Conference Session

Outreach and Beyond in the Chemical Engineering Classroom

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sindia Rivera-Jiménez Ph.D., University of Florida; Deanna Alford, University of Florida; Lilianny Virguez, University of Florida

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

.Changes in industry trends are the primary cause for the addition of different areas in the ChemEcurriculum such as the need for large-scale production of commodities chemicals, productdevelopment, pharmaceuticals, and bioengineering [1]. However, there are many hurdles tocompletely invigorate the ChemE curriculum. Some examples may include accreditation, coursecredit limits, maintaining consistency with the rest of the universities, among others. Manyengineering disciplines have addressed these challenges by adding non-traditional learningexperiences such as research experiences, cooperative learning, project-based learning, servicelearning, and experiential learning [2].Conventional wisdom advocates that engineering student’s involvement in

Conference Session

Outreach and Beyond in the Chemical Engineering Classroom

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Byron Hempel, University of Arizona; Paul Blowers, University of Arizona; Kasi M. Kiehlbaugh, University of Arizona

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

explanation for this is that, on average, faculty spend the most time with53 students, compared with staff, administrators, and advisors. For most courses offered in higher education,54 this time is at least three hours per week; for research mentoring, the faculty contact time can increase55 dramatically [12]. Classroom interactions between students and faculty have a significant potential to56 influence students’ graduation path [13]. Yet, concerning the instruction by faculty, engineering students57 reported that the quality of instruction in engineering was lower than in their non-engineering courses58 [14], [15]. A 2017 study by Gandhi-Lee et al. found that most faculty are unaware of actions that59 positively influence STEM

Conference Session

Work-In-Progress Postcard Session

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel D. Anastasio, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Elizabeth R. Morehouse, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

the recently published results, employers rated the careerreadiness proficiency of new graduates lower, in some cases significantly, when compared tostudents’ self-ratings (NACE (a), 2018). Thus, a skills gap may exist.NACE defines career readiness as “the attainment and demonstration of requisite competenciesthat broadly prepare college graduates for a successful transition into the workplace” (NACE,2017). The aforementioned definition was created in 2015 through a task force including bothcollege and employer representatives. This definition provides a common language surroundingcareer readiness and allows for increased cooperation and collaboration between colleges anduniversities and employers. Additionally, it provides a framework that