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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Jundong Liu, Ohio University; Trevor Joseph Bihl, Air Force Research Laboratory; Daniel Masami Nagura, Ohio University

Paper ID #49478Reinforcement Learning with Human Experience (RLHE) for Racing CarGamesProf. Jundong Liu, Ohio UniversityDr. Trevor Joseph Bihl, Air Force Research LaboratoryDaniel Masami Nagura, Ohio University ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Reinforcement Learning with Human Experience (RLHE) for Racing Car Game Abstract Path and motion planning are critical components of many autonomous tasks. In this work, we introduce a novel method to train reinforcement learning (RL) models for OpenAI Gym’s Car Racing game. The underlying

Collection

2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Sudipta Chowdhury, Marshall University; Ammar Alzarrad, Marshall University; Sungmin Youn, University of Texas at El Paso

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Undergraduates (REU)program has been a pivotal initiative aimed at enhancing undergraduate education in science,technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The REU program provides studentswith opportunities to engage in hands-on research experiences, which are critical for fostering adeeper understanding of scientific inquiry and enhancing retention rates among undergraduates inSTEM disciplines (Alaee & Zwickl, 2021). The program has been instrumental in addressing thehigh attrition rates in STEM fields, particularly among students from diverse backgrounds, therebycontributing to a more inclusive and innovative workforce (Rodenbusch et al., 2016). One of theprimary benefits of REU programs is their positive impact on students' decisions

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Dylan Lester, Marshall University; Pingping Zhu, Marshall University; Husnu Saner Narman, Marshall University; Ammar Alzarrad, Marshall University

in AI technology. Railroad systems can fail for various different reasons. However,failure stems from the break down of the tracks. [2]. Most railroad fault detection processeshave transitioned from manual to automated systems [3], [4], significantly enhancing efficiencyand reliability. However, much of the existing research focuses on detecting cracks or structuralissues in the rails themselves. Detecting insufficient ballast and plant overgrowth presents uniquechallenges due to the complexity of these faults and their subtle visual characteristics. Duringthe initial stages of training a model to detect these specific faults, we encountered significantdifficulties related to the labeling and training processes, which were both lengthy and

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Aiman S Kuzmar, Islamic University of Madinah, Saudi Arabia

actionimproves learning [12]. However, the instructor sometimes intervened and slightly altered thecomposition of the groups to ensure a proper and balanced mix of students in terms of academicsand work ethics among other factors.Each group was requested to seek and list three initial real highway problems as possible themesfor the projects. As seen later, a single theme would be established as the research topic of theproject for each group based on certain criteria in consultation with the instructor. Each groupwould briefly present its three possible highway problems to the entire class.One of the criteria in choosing the candidate highway problem that would be under investigationwas its location. Safety was a concern with a paramount significance

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Ernest David Cartwright Sr., Marshall University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

for Engineering Education, 2025Work in Progress: A two-way learning street: Near-peer college students enhance highschool after-school STEM club opportunities.AbstractThis work-in-progress paper presents a novel way of teaching college and high school studentsby pairing groups of high school and college to help the high school students create a year-longcommunity-based research project (CBRP)as a requirement for the Health Science TechnologyAcademy (HSTA) in two high schools in West Virginia. The college students assist, teach, andguide the high school groups in organizing their CBRPs. Both peers and students learn thescientific method, survey and experimental design, data collection and cleaning, statisticalanalysis tools, presentation

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Tina Johnson Cartwright, Marshall University; Julie Lynn Snyder-Yuly, Marshall University; Wook-sung Yoo, Marshall University; Husnu Saner Narman, Marshall University

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Diversity

Paper ID #49763Mindset Matters: Exploring Grit and Attitudes in Engineering and CS Undergradsin an NSF S-STEM funded programDr. Tina Johnson Cartwright, Marshall University Dr. Tina Cartwright is a professor of science education at Marshall University. She collaborates with colleagues across both the Colleges of Science and Engineering and Computer Science to support student success in STEM.Julie Lynn Snyder-Yuly, Marshall University Julie Snyder-Yuly, Associate Professor Department of Communication Studies, Marshall University (Ph.D. University of Utah, 2017). Dr. Snyder-Yuly’s research engages qualitative and

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Susie Huggins, West Virginia University; Robin A.M. Hensel, West Virginia University; Manar Yamany, West Virginia University; Lizzie Santiago, West Virginia University; Akua B. Oppong-Anane, West Virginia University; Atheer Almasri, West Virginia University; Todd R Hamrick, West Virginia University; Carter Hulcher, West Virginia University

