Conference Session

Disability in Engineering Programs (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 3)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bridget M. Smyser, Northeastern University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

interdependence among the group members.At this point in the term, teams may not have fully established norms or agreed oncommunication methods.Teams with students requiring accommodations had nearly double the number of comments oncommunication challenges and poor team dynamics compared to their peers. One student noted,“I think we could probably have more communication between members while writing thereport. We’ve been dividing and conquering sections of the lab report, but I think a lot of thestuff should be more cooperative in nature amongst sections.”when reflecting on early struggles. Another mentioned:“My group mates stopped working at about 8:30 pm on Friday night when the report was due.The report was not done. I believe they think they had

Conference Session

Belonging Across Engineering Environments (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 1)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tolulope Iyanuoluwa Abiri, Morgan State University; Ayobami Christianah Dunmoye, Morgan State University; Michael Oluwafemi Ige, Morgan State University; Samuel Sola Akosile, Morgan State University; Olushola V. Emiola-Owolabi, Morgan State University; Pelumi Olaitan Abiodun, Morgan State University; Oludare Adegbola Owolabi P.E., Morgan State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

Paper ID #47975Exploring the Role of Peer and Faculty Interactions in Shaping the Sense ofBelonging among International Graduate Engineering Students (IGES) at anHBCUTolulope Iyanuoluwa Abiri, Morgan State University Tolulope Abiri is a graduate student in Civil Engineering at Morgan State University, where he also serves as a Research Assistant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA). His current research focuses on the sustainability and resilience of transportation infrastructure in the face of sea level rise, with a particular emphasis on coastal

Conference Session

Understanding Concealable Stigmatized Identities (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 10)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cole Thompson, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Adrian Nat Gentry, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Kerrie A Douglas, Purdue University – West Lafayette (College of Engineering); Julie P Martin, University of Georgia; Fio Bahr, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE)

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

. ResultsNonbinary Identity Supports FrameworkInterviews revealed how nonbinary STEM graduate students utilized their social networks(consisting of TNBGNC, cis and nonbinary alters) to obtain identity-based expressive support inthe form of validating their gender identity and encouraging them to persist in their graduatestudies, as well as instrumental support in the form of advice on navigating STEM environments,writing articles, and preparing for conferences. The nature of support that they received wasdistinctly different from cisgender alters (faculty and peers) and nonbinary alters (peers). In thefollowing paragraphs, we depict how participants described receiving identity-based support(i.e., affirmation, advocacy, insider knowledge, and kinship) from

Conference Session

Institutional Support and Training (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 12)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Danni Lopez-Rogina, Colorado School of Mines; Stacey Roland, Colorado School of Mines; Jessica Mary Smith, Colorado School of Mines; Heather Thiry

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

Black, can cause mental and emotional harm[11]. Minoritized students are placed in situations in which they have to listen to peers askquestions about their very humanity and outdated misassumptions about intelligence, athleticprowess, and laziness, among others. The same can be said for trans and queer students,immigrants and children of immigrants, students with disabilities, and others. It is finding simpleways to address this normalization of social violence that occurs in DEIA research and educationspaces, along with the integration of what people consider “common” disabilityaccommodations, that we seek to discuss via curriculum and training methods for the remainderof this paper.Outline of ProgramAt the time of writing, the BASE Camp

Conference Session

Disability in Engineering Programs (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 3)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alec Jon Bauer, Clemson University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

learners’ experiences relative to theirneurotypical peers. The pilot findings guided evidence-based revisions, and a refined survey was deployed inFall 2024. From that survey’s respondents, STEM majors who identify as neurodivergent were invited toparticipate in interviews about their experiences transitioning to online learning during and after the COVID-19pandemic. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was secured for this work-in-progress study, andparticipant interviews are underway at the time of writing. In these interviews, participants describe theirexperiences with remote learning, emphasizing the challenges encountered and adaptive strategies employedthroughout the transition from in-person to online education. Aligned with the

Conference Session

Culture, Agency, and Responsibility through Curriculum (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 5)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nagma Zerin, The Johns Hopkins University; Melo-Jean Yap, The Johns Hopkins University; Hexin Bi, The Johns Hopkins University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

technical writing skills, which are often not demonstrated in traditional exams. We emphasized developing connections that can facilitate belonging. We focused on buildingconnections between students and four other factors: the professor, the course content, the peers,and the ChemBE major. Connection between students and the professor can be fostered throughthe professor’s display of care and support [17]. Understanding the relevance of the courseworkthrough real-world applications can promote connections with the course content and the major.Participating in cooperative learning can provide opportunities to interact with peers and facilitatepeer connections.Supportive Classroom in Cell Biology for Engineers During the course introduction, the

