Academy of Engineering. The task force was established to formulate subject matter for an elective undergraduate subject on computer operating systems principles for students whose major interest is in the engineering of computer systems and…

Fundamentals of Composite Materials for Undergraduate Engineering--A Filmed Presentation. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Busching, Herbert W.

Curricula in undergraduate engineering have not adequately reflected present usage and knowledge of composite materials (types of rock and organic matter in which structurally dissimilar materials are combined). Wide usage of composites is expected to increase the importance of this class of materials and the need for more substantive exposure to…

Informal Learning in Science, Math, and Engineering Majors for African American Female Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McPherson, Ezella

2014-01-01

This research investigates how eight undergraduate African American women in science, math, and engineering (SME) majors accessed cultural capital and informal science learning opportunities from preschool to college. It uses the multiple case study methodological approach and cultural capital as frameworks to better understand the participants'…

Tracking Student Participants from a REU Site with NAE Grand Challenges as the Common Theme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burkett, Susan; Dye, Tabatha; Johnson, Pauline

2015-01-01

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Grand Challenges provides the theme for this NSFfunded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site. Research topics, with their broad societal impact, allow undergraduate students from multiple engineering disciplines and computer science to work together on exciting and critical problems. The…

Student Learning Outcomes from a Pilot Medical Innovations Course with Nursing, Engineering, and Biology Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ludwig, Patrice M.; Nagel, Jacquelyn K.; Lewis, Erica J.

2017-01-01

Background: Preparing today's undergraduate students from science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and related health professions to solve wide-sweeping healthcare challenges is critical. Moreover, it is imperative that educators help students develop the capabilities needed to meet those challenges, including problem solving,…

Promising Practices in Undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education: Summary of Two Workshops

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielsen, Natalie

2011-01-01

Numerous teaching, learning, assessment, and institutional innovations in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education have emerged in the past decade. Because virtually all of these innovations have been developed independently of one another, their goals and purposes vary widely. Some focus on making science…

Pathway to STEM: Using Outreach Initiatives as a Method of Identifying, Educating and Recruiting the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz-Arias, Deedee; Zwicker, Andrew; Dominguez, Arturo; Greco, Shannon

2017-10-01

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) uses a host of outreach initiatives to inform the general population: the Young Women's Conference, Science Bowl, Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship, My Brother's Keeper, a variety of workshops for university faculty and undergraduate students, public and scheduled lab tours, school and community interactive plasma science demonstrations. In addition to informing and educating the public about the laboratory's important work in the areas of Plasma and Fusion, these outreach initiatives, are also used as an opportunity to identify/educate/recruit the next generation of the STEM workforce. These programs provide the laboratory with the ability to: engage the next generation at different paths along their development (K-12, undergraduate, graduate, professional), at different levels of scientific content (science demonstrations, remote experiments, lectures, tours), in some instances, targeting underrepresented groups in STEM (women and minorities), and train additional STEM educators to take learned content into their own classrooms.

Creation of security engineering programs by the Southwest Surety Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romero, Van D.; Rogers, Bradley; Winfree, Tim; Walsh, Dan; Garcia, Mary Lynn

1998-12-01

The Southwest Surety Institute includes Arizona State University (ASU), Louisiana State University (LSU), New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NM Tech), New Mexico State University (NMSU), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The universities currently offer a full spectrum of post-secondary programs in security system design and evaluation, including an undergraduate minor, a graduate program, and continuing education programs. The programs are based on the methodology developed at Sandia National Laboratories over the past 25 years to protect critical nuclear assets. The programs combine basic concepts and principles from business, criminal justice, and technology to create an integrated performance-based approach to security system design and analysis. Existing university capabilities in criminal justice (NMSU), explosives testing and technology (NM Tech and LSU), and engineering technology (ASU) are leveraged to provide unique science-based programs that will emphasize the use of performance measures and computer analysis tools to prove the effectiveness of proposed systems in the design phase. Facility managers may then balance increased protection against the cost of implementation and risk mitigation, thereby enabling effective business decisions. Applications expected to benefit from these programs include corrections, law enforcement, counter-terrorism, critical infrastructure protection, financial and medical care fraud, industrial security, and border security.