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Diversity

related to timemanagement in facilitating the smooth operation of the event in working with studentorganizations, first-year students and each other. Overall, engineering festivals likeEngineerFEST can draw from these varied research insights to create engaging, welcoming, andeducationally impactful events. By incorporating social elements and programmatic support witheffective management, such initiatives can transform engineering education at both individualand community levels.3.0 Event OverviewEngineerFEST is a student organization fair geared toward introducing first-year engineering andcomputing majors to the wide array of student organizations and student services available tothem. Representatives from student organizations and campus

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Yousef Sardahi, Marshall University; Asad Salem

Paper ID #49483Student-Driven Design of a Lift System for EOD Equipment HandlingDr. Yousef Sardahi, Marshall University Dr. Yousef Sardahi, an Associate Professor at Marshall University’s Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, completed his Ph.D. at the University of California, Merced, in 2016. His research primarily focuses on control system design and multi-objective optimization.Asad Salem ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Student-Driven Design of a Lift System for EOD Equipment Handling Erin Webb1 , Josie Farris2 , Yousef

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Rick Hill, University of Detroit Mercy; Vanessa Burrows, University of Detroit Mercy; Linda Slowik PhD

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, the research team has also gathered quantitative data related to how the studentsengage with campus resources and personnel, as well as data on the character and composition ofthe students’ social support networks.Program descriptionThe SEED program was initiated in 2021 with support of the NSF S-STEM program which hasthe goal of recruiting and retaining financially-needy, academically-talented students to STEMcareers. The SEED program is open to students majoring in computer science or an engineeringdiscipline and the financial need requirement is satisfied by eligibility for the federal Pell grant.While not a requirement, students from backgrounds historically underrepresented in STEM areactively recruited to the program. Cohorts of

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Shuyu Wang, The Ohio State University; Rachel Louis Kajfez, The Ohio State University

Paper ID #49489A Literature Review of Transdisciplinarity in Engineering EducationShuyu Wang, The Ohio State University Shuyu Wang is a Ph.D. student in the Department of engineering education at the Ohio state university. Currently, she is a graduate research associate in an NSF-funded project aiming to train students to become wicked scientists through transdisciplinary approaches. Shuyu is also a member of the Research on Identity and Motivation in Engineering research group, led by Dr. Rachel L. Kajfez, focusing on studying the intersection between motivation and identity to improve engineering students’ success.Dr

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Yousef Fazea, Marshall University; Yousef Sardahi, Marshall University; Asad Salem

Tagged Topics

Diversity

to generate descriptive analysis, and closed-ended questionsdesigned to assess the impact of online learning. Purposive sampling was utilized to gather data,with an initial sample of Marshall University students who had prior exposure to online learningselected. To collect data, requests and reminders were sent via Marshall's official email address.The research aimed to collect 228 responses, deemed adequate for producing meaningfuldescriptive analyses while preserving the relevance of the data [29].Data Analysis ProcessA quantitative approach was employed to analyze the survey data. The study's purpose was toidentify common obstacles and sources of tension that students encountered. Extensivequantitative analysis was conducted to identify

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Diane L Peters P.E., Kettering University

that have been conducted, e.g.,[11, 12, 13].MethodologyAfter many classes went online for COVID-19, the professor and author of this paper instituted apre-class survey, which was intended to foster some of the connections that were initially lostthrough the lack of in-person classes. The survey was used in two courses taught by the professor,Dynamic Systems 1 and Dynamic Systems 2, and has been fundamentally consistent in itsquestions, with the exception of the one that this paper is focusing on, since 2021. The responserate for this survey was typically in excess of 60%, as shown in Table 1, and it was retained afterin-person classes resumed, with the goal of continuing to foster those connections. The responserate remained over 60%. In 2023

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Ragavanantham Shanmugam, Fairmont State University; Madhan Gopal Perumal, The University of Texas at Dallas; Uma Maheswari Krishnamoorthy

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Diversity

Paper ID #49762Structured Pathways for Student Success: A Strategic Approach to CourseOptimization and Academic ExcellenceDr. Ragavanantham Shanmugam, Fairmont State University Dr. Ragavanantham Shanmugam is working as Department Chair and Associate Professor of Engineering Technology at Fairmont State University, Fairmont, WV. He has over 25 years’ experience in Engineering Higher Education and research and also an award-winning teacher and active engineer. His academic qualifications allow him to coordinate successful research activities, but his true talent is teaching all students by engaging them in STEM by

Collection

2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Alexander Robert Pomesky, Ohio Northern University; Miranda Nienaber, Ohio Northern University; Thomas James Stickney, Ohio Northern University

be compatible with the current bench, a constraint of the project.Of the available alternatives, they are expensive compared to the predicted cost of building one,ranging between $10-15k each. Thus, the pricing metric had to be adjusted, as simply beinglower than the competition was not an acceptable budget request. From preliminary research, theteam calculated an initial amount of $1,600 for the budget request.Another component the team determined was the flowrate of the bench. While the specificationdid list the maximum flow rate listed, an experimental value would allow the team to moreaccurately determine our sizing from the maximum flow rate. Doing this helped narrow downhow the piping systems would work and make preliminary design

