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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Shabnam Wahed, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Andrew Katz, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Paper ID #40867Where Political Affiliation and Sustainability Meet: A Study ofUndergraduate Engineering Students’ Career ChoicesShabnam Wahed, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Shabnam Wahed, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Engineering Education, is dedicated to revolutionizing the learning experience for engineering students beyond mere memorization. Passionate about elevating stu- dents’ conceptual understanding, Shabnam directs her efforts toward refining the teaching and assessment methods for mastering fundamental and challenging engineering concepts. With a background in Electri- cal and Computer

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Robert Shegiharu Keyser, Kennesaw State University; Lin Li, Kennesaw State University; Maia A Keith, Kennesaw State University

(i.e., lawyers, accountants,dentists), S&E professionals were reported to have a high unemployment rate. The Bureau ofLabor and Statistics projects that over the 10-year period between 2016-2026, the science andengineering workforce will see a 11.7% job increase, estimating 8.2 million jobs will be availableto S&E graduates and professionals2. To interpret post-graduate employment in the engineeringfield, insights on career readiness during the transition from student to graduate can expose apossible gap between what students learn and what they are expected to know in industry. Forexample, do students acquire knowledge and skills that satisfy current industry needs as identifiedby an Industry Advisory Board? Through the transition

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Dimitra Michalaka, The Citadel; Stephanie Laughton, The Citadel

Mellon University. Laughton’s research interests include engineering education and pedagogy, sustainability education, and environmental nanotechnology. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 A Preliminary Investigation: Student Summer Internship ActivitiesAbstractWorkforce preparation is critical for college graduates to achieve their professional goals andtherefore is an essential goal for colleges and universities. According to the Association forCareer and Technical Education, career readiness involves having academic, employability, andtechnical skills. From literature, effective engineering education along with extra and co-curricular activities noticeably help students be ready for their

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Showkat J. Chowdhury, Alabama A&M University; Xiang Zhao, Alabama A&M University; Tamara Chowdhury, Alabama A&M University

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external funded research. She also worked for a multinational research organization for many years. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 Scholarships and Academic Support for Minority Student SuccessAbstractIn this innovative and technology driven global market, to remain competitive US needs toincrease the number of STEM graduates and develop a diverse workforce. The purpose of thispaper is to analyze the effect of scholarships and various academic supports like, mentoring,undergraduate research, career and professional development activities to increase the minoritystudent success, retention, and graduation.This study analyzes the demographics and performance of a cohort of National

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Evelyn Abagayle Boyd, Clemson University and Colorado School of Mines ; David E Vaughn, Clemson University; Jeffery M Plumblee II, JMP2 LLC; Bridget Trogden, American University

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Diversity

theirprojects in formal and informal settings, thus practicing and receiving feedback on theirdevelopment of professional career competencies or power-up skills6,7.Though industry professionals are heavily involved in the program, individual studentparticipation with industry is not guaranteed, and is dependent on the project the student pursues.In some situations, industry advisors are involved in the classroom. In others, students work sideby side with industry professionals on the projects (e.g. Students work with farmers in theCentral Plateau of Haiti for the aquaculture project8). Clemson Engineers for DevelopingCommunities projects expose students to expertise in the classroom and, as required; the facultyseek out involvement from experts around

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Eva Theresa Singleton, The Citadel Military College

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non-technical soft skills to producethe desired project outcomes. The Project Management Institute's Standard for ProjectManagement in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK ®) Guide – SeventhEdition includes 12 principles to guide the behaviors of project practitioners toward successfulproject deliveries that create value. Introducing the project management principles to engineeringstudents will enhance their career skills by guiding the behaviors in future project environments.This one-week module was created to better equip engineering students with projectmanagement competencies within an undergraduate three-credit hour project management careerskills course. The module includes a lecture on the 12 guiding principles from the

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Saeed D. Foroudastan, Middle Tennessee State University; Lillian Marie Hardin

