Conference Session

Graduate Student Experiences

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elizabeth Van Ruitenbeek, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

Engineering Education is inviting more student involvement. One goal ofthe Student Constituent Committee will be to promote the development of ASEE studentchapters on college campuses. These ASEE student chapters have the opportunity tosignificantly influence the future of engineering education through current engineering students.Current graduate students are understood to be the future educators, so many campuses alreadyprovide at least some resources for students interested in academic careers. In light of thoseexisting resources, how can a new ASEE student chapter maximize its impact on campus?Using a strategic planning process, an ASEE student chapter can maximize its impact onengineering education and bring additional value to ASEE student

Conference Session

Methods & Techniques in Graduate Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Walter Schilling

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

students on a part time basis. This lack ofpart time enrollment also affects the ability of students who might be considering a Ph.D.yet are concerned that they may not be academically capable to continue the studies.Returning part time may provide the assurance that they are capable of learning in anacademic setting yet still allow the safety net of employment should a problem develop.Vesting in retirement plans, leave of absence policies, and other corporate policies maymake it prudent for a doctoral student to want to start studies on a part time basis.3. Funding IssuesThere is ample evidence that from a financial standpoint, returning to graduate schooldoes not necessarily increase one’s earnings potential, and in fact, may result indecreased

Conference Session

Professional Graduate Education & Industry

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Stanford, University of South Carolina; Roger Olson, Rolls-Royce Corporation; Donald Keating, University of South Carolina; Randall Holmes, Caterpillar Inc.

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

knownattributes of high-quality professional education already demonstrated across the United States that enablegrowth and positive development of working professionals [Council of Graduate Schools ─ ConradReport8]: a) Cultures that support collaborative learning, creativity, and innovation; b) Planned studieswith tangible outcomes; c) Learner centered education rather than teacher-centered instruction; d)Learning environment of core faculty of practitioner-scholars from the university, adjunct faculty ofdistinguished leaders from industry, a student body of experienced practitioners from regional industry.2. What Professional Engineers Do – The Practice of EngineeringThe US Department of Labor identifies approximately 2,500,000 practicing engineers in

Conference Session

Improving the Teaching Skills of Graduate Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adam Melvin, North Carolina State University; Lisa Bullard, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

the course they currently TA for, in addition to learning at least one lessonfrom our stories instead of having to find it out for themselves.Overview of ContentThe session in not intended as an all-encompassing guide to TA responsibilities, but a generaloverview of some of the tasks and challenges that typical TAs experience. Topics covered(Figure 2) include teaching, holding office hours, grading, working with your professor, workingin a team of TAs and writing lesson plans. Page 13.1291.4 Figure 2: Tips from the Trenches Content OverviewThe advantage of having a TA and a faculty member generating the lesson plan is the

Conference Session

Professional Graduate Education & Industry

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Roger Olson, Rolls-Royce Corporation; Randall Holmes, Caterpillar Inc.; Donald Keating, University of South Carolina; Thomas Stanford, University of South Carolina

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

- Caterpillar Inc. Lafayette Large Engine Center Responsibilities: Oversee recruiting and selection processes, lead development and learning efforts for technicians and professional employees, manage annual succession planning process and manage employee engagement process for Caterpillar’s Lafayette IN, facility Former HR 6 Sigma Black Belt – Project manager for both corporate and facility specific Human Resources transformation projects domestically and China Indiana Advanced Manufacturing Education Collaboration advisory board member Lafayette/West Lafayette Workforce Development Council member Education: BS in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University

Conference Session

Measuring Success of Graduate Program Components

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gerald Crain, University of Oklahoma; James Sluss, University of Oklahoma; Monte Tull, University of Oklahoma; Samuel Lee, University of Oklahoma

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

COMPUTER ENGINEERING DEGREE PROGRAMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA By G E Crain, James J Sluss, Jr, Monte P Tull, and Sam C LeeAbstractA new requirement for assessment of graduate programs at the University of Oklahoma wasestablished in 2003. Program Goals and Program Objectives were established and reported inour earlier work. Outcomes of the Program Objectives can be measured with students active inthe program. The tactical plan to assess the effectiveness of meeting the Objectives of AdvancedDegree programs in Electrical and Computer Engineering is discussed in this paper. Keyelements of the plan include1) identifying strategic opportunities for measurement,2) developingthe instruments and processes to collect this data, 3