Science teachers and docents as mentors to science and mathematics undergraduates in formal and information settings. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koran, J.J. Jr.

Twenty-four undergraduate science and mathematics majors who were juniors and seniors in the colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Engineering were recruited, and paid, to participate in an orientation seminar and act as teacher aides in regional schools and the Florida Museum of Natural History. Aides worked with teachers in the schools one semester and as docents in the natural history museum a second semester. Mentoring took place by the principal investigator and participating teachers and docents throughout the program. Success of the program was measured by a specially prepared attitude instrument which was administered to participants before themore » mentoring started and when it ended each semester. Written logs (field notes) were also prepared and submitted by participants at the end of each semester. Further, a tally was kept of the number of participants who decided to go into science or mathematics teaching as a result of the experience.« less

The Design of a Primary Flight Trainer using Concurrent Engineering Concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ladesic, James G.; Eastlake, Charles N.; Kietzmann, Nicholas H.

1993-01-01

Concurrent Engineering (CE) concepts seek to coordinate the expertise of various disciplines from initial design configuration selection through product disposal so that cost efficient design solutions may be achieve. Integrating this methodology into an undergraduate design course sequence may provide a needed enhancement to engineering education. The Advanced Design Program (ADP) project at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (EMU) is focused on developing recommendations for the general aviation Primary Flight Trainer (PFT) of the twenty first century using methods of CE. This project, over the next two years, will continue synthesizing the collective knowledge of teams composed of engineering students along with students from other degree programs, their faculty, and key industry representatives. During the past year (Phase I). conventional trainer configurations that comply with current regulations and existing technologies have been evaluated. Phase I efforts have resulted in two baseline concepts, a high-wing, conventional design named Triton and a low-wing, mid-engine configuration called Viper. In the second and third years (Phases II and III). applications of advanced propulsion, advanced materials, and unconventional airplane configurations along with military and commercial technologies which are anticipated to be within the economic range of general aviation by the year 2000, will be considered.

Research Experience for Undergraduates: A Non-Traditional Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrick, T. L.; Miller, K. C.; Hagedorn, E.; Velasco, A. A.

2012-12-01

Research experiences for undergraduates (REUs) have been documented to be an effective way to increase student retention in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) by exposing students to research. REUs typically run during the summer months, allowing students to travel to different universities away from their home institutions. We created an REU program, Pathways Research Experience for undergraduates Program (PREP) that ran during the fall and spring academic semesters and focused on the geosciences. These students were provided with a monthly stipend to work with a research mentor, and they were required to attend a weekly professional development meeting led by the Pathways PIs and the program coordinator. The weekly training program focused on research skills, presentation skills, and graduate school preparation. Since a majority of students at University of Texas at El Paso (a Hispanic Serving Institution with 70% Hispanic and 10% Mexican students) must work outside the university while attending college, the stipends enabled students to remain on campus to "work", with the hope that this may contribute to their overall academic success. By spending more time on campus, the participants were able to interact more with faculty and other students, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Participants were chosen on a basis of GPA and the contents of an application that included a statement of purpose, a resume, a transcript, and at least one letter of recommendation. Once the student was selected, they were required to find a mentor and research project. Through an analysis of surveys, we have found that participants enjoy the meetings, which gave them a sense of belonging to a group, and an additional source of academic support. Participants were also expected to take part in outreach activities as part of our goal to create a geosciences network in El Paso. With this REU approach, we believe that our success rate suggests that this approach works well in Hispanic Serving Institutions: 51% of our participants have gone on to graduate school, 22% are still undergraduates, 17% are unknown, 5% are in industry and 5% are teaching.

Designing an accompanying ecosystem for entrepreneurship students of agronomic and forestry engineering. Opinion and commitment of the faculty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, Leovigilda; Fernández-Ahumada, Elvira; Lara-Vélez, Pablo; Taguas, Encarnación V.; Gallardo-Cobos, Rosa; Campillo, M. Carmen; Guerrero-Ginel, José E.

