Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) GIFTS Session 1: Human-Centered and Project-Based Innovation in First-Year Engineering Design

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jill Davishahl, Western Washington University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

students to thinkcritically about ethical considerations in engineering and empowers them to propose approachesthat promote inclusivity in design while thinking about how to mitigate and/or prevent bias.These objectives align with the course's broader goal of developing sociotechnical mindsets thatbridge the gap between technical expertise and social responsibility. The activity specificallyaddresses one of the course's guiding questions: "In what ways do cultural, personal, and societalfactors influence engineering decisions, processes, and outcomes, and how can we activelymitigate biases in these areas?" By engaging with this question through concrete examples,students begin to understand their responsibility as future engineers to create

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 8: Division Best Papers

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kristen L. Sanford P.E., Lafayette College; Angela R Bielefeldt, University of Colorado Boulder; Rhonda K Young P.E., Gonzaga University; Chelsea Joy Andrews, Tufts University

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

Colorado Boulder in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering (CEAE) and Director of the Engineering Education Program. She has been active in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), including service on the Body of Knowledge 3 Task Committee and the most recent Civil Engineering Program Criteria Task Committee. Bielefeldt’s engineering education research interests include ethics, community engagement, and sustainability. She is a Fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and a licensed Professional Engineer in Colorado.Dr. Rhonda K Young P.E., Gonzaga University Rhonda Young is an associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Gonzaga University

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 3: Session 3: Curriculum in Motion - Redesigning the First-Year Experience

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ivan E. Esparragoza, Pennsylvania State University; Abbie Canale, Pennsylvania State University; Erin A Hostetler, The Pennsylvania State University; Bradley J. Sottile, The Pennsylvania State University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

opportunity to introduce students to professional skills, lifelonglearning skills, teamwork, and ethical responsibilities [13-14]. As previously noted, the transition to college is a significant step for engineeringstudents, laying the foundation for their academic and professional journeys. Consequently, theFYS course can play a pivotal role in facilitating this transition and ensuring students' success.The subject institution for this paper is Penn State University, a large, public, land-grantinstitution in the United State. At Penn State, the lack of a standardized curriculum for FYScourses within the institution’s College of Engineering (COE) which has not been formallyreviewed in over two decades (a consequence loose sociological

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) GIFTS Session 1: Human-Centered and Project-Based Innovation in First-Year Engineering Design

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Thomas Garnett, Auburn University; Jessica Bowers, Auburn University; Lucila Marcela Carias Duron, Auburn University; Maria Lujan Auad, Auburn University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

curriculum was modified to address issues inengineering design, technical communication, problem-solving, engineering ethics, safety,teamwork, sociotechnical engineering problems, and innovation in addition to the topicspreviously covered. These topics were introduced using lectures, in-class activities, and asemester-long design project. Our goal was to provide students with a memorable and fun courseto boost enthusiasm around engineering at the beginning of their academic endeavors. Studentswere split into teams of six based on their declared engineering majors to build community andinclusion from the beginning of their undergraduate studies. For undeclared students, they werescattered throughout unfilled groups or placed in groups with other

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Work-in-Progress 4: Pathways, Belonging, and Early Experiences

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen R. Beard, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Zoe Wood Wood, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Sarah Harding, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

, their major,figuring out their path to graduation, and emphasizing the importance of ethics and justice,diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering.Academic Advising General academic advising on courses with a primary focus on the importance of each student planning out their flowcharts for their individual path to graduation given the uniqueness of incoming transfer credit for each student; a discussion on concentrations in the major; senior projects; and how to get involved in researchPeer Review Flowcharts and Career Panel After students completed their flowcharts, they were prepared for more in depth discussion on flowcharts that FTFY students typically learn via word of mouth, including: which classes to avoid

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 3: Session 3: Curriculum in Motion - Redesigning the First-Year Experience

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeff Kastner, University of Cincinnati; Gregory Warren Bucks, University of Cincinnati; Jeremy Michael Olivar Hill, University of Cincinnati; Muhammad Asghar P.E., University of Cincinnati; Teri J Murphy, University of Cincinnati; David Reeping, University of Cincinnati; Sheryl A. Sorby, University of Cincinnati

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

interest topics (e.g., grand challenges), professional skills (e.g., teamwork, leadership),academic advising, mathematics skills, introduction to the engineering profession (e.g.,professional societies, types of engineering, ethics), and engineering specific technology/tools(e.g., MATLAB, CAD) [2]. Additionally, interactions between first-year students and bothfaculty and upper division peers have been found to positively impact retention of students inengineering programs. The goals of a typical FYE 1.0 program are to [2]: • Provide students the opportunity to interact with engineering faculty and upper-division engineering students to improve their sense of belonging in the engineering discipline. • Help students develop the skills

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Work-in-Progress 5: Academic Support, Retention, and Success Strategies

