Conference Session

NSF Grantees: First Year Programming (1)

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Donald P. Visco Jr., University of Akron; Nidaa Makki, University of Akron; Linda M. Subich, University of Akron; David Steer, University of Akron; Erin R. Stevic, University of Akron

Tagged Topics

Diversity, NSF Grantees Poster Session

prepare them for their shadowing experiences. Trainingincluded sessions on professional soft skills, shadowing procedures, and resume building.Additionally, the program team created a short video for those co-op/intern students who wouldbe shadowed students to watch ahead of their experiences.During Fall 2018 and Spring 2019, the 59 students assigned to the intervention group completeda total of 197 shadowing experiences at 65 different employers. Seven employers hostedshadowing students during both fall and spring semesters. The number of shadowing experiencesranged from 1 - 7, with a mean of 3.54. The variation in the number of experiences was mostlydue to scheduling constraints.Table 1. Demographic characteristics of intervention and

Conference Session

NSF Grantees: S-STEM 4

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Oleksandr Kravchenko, Old Dominion University; Konstantin Cigularov, Old Dominion University; Tancy J. Vandecar-Burdin, Old Dominion University

Tagged Topics

Diversity, NSF Grantees Poster Session

ceramic. At the end of the first semester ofthe program, SCS students in the program had to prepare and make a presentation describingtheir progress with their research work. This task provided an important element for professionaldevelopment for the students in the program, as they were participating in group discussions andpracticed to improve their career “soft” skills, like oral communication and collaborative,project-based learning skills [9].To address the outreach element of the program, special hands-on workshop series offeredtraining and exposure to various manufacturing techniques for advanced materials. This includedthe composite fabrication sessions, where students learned how to fabricate polymer reinforcedcomposite materials using

Conference Session

NSF Grantees: REU 1

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Subodh Bhandari, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Fang Tang, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Zekeriya Aliyazicioglu, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Amar Raheja, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Erika DeJonghe, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

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Diversity, NSF Grantees Poster Session

areasof UAV technologies. The paper also discusses lessons learned, student feedback, and theirsuggestion for improvements. Students reported statistically significant changes in skills related toUAVs from pre-participation to post-participation. In addition, improvements in “soft skills”,particularly with regard to working in teams, were found in qualitative/quantitative results.I. IntroductionThe goal of this REU Site is to provide research experience to undergraduates and expose them tostate-of-the-art in the area of UAV technologies in a multidisciplinary environment. The researchfocus of the Site is UAV dynamics & control, increased autonomy of UAVs, and their applications.UAVs have been used for remote sensing, precision

Conference Session

NSF Grantees: S-STEM 1

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Teresa J. Cutright, University of Akron; Rebecca Kuntz Willits, University of Akron

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Diversity, NSF Grantees Poster Session

, will use in co-op job Male College-Ready Join design teams. Great way to meet others and learn other things. Female Direct Admit Mentally step away from school if needed. If crying on math assignment, step away for a minute. If you manage your time well, taking time will be possible. Table 2 Activities for freshmen cohort, peer mentoring roles and homework assignments Semester Freshmen Activities Peer Mentor Role Fall 2019 Soft skills: study habits, time management, “One thing advice” note taking, and communication. Example of how skill used in

Conference Session

NSF Grantees: Diversity 3

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Diane L. Peters, Kettering University; Elizabeth Gross, Sam Houston State University

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Diversity, NSF Grantees Poster Session

progressed I realized there was this need… that wasn’t being met. I realized if I went back to school I could better meet that need, that gap that I think that the Navy lacked.Teamwork and Reliance on OthersOne common theme in the interviews was the participants’ strengths at projects involvingteamwork, and their ability to acknowledge the need to sometimes rely on others. This threadwas seen most strongly in those who were officers or enlisted personnel in the armed forces,although it also was apparent to some degree in the civilian employees of the military.Daniel spoke about how he worked with other people, both in his military service and ingraduate school. I think it goes back to what I said about soft skills. I focus more on

Conference Session

NSF Grantees: REU 1

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Mathew Kuttolamadom, Texas A&M University; Jyhwen Wang, Texas A&M University

Tagged Topics

Diversity, NSF Grantees Poster Session

them to pursue advanced study and related STEM careers.Program ActivitiesAs detailed in Table 1, during the pre-program phase, target institutions were contacted,applications solicited, REU student pairs selected, and projects assigned. Students used thetransition months to build their project-specific competency via assigned reading, so they couldhit the ground running. During the on-site period, major REU activities included a 40-hour/weekhands-on research project, capsulated technical sessions/labs, seminars, and college-levelprofessional development workshops and networking to develop soft skills. Student-pairsworked closely with their mentor and research group via individual and group meetings.Deliverables included a research plan and