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join EVP, as there are diverse majors throughout, and students learnthrough hands-on experience and guidance from current members.IntroductionDuring the late 1990s to early 2000s institutions saw a significant decrease in the number ofundergraduate students majoring in the STEM fields that focus on Science, Technology,Engineering, and Math. Among those who started pursuing a STEM degree, less than halfreceived one [1]. Researchers have been looking at why this happens, focusing on both studenttraits and the college environment. Research suggests that to keep students interested in STEM,they need help in four areas: figuring out their career goals, setting realistic expectations,overcoming challenges, and building a support network [1]. The EVP

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Gang Liu, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

boost their motivation and desire to achievetheir career goals. By doing that, we can provide students with a solid and rewarding foundationfor academic and personal success and increase retention rates.KeywordsCurriculum development, Undergraduate students, Mechanical Engineering, Senior exit surveyBackgroundThe primary goal of universities is to develop more professionals who are competent to servesociety with knowledge and skills in their fields. The design of what, when, and how to nurturethem is critical to the success of both students and the institutions [1], [2]. To achieve that goal,curricula were developed to keep the progress steady and continuous. In most institutions, thecurricula were well developed and passed down from decades

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Priya T Goeser, Georgia Southern University, Armstrong Campus; Thomas Murphy, Georgia Southern University

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Diversity

campus and local high schools. The program exposes a diversegroup of high school students and teachers to engineering concepts and careers throughengineering projects within a mentoring framework. Seven high schools participated in the firstyear of the EEA program. The participating high schools included one private, one charter, andfive public with two of the public schools having a high percentage of students inunderrepresented groups.The high school teams completed one or more engineering projects in Spring depending on theproject length. Projects included: design prototyping using CAD and 3D printing, automaticwatering system, autonomous robots, digital music keyboard, and DC motor/fan control. Thehigh school teams were mentored by Georgia

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Nancy J. Moore PhD, North Carolina State University; Aaron Smith, Mississippi State University

).Many studies consider factors that could have an impact on motivation. For example, severalstudies have considered student’s feelings about performance in courses or career outcomes.Lukes and McConnell [1] found that high performing students tend to be more motivated byavoiding a negative emotion than by approaching a positive emotion. Lockwood et al [3] studiedhow students’ perspectives on performance affects what type of role models can impact theirmotivation. Students focused on avoiding negative outcomes are more motivated by negativerole models to avoid, while students focused on pursuing positive outcomes were moremotivated by positive role models.This study presents the results of a survey that was given to Thermodynamics I students

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Xiang Zhao, Alabama A&M University; Showkat Chowdhury, Alabama A&M University; Tamara Chowdhury, Alabama A&M University

strategies to integrate data analyticsinto project-based learning in selected computer science and engineering courses are described.The findings and lessons learned from this study are also presented with the intention to shareour experience with the instructors and administrators to advance data science education atMSIs/HBCUs.Related WorkIn the past decade, educators and researchers realized the importance of data analytics intransforming higher education. It was shown by Maier-Hein et al. [4] that incorporating dataanalytics and exposing students to real-world datasets improved their critical thinking. Moreimpressively, data science education encourages students to explore STEM careers and also © American Society for

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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George D Ford, Mississippi State University; Saeed Rokooei, Mississippi State University

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Diversity

by career financial expectationsboosted by a college degree. University degree programs must provide a financial value to theirstudents’ careers to ensure acceptable enrollments. There are several potential issues at thenational level which affect enrollments at American universities. Birthrates and economicfactors such as inflation and unemployment rates are among these issues.According to the US Census [6], the number of births in the United States (US) during 2008dropped by more than 68,000 over the previous year. This trend continued for the next six yearsthrough 2014. Starting in the fall of 2026, those born during these years will be 18 years old.For the seven-year period starting in 2026 through 3031, there will be cumulatively

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Tim Ransom, Clemson University; Randi Sims, Clemson University; Jessica Allison Manning, Clemson University