Conference Session

Professional Graduate Education & Industry

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Norman Egbert, Rolls-Royce Corporation; Donald Keating, University of South Carolina; Eugene DeLoatch, Morgan State University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

purposeful ‘creativeproblem-solving’ that is needs-driven, encompassing all phases of problem recognition,formulation, and solution. In its broadest sense, the essence of creative engineering practiceencompasses the functions of needs-recognition, vision, conceptual planning and creative designfor the generation and development of new technology and executive engineering leadershiproles of organization and responsible leadership to bring new, improved, and breakthrough ‘ideasand concepts’ to practical use in the creative solution of the hopes, wants, and needs of people Page 13.561.4for the advancement and improvement of the quality of life (both

Conference Session

Professional Graduate Education & Industry

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donald Keating, University of South Carolina; Thomas Stanford, University of South Carolina; Joseph Rencis; Eugene DeLoatch, Morgan State University; Mohammad Noori, North Carolina State University; Edward Sullivan, California Polytechnic State University; David Woodall, Oregon Institute of Technology; Norman Egbert, Rolls-Royce Corporation; David Quick, Rolls-Royce Corporation; Albert McHenry; Roger Olson, Rolls-Royce Corporation; Samuel Truesdale, Rolls-Royce Corporation; Timothy Lindquist, Arizona State University; Harvey Palmer, Rochester Institute of Technology; Joseph Tidwell, Arizona State University Polytechnic; Mark Smith, Rochester Institute of Technology; Duane Dunlap, Purdue University; Mark Schuver, Purdue University; Edmund Segner, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Stephen Tricamo, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Barry Farbrother, University of New Haven; Ken Burbank, Western Carolina University; Carla Purdy, University of Cincinnati; Randall Holmes, Caterpillar Inc.

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

the assembly of existingcourses, curricula, or educational programs that already exist across the country. Rather, the NationalCollaborative Task Force is taking a deliberate planned, engineering systems approach to the situation inorder to re-engineer a professional component of graduate engineering education, that is professionally-oriented, practice-centered, and focused on accelerating innovation in industry, specifically designed tomeet the progressive needs, skill-sets, and responsibilities of upward mobile engineers who are pursuingengineering and engineering leadership careers directly relevant to the practice of engineering.3.2 The Power of Collaboration in theAdvancement of Professional Engineering Education in the National

Conference Session

New Trends in Graduate Engineering Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donald Mueller, Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne; Hossein Oloomi, Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne; Elizabeth Thompson, Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne; Jiaxin Zhao, Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne; Steve Walter, Indiana University Purdue University, Fort Wayne (Eng)

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) degree program was created to meet theneeds of local industry. During the strategic planning process in 2001, local employersmade it clear that the West Lafayette Purdue campus could not meet their employeedevelopment needs through distance and weekend degree programs. Additionally,defense industry leaders articulated a need for systems engineering training that was notavailable anywhere in the Purdue system. This led the IPFW administration and faculty towork with industry to develop a plan for graduate-level program tailored to their businessneeds.This paper will detail the creation of the IPFW MSE program. It provides insight intoissues that are relevant to other regional campuses. Specifically, this paper

Conference Session

Methods & Techniques in Graduate Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rebecca Brent, Education Designs Inc.; Richard Felder, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

; work with students in office hours; teach recitations and cover classes for faculty members. • Getting a job after graduation. Choose between an academic and non-academic career; prepare a resume (or dossier or professional portfolio); prepare for a job interview. The need for such preparation is particularly acute for students who wish to pursue an academic career. • Getting a faculty career off to a good start. Define research projects, write successful proposals to fund them, attract graduate students to work on them, plan new courses, teach them effectively, manage the time demands imposed by research, teaching, and personal life, and integrate into the local campus culture. Some

Conference Session

Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maura Borrego, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Lynita Newswander, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

disincentive for interdisciplinary graduateeducation.I. IntroductionInterdisciplinary approaches are necessary for attacking the most critical technological andsocio-technological challenges facing the nation and the world today1-3. Students and theirtraining programs are recognized as central to increasing interdisciplinary research capacity.NSF’s strategic plan states, “Future generations of the U.S. science and engineering workforcewill need to collaborate across national boundaries and cultural backgrounds, as well as acrossdisciplines”3. IGERT, NSF’s $385 million investment in innovative graduate programs, “isintended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education, for students, faculty, andinstitutions, by establishing innovative new models