2014-05-01

The current context has called attention to the need of training engineers with new skills beyond the purely technical. Among others, fostering the entrepreneurial spirit has gained special prominence. In the Higher School of Agronomic and Forestry Engineering of the University of Cordoba, a 12-year-experience of an entrepreneurship program for undergraduate students concluded that, for an adequate consolidation and evolution of the program, is important to establish a robust network with active participation of all actors involved. With this antecedent, a collective project conceived as an "ecosystem of support and accompaniment for entrepreneurs" is the approach proposed. The objective is to perform an evaluation of this model in terms of viability, usefulness, actions to be taken and degree of commitment. The key actors identified (undergraduate students, faculty, alumni, local and regional entrepreneurs, enterprises, public administration) have been involved in the evaluation process. This study focuses on the academic staff. For that aim, a survey to the entire faculty (N=128, response rate = 45%) and semi-structured interviews to 20 members have been performed. Data have been treated by means of univariate and multivariate analysis. Results suggest that there exists an agreement concerning the appropriateness of a collective project; there is a critical mass of teachers willing to be engaged; guidelines need to be incorporated in order to facilitate taking on tasks; main restrictions concern the existing asymmetry between formal requirements and those necessary for establishing the ecosystem. ACKNOWLEDGMENT: This research work has been developed in the framework of the ALFA III programme financed by the European Union.

Freshman-year experiences for African-American students in engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapple, Bernadette Maria

1998-12-01

The purpose of this study was to discover (a) why African American students choose to persist as an engineering major and (b) why students choose to leave engineering as a major. A total of 17 students from a large land-grant university participated in this study that was both quantitative and qualitative in design. This research will assist both the College of Engineering and the University in understanding the educational experiences of the matriculating African American pre-engineering student. In an effort to provide reasons and rationale for why African American engineering students choose to stay in this major and why other African American engineering student majors choose to leave, the researcher examined an undergraduate engineering program at a large land-grant institution in the South. The College of Engineering at this institution was able to institute several programs designed to increase the number of African American students choosing engineering as a major. Although initiatives for pre-collegiate students are important in the retention of African American students, it is the retention of those students once accepted into a program of study that the institution focuses on most. It is the intent of this study to offer a better understanding of such a retention initiative. Due to the decline of African American students pursuing majors in science and mathematics in general and in engineering in particular, an important research concern is to offer more insight into the experiences of the freshman engineering student in an attempt to develop fundamental reasons for why students remain in engineering and why some students leave. To assist the College of Engineering and the University in understanding the educational experiences of the matriculating African American pre-engineering student the data were collected from both a quantitative and qualitative approach. Results indicated that (a) students who chose to persist in the engineering program where highly committed and motivated to achieve their educational goals and (b) students who decided to switch out of the engineering curriculum simply felt unprepared for the demands of the engineering curriculum and, upon further exploration of the curriculum, discovered that engineering was not the career they initially desired.

Examining the Views of Undergraduate STEM Majors Regarding K-12 Teaching as a Profession

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plecki, Margaret; St. John, Elise; Elfers, Ana

2013-01-01

This study explores how undergraduates enrolled in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses view the K-12 teaching profession. A survey was conducted with a sample of undergraduates in community college and university settings (n = 610). We examine whether undergraduates believe that teaching offers what they value in a…

An Approach to Integrating Health Disparities within Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Education.

PubMed

Vazquez, Maribel; Marte, Otto; Barba, Joseph; Hubbard, Karen

2017-11-01

Health disparities are preventable differences in the incidence, prevalence and burden of disease among communities targeted by gender, geographic location, ethnicity and/or socio-economic status. While biomedical research has identified partial origin(s) of divergent burden and impact of disease, the innovation needed to eradicate health disparities in the United States requires unique engagement from biomedical engineers. Increasing awareness of the prevalence and consequences of health disparities is particularly attractive to today's undergraduates, who have undauntedly challenged paradigms believed to foster inequality. Here, the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The City College of New York (CCNY) has leveraged its historical mission of access-and-excellence to integrate the study of health disparities into undergraduate BME curricula. This article describes our novel approach in a multiyear study that: (i) Integrated health disparities modules at all levels of the required undergraduate BME curriculum; (ii) Developed opportunities to include impacts of health disparities into undergraduate BME research projects and mentored High School summer STEM training; and (iii) Established health disparities-based challenges as BME capstone design and/or independent entrepreneurship projects. Results illustrate the rising awareness of health disparities among the youngest BMEs-to-be, as well as abundant undergraduate desire to integrate health disparities within BME education and training.

