Collection

2025 Rocky Mountain Section Conference

Authors

Benjamin Bruxvoort; Nehemiah Emaikwu; Kim Trenbath; Jason Schmidt

keythemes of professor practices. Findings reveal that the real-world aspect of the projects andalignment with values and research interests were primary motivators for implementation. Whileimplementation methods varied significantly based on context (i.e., university setting, coursetype), we found that these projects could be effectively integrated into various classroomsettings. The findings support the recommendation for non-academic institutions to develop andmanage competitions that can be integrated into classrooms and which offer a point ofengagement that is available to professors from a wide range of disciplines.INTRODUCTIONEngineering education literature contains many theoretical and conceptual frameworks forproject-based learning. These

Collection

2025 Rocky Mountain Section Conference

Authors

Abigail Neering; Mitchell Keck; Julia Reyna; Natcin Sorensen; Travis Price; Randy Hurd

project manager and expected us tomeet the agreed upon design requirements, stay under budget, and finish on schedule. In order toguide us to meet these criteria, we created a timeline, had specific project assignments, and gaveregular reports on our progress. After conducting research, we started designing our prototypeand pitched the initial concept and budget to both our client and professor. After approval andsmall revisions, we had the first working iteration finished. For our customer, it was importantthat this project was durable, intuitive for students, and attractive, while our engineeringprofessor wanted technical elements, reports, and assignments. In the end we were able to satisfyboth parties with a project that met the expectations

Collection

2025 Rocky Mountain Section Conference

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt; Malinda Zarske

indicate that individualinstructors can significantly impact the teamwork experiences of first-year female engineeringstudents. Instructors should consider these findings and how their practices might be impactful infacilitating teamwork.IntroductionEngineering is still working to achieve increased representation of women. This involvescapturing student interest to enroll in engineering in college and persist to graduation, as well asrecruiting students to switch into engineering majors. It is important for student success, well-being, and retention for engineering students to get off to a strong start in their first semester ofcollege, given that many students switch out of engineering during their first year [1]. Factorsshown to influence the

Collection

2025 Rocky Mountain Section Conference

Authors

Chika Winnifred Agha; Rebecca Atadero; Amir Hedayati Mehdiabad

. (2021). Exploring the social and cultural dimensions of learning for recent engineering graduates during the school-to-work transition. Engineering Studies, 13(2), 132-157.Martin, D. A., & Polmear, M. (2023). The two cultures of engineering education: Looking back and moving forward. In Engineering, Social Sciences, and the Humanities: Have Their Conversations Come of Age? (pp. 133-150). Cham: Springer International Publishing.Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2015). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.McGinn, R. E. (2003). “Mind the gaps”: An empirical approach to engineering ethics, 1997– 2001. Science and Engineering Ethics, 9, 517-542.Mural

Collection

2025 Rocky Mountain Section Conference

Authors

Abdirahman Abdi; Phil Courey; Malinda S Zarske

need for the program to further tailor its support tomeet students' evolving academic and professional needs.Limitations of this studyThis study focuses exclusively on students enrolled in the Lattice Scholars Program at theUniversity of Colorado Boulder, with data collected from surveys and interviews of programparticipants. While the findings may offer insights into best practices for scholarship programs,they may not be fully generalizable to all higher education institutions. Further research may beneeded to examine similar programs in different contexts.Another limitation of this study is the potential non-response error, as not all participants mayhave responded to the survey or interview prompts, which could impact the

Collection

2025 Rocky Mountain Section Conference

Authors

John M. Santiago

entrepreneurial mindset education across a wider spectrum ofengineering and STEAM learning environments. The list of References found in Section 9 attempt tobrainstorm the integrated use of AI and the various elements found in the Kern EngineeringEntrepreneurial Network (KEEN) framework.7.1 Expand Faculty Development and Peer CoachingTo scale adoption, institutions should offer hands-on training for faculty in the use of AI tools, Camtasiaediting, and the KEEN 3C framework. Faculty learning communities, led by early adopters and supportedby platforms like Engineering Unleashed and IEEE’s Educational Activities, can accelerate peermentoring and sharing of best practices.7.2 Develop Modular AI-Enhanced Learning AssetsThe next step is to create reusable

Collection

2025 Rocky Mountain Section Conference

Authors

Randy Hurd; Sulabh Khadka; Dustin Grote

collected in the post-program survey, and shared positive impactsof the program in focus groups. Among many recommendations we make for others interested instarting or improving a STEM summer bridge program, we point especially to our thoughtfulprogram design as well as the thoughtful selection of courses and faculty that engenderedconfidence in student’s ability to be successful in STEM courses. 17 REFERENCES1) Ackermann, S. P. (1991). The benefits of summer bridge programs for underrepresented and low-income transfer students. Community/Junior College Quarterly of Research and Practice, 15(2), 211–224