Conference Session

Methods & Techniques in Graduate Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joy Colwell, Purdue University Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

laws, strategic planning, projectmanagement, quality, and supervisory skills. The School of Technology at this institutionencompasses seven diverse programs, including organizational leadership and supervision. TheMaster of Science in technology is, by design and necessity, cross disciplinary, to serve thediverse needs of the students in the school and in the field.This paper will review important issues in developing a master’s level degree in technology, andwill discuss the importance of considering the leadership and soft or conceptual skills areas forcurriculum. Furthermore, review of the federal statistics on job outlook for some higher levelpositions in engineering technology fields will be presented in support of the curriculum

Conference Session

Graduate Student Experiences

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Soumya Keshavamurthy, Mississippi State University; Adrienne Minerick, Mississippi State University; Anurag Srivastava, Mississippi State University; Noel Schulz, Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

assistants but faculty should also encourage the students who havedifficulty in understanding to attend these workshops.When a student approaches graduation, planning is necessary to coordinate their graduate datewith the start date of applying for an H-1B visa12, which is explained in the next section. If astudent plans to work in the United States after graduating and does not intend to work for a non-profit company, then H1-B visa with an annual cap is important. The student has to apply for anEmployment Authorization Card (EAD) via Optional Practical Training13 (OPT) before filing fora H-1B visa. The best time to graduate is currently summer as the student will remain on F-1 orJ-1 status until the H-1B visa start date (October 1st). After

Conference Session

Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lyubov Kurkalova, North Carolina A&T State University; Keith Schimmel, North Carolina A&T State University; Stephen Johnston, North Carolina A&T State University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

previousexposure to economics. Another source of diversity in the courses is the presence of internationalstudents from a number of different countries. To aid with overcoming these challenges, aconcise economics primer has been developed that students are required to go through andanswer questions about before the first meeting of EES 810. Since some students have had someeconomics coursework previously while others have not, the primer is intended to help “level theplaying field” in terms of economics background among these students. To this point theaccountability for going through the primer has only been in terms of the questions in it being thefirst homework assignment in the course. In the future, we plan to provide a course pre-test toprovide a

Conference Session

Mentoring Graduate Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ram Mohan, North Carolina A&T State University; Vinaya Kelkar, North Carolina A&T State University; Ajit Kelkar, North Carolina A&T State University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

Page 13.590.7interdisciplinary course such as this is that the teaching or mentoring rarely ended with the end ofthe semester or even with an ‘A’ grade. The statistical concepts introduced to the students havemade them realize that in a research study the time to see a statistician is not when the data hasbeen collected but when planning for the data collection. This was found to be the case in fewcase study observations. Few examples of such experiences are: ‚ “John Smith” came to see me this summer when he started planning his study to discuss his research design and its validity and of course the type of data he plans to collect and the appropriate methods to analyze. ‚ “Jane Jones” knew she would need to use regression

Conference Session

New Trends in Graduate Engineering Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Walsh, California Polytechnic State University; Stacey Breitenbach, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

must be at the 400 or 500 level. Thus a student inGeneral Engineering could count one four-unit 400 level course and one four-unit 500 levelcourse (or two four-unit 400 level courses, or two four-unit 500 level courses) towardrequirements for both degrees. Again, there must be a minimum total of 231 discrete units in any4+1 students program, requirements for particular programs, and thus the number of doublecounted units allowed, will vary. There must be a minimum of twenty-three 500 level units in thegraduate formal study plan. Students may begin double-counting in the quarter they wereaccepted into the 4+1 program.Joining the 4+1 ProgramParticipation in the program is based on prior academic performance and other measures ofprofessional

Conference Session

Improving the Teaching Skills of Graduate Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maura Borrego, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

coordinator, a faculty member who plans most assignments andprepares PowerPoint slides for both lectures and workshops. Some workshop leaders in the GTFprogram or with prior experience teaching in the department assist in preparing slides andactivities. This past fall, the largest course had two lead teaching assistants who were responsiblefor preparing workshop slides (which were then approved by the faculty course coordinator) andrunning the weekly course meeting. Though this meeting is intended for workshop leaders,faculty often attended and participated as needed. Each course has common exams andassignments. Faculty meet weekly to discuss new content, logistics, tests and exams. Workshopleaders are not assigned to specific faculty members because