Acquire an Bruker Dimension FastScan (trademark) Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) for Materials, Physical and Biological Science Research and Education

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-14

two super users, Drs. Biswajit Sannigrahi and Guangchang Zhou were trained by the Senior Engineer for Product Service, Dr. Teddy Huang from the... Engineering : The number of undergraduates funded by your agreement who graduated during this period and intend to work for the Department of Defense The...science, mathematics, engineering or technology fields: Student Metrics This section only applies to graduating undergraduates supported by this

Adopting Problem-Based Learning Model for AN Electrical Engineering Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Mohamed Khan Aftab Ahmed; Sinnadurai, Rajendran; Amudha, M.; Elamvazuthi, I.; Vasant, P.

2010-06-01

The shortage of highly qualified academicians in a knowledge-based economy and potential benefits of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach has necessitated the adoption of PBL in many areas of education. This paper discusses a PBL experience for an electrical engineering undergraduate course. Some preliminary experiences of implementing them are described and discussed. It was found that PBL approach seem to be an efficient strategy not only for undergraduate engineering education but also for instilling lifelong learning.

The case for mandatory inclusion of ethics within the zoological sciences curriculum.

PubMed

Buckeridge, John S

2006-03-01

Traditionally, undergraduate science curricula include little or no "ethics," either as theory or practice. However, zoologists are currently enjoying considerable media exposure: some of it positive (as in conservation practice), but more often negative (pertaining to issues such as the use of animals for testing of drugs, and genetic engineering). More than ever before, zoologists are being asked to make value judgments, and many of these involve moral assessment; if we accept that zoologists (along with other scientists) are professionals, then we must accept that they are responsible for any decisions they make, and it then follows that they are accountable, which can have serious ramifications in cases of malpractice. Ethics involves the application of morality in a professional setting. In light of this, teaching ethics is mandatory in degree programs such as engineering and medicine. This paper contends that a key output of zoological education is the undergraduate who is cognizant of the ethical framework and constructs within which he/she must function. The paper concludes with comment on the nature and style of delivery of ethics education.

A Comparison of Internal Dispositions and Career Trajectories after Collaborative versus Apprenticed Research Experiences for Undergraduates

PubMed Central

Frantz, Kyle J.; Demetrikopoulos, Melissa K.; Britner, Shari L.; Carruth, Laura L.; Williams, Brian A.; Pecore, John L.; DeHaan, Robert L.; Goode, Christopher T.

2017-01-01

Undergraduate research experiences confer benefits on students bound for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, but the low number of research professionals available to serve as mentors often limits access to research. Within the context of our summer research program (BRAIN), we tested the hypothesis that a team-based collaborative learning model (CLM) produces student outcomes at least as positive as a traditional apprenticeship model (AM). Through stratified, random assignment to conditions, CLM students were designated to work together in a teaching laboratory to conduct research according to a defined curriculum led by several instructors, whereas AM students were paired with mentors in active research groups. We used pre-, mid-, and postprogram surveys to measure internal dispositions reported to predict progress toward STEM careers, such as scientific research self-efficacy, science identity, science anxiety, and commitment to a science career. We are also tracking long-term retention in science-related career paths. For both short- and longer-term outcomes, the two program formats produced similar benefits, supporting our hypothesis that the CLM provides positive outcomes while conserving resources, such as faculty mentors. We discuss this method in comparison with course-based undergraduate research and recommend its expansion to institutional settings in which mentor resources are scarce. PMID:28130268

Engineering Students: Enhancing Employability Skills through PBL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

