Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 1: Critical Reflections on Teaching and Learning

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Desen Sevi Özkan, University of Connecticut; Todd Campbell, University of Connecticut; Pamela C Detrois, University of Connecticut

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

questions: (1) When students talk about (local/global) energy systems, what do they concern themselves with? (2) What are students’ overarching narratives found orienting them to energy transitions?We situated this study in a crossdisciplinary undergraduate course on sustainable energies, co-taught bytwo faculty members, one in political science and one in mechanical engineering.BackgroundEnergy Education and Energy LiteracyEnergy is a key element of any engineering curriculum as well as a key element of society. Yet manystudents learn about the science of energy in largely technical, fragmented, and decontextualized waysthrough courses like introductory physics, thermodynamics, circuits, heat transfer, and so forth (Hoople

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 1: Critical Reflections on Teaching and Learning

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Howcroft, University of Waterloo; Kate Mercer, University of Waterloo; Julie Vale, University of Guelph; D'andre Jermaine Wilson-Ihejirika P.Eng., University of Toronto; Stephen Mattucci, University of Guelph

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Change | Makers: What can come next in engineering design?IntroductionThere have been growing calls for engineers and engineering educators to take more completeresponsibility for their role in society as technological developers and technically literatemembers of society, the exclusivity of their practice, and the impact their work has on the worldboth socially and environmentally. These calls appear in various forms including SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs) [1], calls to action [2], and academic literature [3-5]. However,change in engineering often comes slowly. While some change has been seen, for example, insome engineering codes of ethics and graduate attributes, others have been

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 1: Critical Reflections on Teaching and Learning

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jenna Tonn, Boston College; Brit Shields, University of Pennsylvania; Ryan Hearty, The Johns Hopkins University; Adelheid Voskuhl, University of Pennsylvania

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

Landscapes in Engineering EducationAbstractIn this paper, the four authors consider our roles as engineering educators teaching courses thatemphasize engineering practice as a sociotechnical endeavor. [1] [2] Situated in differentinstitutions and schools, we reflect on commonalities and differences in our approaches tosociotechnical education, particularly incorporating scholarship that illuminates the complexrelationship between science, technology and society into engineering and humanities courses.We draw heavily from disciplines such as science and technology studies, engineering studies,and the history of science and technology, among others. [3] [4] We also reflect on how ourvaried institutional homes have influenced how we approach

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 1: Critical Reflections on Teaching and Learning

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Abigail Brooks-Ramirez, University of California, Berkeley; Rebecca Dang, University of California, Berkeley; Bryan Adolfo Ventura Benitez, University of California, Berkeley; Lisa Yan, University of California, Berkeley

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

technicalunderstanding and create a broader social space for engineering education.IntroductionAs the artifacts and processes of engineering disciplines become more deeply entrenched insociety, the professional obligations of an engineer become more complex and intersectional.Subsequently, in academic engineering settings, the discussion of “engineering ethics” withinundergraduate education has morphed into a broader goal for sociotechnical education, whichinforms students of the collective social responsibilities held by engineers and the ways in whichan engineer’s discipline shapes and is shaped by society [1]. In the context of data science (DS)undergraduate programs, responsible data science curriculum integrates engineering ethics andsociotechnical

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 1: Critical Reflections on Teaching and Learning

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kent A. Wayland, University of Virginia; Caitlin Donahue Wylie, University of Virginia

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

ReflectionIn this work-in-progress paper, we suggest that the evaluation of undergraduate research experiences canbe adapted to serve as a useful tool for supporting student learning. Specifically, we argue thatundergraduate research can foster transformative learning, but one key element of this experientiallearning–reflection–can be difficult to integrate into the programs[1], [2]. Indeed, even for programs thatforeground experiential learning, such as service-learning and study abroad, it can be difficult to integratereflection effectively[3]. Yet the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Research Experience forUndergraduates (REU) programs do require a process that, surprisingly, could serve as a tool for doingthis work: program evaluation. In a