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hiba Assi, University of Detroit Mercy; E. Prasad Venugopal, University of Detroit Mercy; Shuvra Das, University of Detroit Mercy; Dawn Archey, University of Detroit Mercy; Mark Andrew Steffka, University of Detroit Mercy; Darrell K. Kleinke P.E., University of Detroit Mercy

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

a “humanized socio-technical approach” that centers an ethical, social-justice paradigm in engineering education; training, evaluating and rewarding instructors for innovations in teaching and learning that meets the needs of students;• Broad and strategic collaborations that include industry, community, academia and accreditation partners that are created to cater to the specific needs, context and opportunities of engineering programs.The reports indicate that two broad factors are driving the need for these changes: (1) disruptivechanges in the sociotechnical landscape of engineering that are revolutionizing society andengineering at a breathtaking pace; and, (2) the continuing predominance of traditional

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) GIFTS Session 2: Foundational Skills in the First-Year Engineering Classroom

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Thomas Garnett, Auburn University; Lucila Marcela Carias Duron, Auburn University; Maria Lujan Auad, Auburn University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

incoming first-year engineeringand computer science students. Two sections of the course are offered each semester, and there isa maximum enrollment of 410 students per section. Traditionally, this 0-credit hour course servedas an introduction to college life, campus resources, facilities, academic advising, and engineeringdepartments/programs offered on campus. Often, students found this course boring, not engaging,and a waste of 50 minutes every week. Therefore, to help build first-year students' engineeringtoolbox and make the course more engaging, topics were added to the course outcomes to addressengineering design, problem-solving, engineering ethics, safety, teamwork, sociotechnicalengineering problems, and innovation. Before restructuring

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Work-in-Progress 2: Skills Development and Career Preparation

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kristin Eden, Old Dominion University; Jeffrey W. Fergus P.E., Old Dominion University; Stacie I Ringleb, Old Dominion University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

additional goal of this program. Students couldpursue minors of interest as well as certificates tied to their major or other personal interests.Recommended minors or certificates for MAP2E students include, but are not limited to,business, psychology, energy engineering, engineering management, financial management,history, the impact of technology, applied ethics, communication, cybersecurity, environment andresources, and public law.Fall 2024 ResultsThe MAP2E program had sixteen students participate in the STP. Four students were in collegealgebra, and twelve participants were placed into precalculus one. Due to the small class sizes,we opened the ILCs to other students. Eight participants were added to the college algebracohort, and three were

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 7: Teams that Work - Collaboration and Project-Based Learning

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jessica Josephine Adams, Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI); Camden Love, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Charis Armstrong; Devang Atul Patel, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Aparajita Jaiswal, Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI); Sakhi Aggrawal, Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI); Laura Starr, Indiana-Purdue University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

identificationof key factors in intercultural development. This dual approach allowed us to develop both broadunderstanding of patterns and deep insight into individual experiences.Several key measures were implemented to ensure research quality and ethical conductthroughout the study. Three coders analyzed the data independently to establish inter-raterreliability achieving an IRR of 93%, and member checking was conducted to verifyinterpretations. Regular peer debriefing sessions helped maintain objectivity in the analysis. Datacollected was anonymized, any personally identifiable information was removed, and savedsecurely in encrypted files on Box. These measures helped ensure both the ethical integrity of theresearch and the trustworthiness of our

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Work-in-Progress 4: Pathways, Belonging, and Early Experiences

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kristin L Schaefer P.E., Texas A&M University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

mentors, and their motivations and/or persistence. The first part of her career was spent designing residential split system HVAC equipment and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) units for Trane in Tyler, TX. Kristin has taught about design, engineering, manufacturing, and ethics to students of all ages in various places, including to preschoolers via STEM outreach, to eighth graders in KatyISD at Beckendorff Junior High, and to freshmen mixed major undergraduates at UH and TAMU, and to senior ME undergraduates at TAMU. Her favorite topic for professional-level education of career engineers is engineering ethics, fulfilling requirements for most state PE licensing boards. She is enabled to connect with and support students with

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 3: Session 3: Curriculum in Motion - Redesigning the First-Year Experience

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Laura Ruhala, Kennesaw State University; Turaj Ashuri, Kennesaw State University; Lance Crimm, Kennesaw State University; Charles Richard Kennedy, Kennesaw State University; Margaret L Lowder, Kennesaw State University; Matthew Quincy Marshall, Kennesaw State University; Christina R Scherrer, Kennesaw State University; Gregory L. Wiles PE, Kennesaw State University; Roneisha Wynette Worthy, Kennesaw State University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

, engineering ethics, and an engagement assignment where they attend acollege club meeting or seek college tutoring.To evaluate the impact of the ENGR 1000 course, more than 1,500 students were administeredbrief surveys three times during the semester. The surveys focus on students' self-reportedconfidence and satisfaction with their chosen major, and their reflections on the course contentand structure. Topics included demographics (age, race/ethnicity, gender, first-generation collegestudent status, current math course, etc.), major choice, confidence in major choice (beginningand end of course), and impact of the orientation course on major choice and confidence at theend of the semester. Survey responses were de-identified prior to analysis