H, Othman; Mat Daud K., A.; U, Ewon; Salleh B, Mohd; Omar N., H.; Baser J, Abd; Ismail M., E.; A, Sulaiman

2017-05-01

As a developing country, Malaysia faces challenging tasks to develop her economy just like many other countries. Nowadays, change involves many aspects like the economy from agriculture to manufacturing, technology from modern to more advanced ones; mindset from traditional to advanced and so on. Previous studies show that one of the major issues facing local graduates is the lack of employability skills. This problem concerns not only the government but undergraduates and institutions alike. From the pedagogical aspect, one of the more effective ways to improve this is through instructional delivery and in this case the use of Problem-based Learning (PBL). The need to adopt PBL should involved applied subjects undertaken by engineering students. Studies have shown that the use of PBL has been proven to make learning more attractive and effective. In this research, we studied the effectiveness of PBL towards enhancing employability skills among engineering undergraduates. This study adopted a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data was collected using documents analysis. Student samples comprised manufacturing engineering undergraduates from public institutions of higher learning in Malaysia. The results show that student’s employability skills can be enhanced using PBL. In addition, students become more competitive towards making them more relevance with the needs of the industry with regard to employability skills. In conclusion, PBL is a very effective catalyst towards raising the employability skills among engineering undergraduates and should be adopted in all engineering education.

Bioengineering and Bioinformatics Summer Institutes: Meeting Modern Challenges in Undergraduate Summer Research

PubMed Central

Dong, Cheng; Snyder, Alan J.; Jones, A. Daniel; Sheets, Erin D.

2008-01-01

Summer undergraduate research programs in science and engineering facilitate research progress for faculty and provide a close-ended research experience for students, which can prepare them for careers in industry, medicine, and academia. However, ensuring these outcomes is a challenge when the students arrive ill-prepared for substantive research or if projects are ill-defined or impractical for a typical 10-wk summer. We describe how the new Bioengineering and Bioinformatics Summer Institutes (BBSI), developed in response to a call for proposals by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), provide an impetus for the enhancement of traditional undergraduate research experiences with intense didactic training in particular skills and technologies. Such didactic components provide highly focused and qualified students for summer research with the goal of ensuring increased student satisfaction with research and mentor satisfaction with student productivity. As an example, we focus on our experiences with the Penn State Biomaterials and Bionanotechnology Summer Institute (PSU-BBSI), which trains undergraduates in core technologies in surface characterization, computational modeling, cell biology, and fabrication to prepare them for student-centered research projects in the role of materials in guiding cell biology. PMID:18316807

Increasing Diversity in STEM through Ka Hikina O Ka Lā Summer Bridge Program for Native Hawaiian Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coopersmith, A.; Cie, D. K.; Calder, S.; Naho`olewa, D.; Rai, B.

2014-12-01

The Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) Mitigation Initiative and the Kahikina O Ka Lā Program are NSF-funded projects at the University of Hawai`i Maui College. These projects offer instruction and activities intended to increase diversity in STEM careers. Ke Alahaka, the 2014 summer bridge program, was offered to Native Hawaiian high-school students who indicated an interest in STEM areas. Content workshops were offered in Marine Science, Physics, Biotechnology, and Computer Science and Engineering as well as a Hawaiian Studies course designed to provide a cultural context for the STEM instruction. Focus groups and other program assessments indicate that 50% of the students attending the workshops intend to pursue a STEM major during their undergraduate studies.

From Start to Finish: Retention of Physics Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammer, Donna; Uher, Tim

The University of Maryland Physics Department's NSF Scholarships in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) project is a unique program that aims to reduce the attrition of students that occurs in the ``pre-major-to-major'' gap - i.e., students who begin at the university intending to study physics, but do not graduate with a physics degree. To increase the retention of admitted students, the UMD S-STEM program is designed to provide student with financial assistance, a strong sense of community, academic support, and career planning. We will discuss how the program has been integrated into the curriculum and culture of the physics department, and focus on developing key components of the program: a nurturing environment, dedicated mentorship, early research experience, and professional development.