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 2: Identity, Professionalization, and Belonging I

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Johanna Naukkarinen, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT; Susanna Maria Bairoh, Academic Engineers & Architects in Finland TEK

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

and valued professional roles of engineers among engineering students in FinlandIntroductionEngineering as an endeavor is thousands of years old, and engineering as a profession ishundreds of years old. Yet, many engineering students lack a clear understanding of whatengineers actually do. Descriptions of engineering practice tend to emphasize technicalproblem solving and design [1], and value creation in engineering is often perceived asresulting from technological innovation [2]. Interviews and field observations amongpracticing engineers show that some engineers “tend to hide the social dimension of theirwork behind a technical facade” [1]. Faulkner sees this as a manifestation of a broadercultural phenomenon, which

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 4: Sociotechnical Integration

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey John Hatala, West Texas A&M University; Celeste Arden Riley, Texas A&M University - Kingsville; James K. Nelson Jr. P.E., Texas A&M University System RELLIS Campus; Andrew Steven Crawford, Tarleton State University; Victoria June Vinzant, Texas A&M University - Kingsville; London Knight, West Texas A&M University

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

, and from psychology. The overarching goal of the course was to develop aninterdisciplinary understanding of the necessary balance between the needs of society andengineering design. It explicitly addresses four societal impact outcomes in ABET Criterion 3:public health and safety impacts of design, ethical decision-making, collaborative productivity,and effective communication with diverse audiences [1]. This course is supportive of theEngineering One Planet (EOP) program of the American Society for Engineering Education(ASEE) [2]. In addition, the importance of making design decisions in economic, environmental,and societal contexts is emphasized from the perspectives of engineering and physical andmental health.IntroductionA new technical

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 7: Interdisciplinarity

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Munirah Almutairi, North Carolina State University at Raleigh; Tamecia R. Jones, North Carolina State University at Raleigh

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

engagement [1]. Yet,civic education is increasingly enhanced through the integration of technology and design-thinking methodologies, fostering student engagement and critical thinking. Project RISEconsiders civic education the process of enabling students to have civic knowledge, civic skills,and civic dispositions and actions [2]. Civics education, within the context of Project RISE, is theactive, informed, and justice-oriented participation of individuals in their communities anddemocratic institutions. It encompasses the development of civic knowledge, skills, anddispositions that enable individuals to critically analyze societal challenges, collaborate acrossdisciplines, and employ problem-solving frameworks—such as engineering design thinking

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 8: Communication and Liberal Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shazib Z Vijlee, University of Portland; Stephanie Anne Salomone, University of Portland; Andrew Guest, University of Portland

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

, we performed a systematic, mixed-methods analysis offirst-year engineering students’ perceptions of their curiosity before and after their first-yearintroduction to college and the value of the University of Portland’s liberal arts core curriculum.Through surveys that allowed for both quantitative and qualitative analysis, along with case studyinterviews, we explore engineering students’ interests, what experiences they found engaging, andhow their first semester of college may have impacted the breadth of their intellectual curiosity.Ultimately, we hope to use these insights to help engineering students see themselves as wholehumans with lifelong aspirations of curiosity.MotivationOne way to frame our effort is to start with Detweiler’s [1

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 10: Institutions and Structures

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Laura Wood, University of Michigan; Berenice Alejandra Cabrera, University of Michigan; Hayley N. Nielsen, University of Michigan; Amber N Williams, University of Michigan; Lu Zhou, Tsinghua University; Lisa R. Lattuca, University of Michigan; Grenmarie Agresar, University of Michigan; Shanna R. Daly, University of Michigan; Joi-Lynn Mondisa, University of Michigan; Erika A Mosyjowski, University of Michigan; Steve J. Skerlos, University of Michigan