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 7: Teams that Work - Collaboration and Project-Based Learning

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Corrie Walton-Macaulay, Pacific University; Bailey A Weber, Pacific University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

evaluating solutions, and a view‬ ‭into possible prototyping. Collaborative teamwork is emphasized, fostering essential skills in‬c‭ ommunication, coordination, and conflict resolution. Furthermore, the course instills a strong‬ ‭ethical foundation, encouraging students to consider the societal and environmental impact of‬ ‭their work and promoting professional responsibility. Students develop critical thinking and‬ ‭problem-solving skills through project-based learning, utilizing computer-aided design tools, and‬ ‭learning to employ computational methods such as spreadsheets and equation solvers for analysis‬ ‭and design. By exposing students to the diverse facets of the engineering profession and‬ ‭cultivating essential

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 13: Equity in Action - Identity, Mentorship, and Inclusion

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katherine M Ehlert, Miami University; George D. Ricco, Miami University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

a 1-credit hour course in the fall focused onintroducing students to university-wide support systems. Minimal engineering content wasdiscussed except the course did introduce engineering ethics and require students to attendengineering-related content on occasion. In the spring, students took a 3-credit introduction totheir engineering major course that was controlled by each department in the college. This coursewould introduce software, tools, or fundamental principles valuable to the majors in thedepartment. All departmental introduction courses “counted” for each other so students whochanged their majors were not delayed in their progress towards the degree, however, studentswho did switch majors often felt left behind because they did

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) GIFTS Session 2: Foundational Skills in the First-Year Engineering Classroom

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Evans Tang, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Allyson Faith Miller; Olivia Guptill; Clara Elisa Hortua; Aparajita Jaiswal, Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI); Sakhi Aggrawal, Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI); Paul J. Thomas

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

recognize and build on team members’ contributions, foster participation, and motivate team members effectively. Empathy Measured the students’ capacity to acknowledge and understand team members’ emotions and perceptions and use this understanding in resolving conflicts. Ethical Behavior Evaluated trust-building actions, accountability, and the ability (Accountability and Trust) to promote a culture of reliability and mutual respect within the team.Benefits of using Rubrics for AssessmentRubrics offer several key benefits when assessing reflections. First, rubrics

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 4: Fostering Belonging - Identity, Self-Efficacy, and Retention

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Monica Quezada-Espinoza, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile; Maria Elena Truyol, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile; Camila Zapata-Casabon, Universidad Andres Bello

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

providekey insights into the interplay between personal confidence, social dynamics, andinstitutional belonging in shaping academic success.Disclaimer on gender classification. We acknowledge that gender is a social construct, and abroad spectrum of gender identities exists. While our survey included options beyond thebinary, due to the limitations inherent in our non-probabilistic sample and the population'sdemographic distribution, our study only includes binary gender classifications (male andfemale). This limitation is noted for transparency, and future research should aim toincorporate more diverse gender representations.Data analysis and ethical considerations. Faculty members distributed the questionnaire andallocated class time for students

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 2: Designing Creativity - Innovation Through First-Year Maker Projects

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Artre Reginald Turner, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Jason Morphew, Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI); Kerrie A Douglas, Purdue University – West Lafayette (College of Engineering)

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

theinterview.This work involved human subjects in its research. Approval of all ethical and experimentalprocedures and protocols was granted by the Institutional Review Board (IRB-2024-237).Data Collection – Semi-structured InterviewsData for this study were collected using semi-structured interviews designed to explore students’experiences with microelectronics in the course. This approach provided a flexible framework,encouraging participants to share detailed reflections on their prior exposure to microelectronics,their evolving interest in the subject, and their future engagement plans. The semi-structuredformat allowed interviewers to ask follow-up questions, tailoring discussions to the uniqueexperiences and perspectives of each participant. This

Conference Session

First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Technical Session 4: Fostering Belonging - Identity, Self-Efficacy, and Retention

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian Patrick O'Connell, Northeastern University; Kathryn Schulte Grahame, Northeastern University; Richard Whalen, Northeastern University; Constantine Mukasa, Northeastern University; Susan F Freeman, Northeastern University

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Diversity

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First-Year Programs Division (FPD)

students experiencehow engineering knowledge coalesces to create practical solutions.The curriculum focuses on learning the principles of engineering and design, which is accomplishedthrough active learning in areas such as problem definition, conceptual design, preliminary and detaileddesign, design communication and implementation, and engineering ethics. The courses emphasizetechnical communication through report writing and presentations related to the projects. There is astrong emphasis on applying technical knowledge, developing problem-solving and decision-makingskills, and using computer-aided design (CAD) to communicate graphically.Algorithmic thinking and programming with C++ and Mathworks’ MATLAB are introduced along withthe basic use