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Paper ID #40886Community Cultural Wealth from an Engineering and Science EducationDepartmentMr. Tim Ransom, Clemson University Doctoral candidate with the Engineering and Science Education Department at Clemson University re- searching computer science education.Randi Sims, Clemson University Randi is a current Ph.D. student in the department of Engineering and Science Education at Clemson Uni- versity. Her research interests center around undergraduate research experiences using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Her career goals are to work as an evaluator or consultant on education- ally based research

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Philip Lee, University of Kentucky; David Parsley, University of Kentucky; Nelson Kudzo Akafuah, University of Kentucky

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or CPT. The UK-BCTC ET programs offer multi-34 ple industry-recognized certificates, consisting of a sequence of coursework that support skill at-35 tainment and employment and allow stackable credentials accumulated over time to provide ca-36 reer pathways for students:3738 Pathway 1: Integrated Engineering Technology/Lean Systems Engineering. The Associate of Ap-39 plied Science in Integrated Engineering Technology (AAS-IET) is the feeder program into the40 Bachelor of Science in Lean Systems Engineering Technology (BS-LST) at the UK. The pro-41 gram prepares students for a career in advanced manufacturing by leading them through a mech-42 atronics approach to designing, maintaining, and troubleshooting highly automated and

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Adam Kaplan, Kennesaw State University; Jayhyun Kwon, Kennesaw State University

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Diversity

mistakes and offering insights forimprovement. By actively engaging in office hours, students not only receive academic supportbut also build meaningful relationships with their instructors, laying the groundwork fornetworking opportunities, career advice, and potential letters of recommendation. Additionally,these sessions provide a space for students to discuss career goals, research interests, andprofessional development, contributing to a holistic learning experience. Ultimately, participationin office hours showcases a commitment to learning and proactive academic success, fosteringan environment conducive to enhanced comprehension and skill development for engineeringstudents.The underutilization of office hours by engineering students can

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Amy Borello Gruss, Kennesaw State University ; Nicholas Anthony Clegorne

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Collective Orientation score and positive interview data was collected from thediverse population that participated, which varied in year, major, race/ethnicity, and gender. Thisstudy shows VTS can be a powerful, free, low-stakes tool to help increase team cohesion andefficiency in any course.IntroductionThe ability to work in teams is a vital skill for engineers when designing for and responding todesign challenges in their professional careers; however, developing this interpersonal skill isoften insufficient across the curriculum as there is a lack of consensus among instructors on howto teach teamwork skills to undergraduate engineering students [1]. For example, it is commonfor engineering design classes to engage in group work that provides a

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Brian Aufderheide, Hampton University; LaNika M. Barnes, Albemarle County Public Schools (Charlottesville, Virginia); Otsebele E Nare, Hampton University; Garrick E. Louis, University of Virginia; Daniel Webster Fairley II, 100 Black Men of Central Virginia

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Diversity

demographic groups, as students who identify as Asian,Black, and Multiple Races scored below their peers across the state.Albemarle High School (HS2), as per the 2022-2023 Virginia Department of Education’s SchoolQuality Profiles (HS2SQP), accommodates approximately 2,000 students and provides a diversecadre of educational offerings29,31. HS2 provides over 25 college-level courses and featuresprograms like AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and the STEM (Science,Technology, Engineering, Math) Career Learning Community, open to all HS2 students as well asthose through the shared school division 29.Demographically, the student body at HS2 breaks down as follows: 49.4% White, 16.9% Black,18.9% Hispanic/Latino, 7.9% Asian, <1.0% Native

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Timothy A Wood, The Citadel; Gregory J. Mazzaro, The Citadel; Kevin Skenes, The Citadel

Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1945. Accessed: Aug. 08, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.amazon.com/How-Solve-Mathematical-Princeton- Science/dp/069116407X/ref=sr_1_1_atc_badge_A2N1U4I2KOS032_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8 &qid=1533750140&sr=8-1&keywords=How+to+Solve+it Appendix A. The Eclectic Reader Electrical and Computer Engineering ModuleEide, Jenison, Northup and Mickelson’s Engineering Fundamentals and Problem SolvingChapter 1 [23]Learning Objectives • Describe and illustrate formative content, comparative analysis, design outcomes, design cycle, societal impacts, and career opportunities for