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

. Incorporating contentrelated to equity in engineering has been shown to support broadening participation, sinceminoritized students often pursue STEM degrees due to an interest in learning how to leveragetheir degree for positive social impact (e.g., [1] - [5]). A broadened view of what counts asengineering content is aligned with a sociotechnical view of engineering and educational effortsto authentically prepare students to address real-world engineering challenges (e.g., [1], [6] -[8]). While a sociotechnical view of engineering does not necessarily center equity, curricularand instructional efforts to integrate the social and technical dimensions of engineering affordopportunities to engage issues of equity as instructors seek to develop students

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 3: Identity, Professionalization, and Belonging II

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Erin A. Cech, University of Michigan; Cynthia J. Finelli, University of Michigan

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

for Master’s and upper-divisionundergraduate engineering students. The course had three learning goals: (1) teach students torecognize their public welfare responsibilities, (2) motivate students to act on public welfareissues, and (3) equip students with intervention strategies (e.g., understanding whistleblowingprotections, writing an op-ed) to confront issues they may encounter in their future professionalwork. In this paper, we provide a detailed description of the course and present data from pre-and post-class surveys and open-ended reflections to illustrate how the class produced notablechanges in students’ (a) recognition of their public welfare responsibilities, (b) motivation totake action, and (c) familiarity with intervention

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 8: Communication and Liberal Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John William Lynch, University of Cincinnati; Sheryl A. Sorby, University of Cincinnati; Teri J Murphy, University of Cincinnati; Betsy M. Aller, Western Michigan University

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

could, in turn, be useful in understanding overall technical communication skills in furtherresearch.IntroductionThe subsequent sections of this paper will introduce the background of spatial andcommunication skills in the context of engineering and discuss research findings on theintersection between these two skillsets.Spatial Skills in EngineeringThere has been a significant body of research that suggests a relationship between strong spatialskills and overall success in engineering [1]-[6]. Further research has shown that spatial skillscan be correlated with success in the subjects of mathematics [7]-[9], physics [10], chemicalengineering [11], and areas of programming and computer science [12]-[15] Research has alsoshown differences in

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 6: LEES Works in Progress

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Leanne Dawson, University of Calgary; Ayah Metwali, University of Calgary

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

and teamwork, into a technical course to betterprepare students for industry challenges. Proposed interventions include reflective assignments,mock meetings, and mental health workshops, aimed at fostering resilience and broadeningengineering identity. By aligning technical and professional development, this work offers aroadmap for holistic curricular reform, ensuring students are both competent and confident asthey transition into the workforce.1. IntroductionWhat does it mean to be an engineer? The field of engineering education has long recognized thesignificance of developing both technical and professional skills to prepare students for complexworkplace challenges. With the rapid rise of enrollment in software engineering, and

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 4: Sociotechnical Integration

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nicholas Rabb, California State University Los Angeles; Desen Sevi Özkan, University of Connecticut

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

evaluating models of hopeful attitudes leading to motivation to take political action, andconcluding that utopian visioning – imagining a better society – has a positive effect onmotivational attitudes [1, 4, 5].​ One major attitude that factors into approach emotions, the subject of this study, is hope.Discussions of hope are common among leading figures in social change. Macy, in her workActive Hope, describes hope as both involving believing in an outcome and desiring a betterfuture, but also as a practice and process [19]. West, in Democracy Matters, discusses what hecalls “tragicomic hope” as preserving the belief in better futures while “staring into the face ofhate and hypocrisy,” countering nihilism [29]. Kaba shares her view of hope

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 6: LEES Works in Progress

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sakshi Solanki, University of Connecticut; Achal Duhoon, University of Connecticut; Desen Sevi Özkan, University of Connecticut

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

behavior. However, limitedresearch has examined how the language differences of cross-disciplinary students influencedenergy discourses. Understanding these language differences will improve communication andcollaboration between interdisciplinary students for effective energy literacy solutions.Keywords: Latent Dirichlet Allocation, Mixed Methods, Energy Discourses, Energy Literacy1. IntroductionEnergy has become an important part of our daily life, which helps in powering our homeappliances, driving hybrid cars, charging laptops/mobile phones, etc. Energy usage has beenincreased by the growth of population and technological advancements. The increase in energyusage could negatively impact our access to clean, affordable, and renewable energy [1