Conference Session

Graduate Student Experiences

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rajesh Bachu, University of Bridgeport; Deepak S. Deepawale, University of Bridgeport; Buket Barkana, University of Bridgeport; Lawrence Hmurcik, University of Bridgeport

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

, Employment.Home Country Funds are offered by local government, corporate, or foundation sources.These sources are not found in all countries. College funds may be offered by theinstitutions. If it is offered, financial aid is usually made up of a number of different typesof assistance, including grants and scholarships and occasionally loans or part-time workprograms. Sports Scholarships can be offered to gifted student athletes to play for thecollege team as a means of paying for their education. Very little aid exists throughinternational awards, and it is usually earmarked for advanced graduate students. Loanprograms are another financial aid type. Before taking a loan, students must be aware ofhow a loan will affect their plans for the future

Conference Session

Mentoring Graduate Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tershia Pinder-Grover, University of Michigan; Sarah Root, University of Arkansas; Emine Cagin, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

AC 2008-1698: PREPARING GRADUATE STUDENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL ASTEACHING MENTORS AND AS FUTURE PROFESSIONALSTershia Pinder-Grover, University of Michigan Tershia Pinder-Grover (tpinder@umich.edu) is the Coordinator of Engineering Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) Initiatives at the Center for Research on Learning in Teaching at the University of Michigan. She oversees the Engineering GSI Mentor (EGSM) Program, plans teacher training for new engineering GSIs, develops workshops and seminars, and consults with faculty and GSIs on pedagogy and engineering education research projects. Dr. Tershia Pinder-Grover earned her B.S. degree in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland and

Conference Session

Mentoring Graduate Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jan Rinehart, Rice University; Sherry Woods, University of Texas at Austin; Rebecca Richards-Kortum, Rice University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

mentoring relationships.Bringing together a large group of female attendees also helped to develop a network of peers,many of whom share similar concerns. The large number of female faculty presenters offered anintroduction to women who had negotiated these issues in their own careers. The participation ofmale faculty expanded the mentoring network and demonstrated broad-based support fordiversifying the academic ranks. Several other institutions have recently hosted workshops withsimilar goals, including the University of Maryland at Baltimore County, Virginia Tech, andGeorge Washington University.The workshop planners did not anticipate the extent to which planning and executing the

Conference Session

Graduate Student Experiences

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Reginald Rogers, University of Michigan; Anthony Lachawiec, University of Michigan; Jeffrey Ringenberg, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

Northeastern. Reginald also served as President of the ASEE student chapter at the University of Michigan from 2005-2007. His current research is focused on the self-assembly of colloidal crystal structures for various applications. Upon finishing his degree, Reginald plans to return to industry before pursuing a position at the university level.Anthony Lachawiec, University of Michigan Anthony J. Lachawiec Jr. is a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He currently serves as the ASEE Student Chapter President and has been a Graduate Student Instructor for undergraduate laboratory courses at both the University of Michigan and Lehigh

Conference Session

Issues of Diversity in Graduate Engineering Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eugene DeLoatch, Morgan State University; Sherra Kerns, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering; Lueny Morell, Hewlett-Packard; Carla Purdy, University of Cincinnati; Paige Smith, University of Maryland; Samuel Truesdale, Rolls-Royce Corporation

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

, HI, June 2007.73. A. Johnson, A. Dixon, K. McMullen, C. Espaillat, and J. Oguntebi, Empowerment, outreach and harmony:working together to improve the entrance and retention rate for women of color pursuing advanced degrees, Proc.2007 ASEE Annual Conference, Honolulu, HI, June 2007.74. D. Reese and T. Stevenson, Planning for diversity at all levels, Proc. 2006 ASEE Annual Conference, Chicago,IL, June 2006.75. S. Nambisan, Improving engineering graduate student experience through team-based efforts, Proc. 2007 ASEEAnnual Conference, Honolulu, HI, June 2007.76. AGEP, http://www.nsfagep.org/ Accessed 02/29/2008.77. GEM, http://www.gemfellowship.org/ Accessed 02/29/2008.78. ATT, http://www.research.att.com/academic/alfp.html79.. Elaine P. Laws