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Jennifer S. Brown, Clemson University; Marshal Fasika Rice, Clemson University; Karen A High, Clemson University

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associatedleadership roles, both in academia and industry, which contributes to limited access to mentorshipin engineering that is inclusive and responsive to women’s needs [2]–[8]. When referring tomentorship throughout this paper, we adopt the operationalized definition developed by theNational Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), which describesmentorship as “a professional, working alliance in which individuals work together over time tosupport the personal and professional growth, development, and success of the relational partnersthrough the provision of career and psychosocial support” and contend also that mentorship is“essential to the holistic development of [engineers], including but not limited to developing astrong identity

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Nahid Vesali, The Citadel; David S Greenburg, The Citadel; Mostafa Batouli, The Citadel; Eva Theresa Singleton, The Citadel Military College; Andrew B. Williams, The Citadel

Paper ID #40940Engineering Symposium and the National GEM Consortium Ph.D. in Engineering Program. He receivedboth his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis in AI and his BSEE from the University ofKansas. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Applications in Engineering Project Management: Developing A Course ModuleArtificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are pivotal topics in today’seducation and have a significant impact on the future of engineering careers. AI and MLapplications are gaining popularity in real-world engineering projects, making it essentialfor all engineering students to learn about the

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Karen N Nix, Auburn University ; Cheryl Seals, Auburn University

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by a focused approach to increase the computing pipeline by getting students interested in STEM disciplines and future technology careers. One of these initiatives is the STARS Alliance (starsalliance.org) with programs in K-12 outreach, community service, student leadership and computing diversity research. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 2024 ASEE Southeast Section Conference Game-Based Immersive Learning for Education: Empowering Autistic High School Students to Address the Growing Cyber Threats in K-12 SchoolsAbstractThe U.S. government has made cybersecurity one of its top priorities in light of recent

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William J. Davis P.E., The Citadel; Simon Thomas Ghanat P.E., The Citadel; Ronald W. Welch P.E., The Citadel

. His research interests include Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Education.Dr. Ronald W. Welch P.E., The Citadel Ron Welch (P.E.) received his B.S. degree in Engineering Mechanics from the United States Military Academy in 1982. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1990 and 1999, respectively. He taught at The United States Military Academy during his 25 year military career. After retiring form the military he has taught at the University of Texas at Tyler and The Citadel, where he was the Dean of Engineering for 10 years. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Shahnam Navaee, Georgia Southern University

used programming fundamentals andconstructs, MATLAB software was selected for utilization in the redesigned course. It is perceivedthat if students can master building these constructs utilizing this powerful and well-recognizedcomputing tool, they can easily use their acquired skills to create similar constructs using othersoftware tools. The students may be required to create such programming structures in their follow-up courses and/or future professional careers. One sample problem that could be used in the coursefor analyzing a beam using MATLAB is presented in Fig. 2. The details of the beam are providedin this figure, along with the prescribed details regarding how the students are expected to producetheir script file. This exercise is

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2024 South East Section Meeting

Authors

Kristin Kelly Frady, Clemson University; Randi Sims, Clemson University

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Diversity

Paper ID #40868Mapping and Impact of Digital Learning Tools Designed to SupportEngineering Pre-Transfer StudentsDr. Kristin Kelly Frady, Clemson University Kristin Frady is an Assistant Professor and Founding Program Director of the Human Capital Education and Development Bachelor of Science with a joint appointment between the Educational and Organi- zational Leadership Development and Engineering and Science Education Departments. Her research focuses on innovations in workforce development at educational and career transitions emphasizing two- year college and secondary STEM and career education, educational

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Sarah K. Bauer, Mercer University; Adaline M. Buerck, Mercer University; Hannah Nabi; Bremen Vance, Mercer University