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 9: Collaboration and Community

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ahreum Lim, Arizona State University; Emma Frow, Arizona State University

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

is an important and complex site of negotiationbetween control and care: how do lab principal investigators (PIs) create environments that nurturethe development of individual trainees at multiple career stages, while advancing their own careerand research agenda in ways that will satisfy institutional expectations? This is fraught territory,grounded in an academic reward system that prioritizes individual performance. Persistent surveysof STEM trainees struggling with mental health [1], [2] highlight a culture of control linked tomeritocratic systems that can prioritize PI career advancement over the well-being of lab members.This culture is increasingly being challenged, by both trainees and mentors. How to support lableaders invested in

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 8: Communication and Liberal Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amanda Dawn Hilliard, The Johns Hopkins University

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

writing applicable across different formats. This paperfurther offers sample classroom activities to teach these principles and provides practicalstrategies to assist students in effectively modifying their written communication to suit differentaudiences. I. INTRODUCTION The importance of effective communication in engineering has long been recognized. In 1916,for example, the Cleveland-based engineering educator Barker wrote: “To be successful inengineering, training in mathematics and science is absolutely necessary; a good knowledge ofwritten and spoken English is a further requirement” [1]. In its report on “The Engineer of 2020,”The National Academy of Engineering listed communication skills as a key

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 8: Communication and Liberal Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Catherine Woodworth Wong, University of New Hampshire; Cynthia Helen Carlson PE, PhD, Merrimack College

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

resources that instructors can use in theirclassrooms. An example of a classroom exercise will be demonstrated.BackgroundPlain language is “clear, concise, well-organized, and follows other best practices according tothe subject or field and intended audience” [1]. It allows the reader to (a) find what they need, (b)understand what they find the first time they read or hear it, and (c) use what they find to meettheir needs [2], while being understandable, actionable, and culturally relevant [3]. Definitionsvary slightly, but in general, plain language documents are written appropriately to the audienceand can be understood the first time they are read or heard: prioritizing important information, inwords that will be clear to the intended audience

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 6: LEES Works in Progress

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tamecia R. Jones, North Carolina State University at Raleigh; Siddika Selcen Guzey, Purdue University at West Lafayette (PWL) (COE); Chrystal S Johnson, Purdue University; Jennifer Sdunzik, Purdue University at West Lafayette (PWL) (COE); Wilella Burgess, Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI)

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

iterative process of problem-solving thatintegrates creativity, systematic analysis, and user-centered considerations to developsolutions[1]. This approach is increasingly recognized as valuable in non-STEM fields, includingcivics education, where complex social challenges require structured problem-solving strategies[2]. Civic engagement, within the context of Project RISE, is the active, informed, and justice-oriented participation of individuals in their communities and democratic institutions. Itencompasses the development of civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions that enable individualsto critically analyze societal challenges, collaborate across disciplines, and employ problem-solving frameworks—such as engineering design thinking—to

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 9: Collaboration and Community

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brooke Charae Coley, Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus; Diego Reyes; Abimelec Mercado Rivera, Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus; Jennifer Hadley Perkins, University of Nevada - Las Vegas; Joshua Owusu Ansah, Arizona State University; Precious Njeck, Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus; Esther Low, Arizona State University; Crislana Rafael, Arizona State University; Bilal Ahmad, Arizona State University; Jenna Materna, Arizona State University

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

to problem-solvingmentioned above, this work seeks with explicit intentionality to observe the processsurrounding formation of the team, and specifically, observing what that informs as itrelates to a team working together on a sociotechnical research project. We 2conceptualize this work underpinned by the assumptions stated here: 1) ascriptions tomeritocratic and depoliticized ideologies are pervasive across engineering; 2) suchbeliefs are socialized into and through engineering education; and 3) the values heldby an engineer will translate to some extent, at a minimum, into their technologies andinnovations. Given the situated assumptions, the “who, how