Conference Session

Interrogating Race, Caste, and Power (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 4)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Motahareh Darvishpour Ahandani, Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus; Precious Njeck, Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus; Ogochukwu Nwabueze Okoani, Arizona State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

particular topic and create new knowledge (Walther et al., 2017). We utilize 4this approach to examine the social, cultural, and political factors that impact the wellness ofinternational students in graduate education.ParticipantsThis study has a total of three participants, who also double as the authors of the paper. They areall Women of Color and international students in a PhD program at Southwestern HSI Universityin the U.S.ProcedureThe process began with each author writing a two-page reflection addressing the prompt: Write areflection on how social, cultural, and political factors affect your overall experiences andwell-being as an international

Conference Session

Understanding Concealable Stigmatized Identities (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 10)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cole Thompson, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Stephanie Masta, Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI)

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

emotional and instrumental support (see [12] - [15]). However,much of this research generalizes the larger LGBTQ+ experience and relies on establishedframeworks utilized in the STEM and engineering education space (e.g., queer theory, socialcapital theory). Therefore, outside of a select few exceptions (see [16], [17]), the research oftrans scholars in trans studies has seldom been utilized to understand the lived experiences of ourTNBGNC peers in STEM. We believe that the use of trans studies frameworks andmethodologies in STEM and engineering education research with the TNBGNC community canenrich current discourse by fostering a deeper understanding of the transgender experience andcreate pathways to transform educational practice.If we, as

Conference Session

An ECSJ Art Show - Equity and Justice through Art (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 6)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

D. C. Beardmore, University of Colorado Boulder; Angela R Bielefeldt P.E., University of Colorado Boulder

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

,well-being, and lives of graduate students. It can support us in interrupting harmful interpersonal practicesand modeling supportive practices.ApproachData was collected through two phases of exploratory semi-structured qualitative interviews with sevenparticipants under the University of Colorado Boulder IRB protocol 21-0217. The participants andmethods are fully discussed in Beardmore [6]. Participants included STEM graduate students whoself-identified as being disabled or having one or more disabilities. This paper does not present the resultsin ordinary prose, that is, writing that follows a basic grammatical structure organized into sentences andparagraphs [7]. Instead, it presents an amalgamation of the participants' paraphrased quotes

Conference Session

Culture, Agency, and Responsibility through Curriculum (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 5)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kelsey McLendon, University of Michigan; Katie Snyder, University of Michigan

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

Paper ID #48021Using student-led case studies in engineering to build cultural awareness,self-knowledge, and ethical engagementKelsey McLendon, University of Michigan Kelsey McLendon is a Lecturer in the Program in Technical Communication in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. Her research interests are technical writing, social and emotional learning, and DEIJ in engineering education.Dr. Katie Snyder, University of Michigan Dr. Snyder is a lecturer in the Program in Technical Communication at the University of Michigan. She teaches writing and presentation strategies to students in the College of

Conference Session

Disability in Engineering Programs (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 3)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ella Hedberg, University of Michigan; Caroline Louise Carter, University of Michigan; Xiaping Li, University of Michigan; Laura Hirshfield, University of California, Berkeley; Robin Fowler, University of Michigan; Prachi Shah, University of Michigan

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

factors that inhibit full participation of students who identify with historically marginalized groups and investigate evidence-based strategies for mitigating these inequities. In addition, she is interested in technology and how specific affordances can change the ways we collaborate, learn, read, and write. Teaching engineering communication allows her to apply this work as she coaches students through collaboration, design thinking, and design communication. She is part of a team of faculty innovators who originated Tandem (tandem.ai.umich.edu), a tool designed to help facilitate equitable and inclusive teamwork environments.Prachi Shah, University of Michigan ©American Society for

Conference Session

Interrogating Race, Caste, and Power (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 4)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

R. Jamaal Downey, University of San Diego; Joel Alejandro Mejia, University of Cincinnati; Diana A. Chen, University of San Diego; Gordon D Hoople, University of San Diego

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

finally resignedly accepted ownership of the new DEI design course, due to beingthe instructor most consistently assigned to teach it. She decided to completely redesign thecourse to deliberately separate the technical and social elements. Diana writes about this process: A history of poor student evaluations has led us to be less bold with these justice topics than they deserve. We have developed a hesitance towards highlighting the justice focus of this course, and rather ‘trick’ students into thinking the course is more technically focused by couching these topics within the premise of user- centered design… The line that we toe is convincing students that the course content is valuable to them while not

Conference Session

Institutional Support and Training (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 12)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David C. Mays, University of Colorado Denver; Tom Altman; Maryam Darbeheshti, University of Colorado Denver; Priscilla Hwang, Virginia Commonwealth University; Cassandra J McCall, Utah State University; Stephen Secules, Florida International University; Maribel Vazquez, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Kelsey Watts, University of Virginia