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more to give.”Participants were then asked “What did you gain from your MOM experience that you can applymoving forward?” Overall, student responses indicate gains in technical or disciplinary skills,self-confidence, and intercultural communication skills. Additionally, students reported personalgrowth in character traits, such as flexibility, patience, open-mindedness, and a sense of civicresponsibility.Examples of responses included thoughtful reflections on the connections between theclassroom, field work, and future careers, as seen in the response from a student participant fromthe College of Professional Advancement who traveled to Rwanda: “In school, we are taughtwith textbooks and scenarios, but this was real-life experience. I had to

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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John W. Brocato, University of Georgia

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Engineering course (forfirst-year and transfer students)ENGR 1920 Introduction to Engineering is a standard one-hour course taken by all UGAengineering majors. The CMBE version of Introduction to Engineering, however, focusesspecifically on biological and biochemical engineering and endeavors to provide students withthe broadest possible look at all elements of a career in these fields. With the arrival of theTechnical Communication Lecturer, the CMBE version of Introduction to Engineering addedengineering communication in general and writing more specifically as one of its central topics.Figure 1 below shows a typical topic schedule for this course; for context, sections usually haveenrollments of 60-80 students. Figure 1. Topics for ENGR 1920

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2024 South East Section Meeting

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Matthew J. Traum, University of Florida; Tonika Jones; Jodi Angela Doher; Kurtis Gurley, University of Florida; Jeremy A. Magruder Waisome, University of Florida; Adrienne Leigh Provost, University of Florida

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Diversity

and international elements in STEM curricula [2-6].Moreover, Kulturel-Konak found engagement in extra-curricular activities correlated withincreased interest in global awareness, which motivates students to pursue internationalexperiences that positively relate to improved skills for international careers [7]. They, therefore,recommend embedding international experience into STEM curricula.Since STEMTank is a summer pre-college access extra-curricular activity for its participating highschool students, its 2023 organizers were motivated by the above studies to add an internationalcomponent since STEM careers increasingly require global awareness and internationalcompetence. Thus, the Summer 2023 STEMTank program added an international element

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2024 South East Section Meeting

Authors

Jayhyun Kwon, Kennesaw State University; Adam Kaplan, Kennesaw State University

In-Person LabsIntroductionLaboratory courses are crucial in engineering education, providing students with hands-onexperience and essential practical skills for their future careers. The COVID-19 pandemic posedsignificant challenges to engineering education, leading to an immediate shift in pedagogy and arapid transition to remote methods. While remote teaching typically demands considerable timeand investment in online course content development, the experience gained during thepandemic is expected to bring substantial benefits when integrated into in-person instruction.Instructors are realizing that online resources complement in-person instruction, with theanticipation that in-person classes will make better use of time for activities

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2024 South East Section Meeting

Authors

Ramana Pidaparti, University of Georgia; Zonila Robinson

impact. • Most of the students (68.75%) found their AI-related social studies lessons engaging, with 43.75% rating them as a 4 and 25% rating them as a 5, the highest level of engagement. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 • Most students (75%) reported that their Social Studies teacher explained how AI is used in the real world, especially in social and historical contexts. A smaller portion (25%) indicated that their lessons did not cover this. • Most students (75%) reported that learning about AI in social studies has sparked their interest in AI or related fields. Some students also expressed a desire to explore potential career interests and

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2024 South East Section Meeting

Authors

Arash Afshar; Dorina Marta Mihut; Michael Ryan Sweeney

scienceand simulation technology.IntroductionDeveloping machine learning projects for engineering education is of paramount importance inpreparing the next generation of engineers for the challenges of the modern world. These projectsoffer students a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practicalapplication, a vital component of their future careers. Machine learning, with its ability to makesense of complex data and make predictions, has become integral in engineering fields. It equipsstudents with the skills needed to address real-world engineering challenges, enhancing theirproblem-solving abilities and fostering creativity [1, 2].Poisson's ratio is a dimensionless parameter that characterizes how a material