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 2: Identity, Professionalization, and Belonging I

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brooks Michael Leftwich, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE)

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

path to follow are some of life’s biggest.Further, decisions about where and who to work for are value-laden. Especially for soon-to-beengineering graduates, job choices can have distinct social and ethical pressures from oneself,friends, family, and society given that engineering work can conflict with societal beliefs aboutwhat is “good” (i.e., manufacturing weapons for the military, mining for precious metals, drillingfor oil, etc.). Although what is “good” may differ from person to person, the engineeringprofession has a duty to society often referred to as social responsibility. Social responsibility ishighlighted by professional societies and academic bodies as a key engineering principle [1], [2][3], and several Bodies of Knowledge (BOK

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 10: Institutions and Structures

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Saskia van Beers, University of Toronto; Cindy Rottmann, University of Toronto; Emily Moore P.Eng., University of Toronto

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

]. Addressing systemicinequities can be challenging in any profession, but particularly so when members are socializedto think of themselves as free agents, unencumbered by social structures [2,3]. Our paperexamines the prevalence of agentic and structural explanations of career mobility among 952Canadian engineers who responded to a national engineering career path survey. We found that49.3% of racialized men, 71.6% of white women, 75.6% of racialized women and 68.0% ofLGBTQ2SI+1 engineers, compared to only 26.3% of white men, believed their social locationhad impacted their careers suggesting that individuals who are relatively under-represented in theengineering profession are more inclined to view their social location as a non-neutral feature

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 10: Institutions and Structures

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Casey Gibson, National Academy of Engineering; David A. Butler, National Academy of Engineering; Davis Chacon-Hurtado, University of Connecticut

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

decision-making; and theintegration of human rights into systems and product design. Sessions explored the evolving integrationof human rights in the engineering profession and identified areas where further efforts are needed. Theevent also raised awareness of human rights issues among practicing engineers and within engineeringeducation communities.This paper and an accompanying presentation at the 2025 American Society for Engineering Education(ASEE) Annual Conference summarize the major findings identified, issues raised, and the suggestionsfor future action put forward by the symposium participants. These takeaways are framed using thehuman rights principles for engineering outlined by Chacón-Hurtado et al. [1]. These are also comparedto

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 2: Identity, Professionalization, and Belonging I

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lazlo Stepback, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Matthew W. Ohland, Purdue University at West Lafayette (PWL) (COE); Amanda Katz, Utah State University

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

infrastructure projects andhighlight the problems and solutions faced at the time. Additionally, we show ways to leveragethis history to improve the current education of engineers and other workers for the purpose ofelectrifying roadways.As of 2023, 18% of the world’s new cars sold were EVs, including battery-electric and plug-inhybrid vehicles, as well as 10% of new cars sold in the United States [1]. In China, 38% of newcars are EVs and in Norway 93% of new cars are EVs. In 2023 alone, there were 13,800,000 newEVs sold worldwide and 1,390,000 new EVs sold within the United States [1]. One estimatepredicts the yearly number of new EV sales in the United States will increase to 2,320,000 by2029 [2]. It is clear that EV adoption is here and will only

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 8: Communication and Liberal Education

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nadine Zeeni, Lebanese American University; Haidar Harmanani, Lebanese American University; George E Nasr, Lebanese American University; Rony S. Khnayzer, Lebanese American University

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

the curriculum’s relevance. Longitudinaltracking of graduates will further assess the curriculum’s long-term impact on theirprofessional engagement with climate-related issues.1 IntroductionThe climate crisis poses a profound threat to the planet, disrupting ecosystems, destabilizingsocieties, and crippling economies. From rising sea levels and extreme weather events toresource scarcity and mass displacement, the impacts are far-reaching and deeply concerning.Engineers, with their ability to design and build the technologies that shape our world, play apivotal role in both exacerbating and mitigating this crisis. Many of the technologies we rely ontoday, from fossil fuel-powered transportation and energy generation to resource