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

contributions of microfluidic systems in the visual system. She received the 2023 AIMBE Professional Impact Award for the inclusion of Health Disparities within under/graduate training and was honored as the 2024 Plenary Speaker to the BMES Council of Chairs for integration of health disparities in Biomedical Engineering curricula. She is an executive committee member for the Rutgers Connection Network that develops inclusive forms of peer mentoring for mid-career faculty as well as new faculty.Kelsey Watts, University of Virginia Kelsey Watts is a postdoc at the University of Virginia in Biomedical Engineering. She is committed to developing more inclusive teaching and research practices

Conference Session

Understanding Concealable Stigmatized Identities (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 10)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wanpeng Xu, Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus; Nadia N. Kellam, Arizona State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

culturalexpectations within East-Asian communities. These experiences offer a nuancedperspective on participants' challenges, enabling an empathetic and culturallysensitive approach.My position as both a researcher and an insider enables me to build rapport and trustwith participants, fostering a safe and open environment for sharing authenticexperiences. At the same time, I am critically aware that my positionality mightinfluence how I interpret and represent their narratives. To actively address potentialbiases, I will employ several strategies. First, I will maintain a reflexive journal todocument my assumptions, emotional responses, and potential influences on theresearch process. Second, I will seek regular feedback from peers, mentors, andadvisors who

Conference Session

An ECSJ Art Show - Equity and Justice through Art (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 6)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeremy A. Magruder Waisome, University of Florida; Jerrod A Henderson, University of Houston William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

analysis [25, 26]. Specifically, we engaged insix phases of thematic analysis, including (1) data familiarization, (2) generating codes, (3)constructing themes, (4) reviewing themes, (5) defining themes, and (6) writing up the results toguide data analysis. We executed our analysis by reading through each semi-structured interviewtranscript and open-ended survey response and then rereading to identify quotes of interest. Next,we engaged in two rounds of coding using our conceptual framework (e.g., the ECSJ pillars) as apriori codes. We used thematic analysis as a guide rather than a prescriptive method. Initialcodes and transcript quotes were documented using a spreadsheet software program individually.Then, we discussed them through peer

Conference Session

Engineering Education in Colonial and Local Contexts (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 8)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ashish Agrawal, Rochester Institute of Technology (CET); Sarah Aileen Brownell, Rochester Institute of Technology (COE)

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

class upbringing as well as a decadeworking with community groups in northern Haiti on ecological sanitation projects. As a white,cisgender, straight-presenting, US trained engineering professor with the associated privilegesafforded and potential biases, she is working to learn from colleagues and students holding otherintersectional identities about their experience of engineering culture in an effort to expand bothits welcome and self-critique. Her motivation for creating the class was to create space fordiscussion, reflection, and peer to peer co-learning around engineering and social justice issues -something that would have helped her thrive as a female engineering student. 3. Course Description Following a faculty learning circle

Conference Session

Interrogating Race, Caste, and Power (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 4)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen Secules, Florida International University; Atota Bedane Halkiyo, Florida International University; Maimuna Begum Kali, Florida International University; Nivedita Kumar, Florida International University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

racial diversity decreases, and thefact that between high school and graduate school or the profession the racial diversity of theengineering field decreases [4], then we can presume that undergraduate engineering educationcontributes to racial inequity. Although many aspects coincide within undergraduate engineeringeducation, including advising, finances, curriculum, pedagogy, grading, peer groups, etc., we canpresume that classroom practice constitutes a bulk of student lives and therefore is a primaryplace we may expect to find mechanisms of racial inequity.Methodologically, classroom observations through ethnography or video research are theprimary tools for investigating classroom practice and interaction as mechanisms of inequity.While

Conference Session

Transformative and Just Futures in Engineering (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 11)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nadia N. Kellam, Arizona State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

their own experiences and needs while neglecting the lived realitiesof marginalized communities. Additionally, these leaders shape privacy and accessibility policiesto serve corporate interests—protecting profits and consolidating power—at the expense ofusers. This is becoming exacerbated as these CEOs and tech leaders are gaining power ingovernment and access to large data sets. Still, there are some ways that their power is beingdestabilized. A recent example (as of the writing of this paper) of this is DeepSeek, anopen-source model that was developed in China and cost far less to create than other AIplatforms, including OpenAI [21].This disconnect between the people who use technology and those who create it has significantimplications for

Conference Session

Culture, Agency, and Responsibility through Curriculum (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 5)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mobina Beheshti; Julia Wilder; Annick M Manseau; Sofia Ella Migon; Isabella Stuopis, Brown University; Avneet Hira, Boston College

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

, student autonomy, and broader social structures to supporttransformative learning experiences [30].Cavagnetto et al. explored how to foster agency in science education through "authorship," wherestudents actively participated in generating knowledge. The study highlighted that agency depended onbalancing the benefits (e.g., engagement, learning) with the costs (e.g., effort, social critique) ofparticipation. They emphasized creating safe environments with constructive critique and allowingstudents to engage deeply in tasks like designing experiments and analyzing data. Using examples like theScience Writing Heuristic approach, the study showed how inquiry-based practices improved criticalthinking, retention, and confidence in science [31