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 9: Collaboration and Community

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yume Menghe Xu, Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

their research and practice.IntroductionAn increasing number of engineering curricula across K-12 and undergraduate levels is pushingfor social, political, and technical integrations to steer away from the traditional engineeringculture of solely privileging the technical dimension while downplaying the social and politicaldimensions [1]. Many of these curricula are discussion-based, where students have conversationsabout real-world engineering problems and how designs can impact the community [2]. In somecases, students work on design projects related to those conversations in their classrooms [3], [4].While these contexts are certainly beneficial for students to become aware of and think about thesociopolitical aspects of engineering, it is

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 10: Institutions and Structures

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rae Jing Han, University of Washington; Selen Güler, University of Washington; Elizabeth Litzler, University of Washington; Teodora Rutar Shuman, Seattle University; Alan Cheville, Bucknell University; Eva Andrijcic, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Sriram Mohan, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

box. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Creative Changemaking within Complex Institutional ContextsIntroduction and Literature ReviewAs one of the core institutions of society, higher education has contributed to the public good,supported local and regional communities, broadened democratic participation, and supportedstudent learning. However, as both critics and supporters point out, this traditional role of highereducation is under attack [1]-[5]. As market-oriented values like productivity, efficiency, andcompetition gain traction across many areas of social life, these pressures–combined with theevolving political environment [6], [7] and financial challenges tied to the expansion of

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 3: Identity, Professionalization, and Belonging II

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Clay Walker, University of Michigan; Mariel Krupansky, University of Michigan; Robin Fowler, University of Michigan; Kenneth M. Alfano, University of Michigan; Colleen Hart, University of Michigan

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

expertise [1] and to develop ideas [2]. Findings from early studies afterthe public release of ChatGPT have found that students see GenAI as a useful but limited tool[3-6]. GenAI tools saturate digital writing ecologies and continue to gain power with eachiteration, yet student use of GenAI remains an understudied aspect of generative AI uptake inhigher education literacy [7]. Engineering education has unique features (e.g., coding,calculations, design processes, technical communication) and deserves its own empiricalresearch on student writing practices in relation to GenAI, not yet done to our knowledge.Additionally, it is still unclear how generative AI technologies will shape the engineeringeducation landscape as students grapple with the

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 3: Identity, Professionalization, and Belonging II

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gabriel Van Dyke, Utah State University; Cassandra J McCall, Utah State University; Stephen Secules, Florida International University; Maimuna Begum Kali, Florida International University; Vanessa Tran, Utah State University

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

minoritizedidentities from their engineering identities [1], identity scholarship has long established thatstudents’ experiences, activities, relationships, and environments outside the classroom cansignificantly influence how they engage with, interpret, and learn material in the classroom.One potential reason behind the limited diversification of the engineering workforce could be thetendency to acknowledge only the social and psychological effects of marginalization instead oflooking at cognitive effects on student learning, thereby only considering one aspect of thelearner. This paper considers the whole learner using a method known as “thinking with theory”[2] to theoretically examine the implications and impacts of navigating marginalized andminoritized

Conference Session

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) Technical Session 3: Identity, Professionalization, and Belonging II

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarah Appelhans, Lafayette College; Rebecca Thomas, Bucknell University; Jenny Tilsen, Bucknell University; Alan Cheville, Bucknell University

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Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

” to help us conceptualize the variations amongstthe students in our department, which were derived from interview data with two cohorts of graduatingseniors. These personas have three levels: 1) Origins, to understand variations in students’ backgrounds,2) Identities, to explore variations in student interests and motivations, and 3) Trajectories, to explorevariations in what students hope to do with their engineering degrees. We intend to use these personaswithin the department to help faculty support non-traditional or “alternative” identities and pathways inengineering. We also intend to use them to help students better articulate what kind of engineers theywant to be and to recognize themselves as full members of the engineering