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Baqer Aljabr, The University of Toledo; Mohammad Elahinia, The University of Toledo

Tagged Topics

Diversity

crucial role in lowering the trendsof unemployment and poverty in the world. In this way, this study serves as evidence whichsuggests that the education sector needs reforms in the context of practice-based learning.3. Literature Review In the literature, a case study was found in which effective strategies were adopted to recruitstudents from the underserved community in the US. Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) in the UShas initiated a program to recruit underserved students in STEM-related educational institutions(Mabli, Bleeker, Fox, Jean-Louis, & Fox, 2020). Moreover, a study conducted by Balgopaldemonstrated an innovative idea for hiring teachers to promote interest in STEM fields amongstudents from unprivileged communities. In the study

Collection

2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Yousef Sardahi, Marshall University; Asad Salem

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Paper ID #49484Student Learning Through Engineering Design: Developing a Safe RecoilIndication System for Military ApplicationsDr. Yousef Sardahi, Marshall University Dr. Yousef Sardahi, an Associate Professor at Marshall University’s Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, completed his Ph.D. at the University of California, Merced, in 2016. His research primarily focuses on control system design and multi-objective optimization.Asad Salem ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Student Learning Through Engineering Design: Developing a Safe Recoil Indication

Collection

2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Alexa July Hoffman, Marshall University; Trevor Joseph Bihl, Marshall University

]. Despite extensive mining for over 150 years, WestVirginia has only mined approximately one third of its available coal with an estimate of at least8 billion short tons of coal remaining in the ground [3].Coal demand surged during the Industrial Revolution, initially driven by the need for fuel inrailroads and iron production. During the American Civil War, WV coal was critical for ironmanufacturing, and demand continued to rise post-war with industrialization and electrification.By the late 19th century, WV had solidified its role as a key energy supplier, spurring localindustrial growth and job creation [4].Peak coal production in WV occurred in 1991, reaching 181 million tons with a workforce of20,000, a stark contrast to the 150,000 employed

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Trevor Joseph Bihl, Wright State University; Terry Lynn Oroszi, Wright State University; Subhashini Ganapathy, Wright State University; Jeffrey B. Travers, Wright State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

research items with short 5% Selection paragraphs describing 5+ possible projects, statistical merit is not initial criteria, but developed through discussions and down selection to the most viable topic. Final Project Develop a proposal which documents the literature on the single 5% Proposal selected final project area, what has been done before, experimental plan, and possibly preliminary data. This is evaluated by the instructor and peers through blinded peer review Final Project Report Final report including material from the final project proposal, 20% peer and

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Kathryn Chludzinski, Youngstown State University - Rayen School of Engineering; C. Virgil Solomon, Youngstown State University - Rayen School of Engineering

Paper ID #49532Predictive Modelling of a Continuously Variable Transmission for OptimalPerformanceKathryn Chludzinski, Youngstown State University - Rayen School of Engineering Kathryn Chludzinski is a graduate student in Youngstown State University’s (YSU) mechanical engineering program. Her research focuses on developing a laboratory for Dynamic Systems Modeling (DSM) students, utilizing a continuously variable transmission and inertia dynamometer. She has been a member of YSU’s SAE Baja team since the 2020 season. She is a certified machinist, having achieved her certification in 2019, and has been working in the

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Romain Kazadi Tshikolu, University of Detroit Mercy; Alan S Hoback, University of Detroit Mercy

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Diversity

engineering.IV.5. Proposed AI – PBL Integration FrameworkTo systematically integrate AI into PBL, we propose the following structured framework:Step 1: Presentation of the Problem or ProjectStep 2: Personal or Group Study and Research (with or without use of AI tools)Step 3: Expert time (with or without use of AI tools)Step 4: Students’ integrative solution to the given Problem or ProjectStep 5: Comparison of their solution to potential solutions given by AI tools. For this step to beefficient, students are to be initiated in various aspects of AI such as AI-augmented research andinformation gathering in step 2, AI-assisted problem identification and definition in steps 2 and3, AI-supported design and simulation in step 3 and AI for evaluation and

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Punya A Basnayaka, Cuyahoga Community College, School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering and Computer Science

Tagged Topics

Diversity

effectiveness of teaching topics such assustainability, LCA, and renewable energy4,5. A five-year research project was conducted toanalyze how sustainable development (SD) was introduced into technological universities6.Theresearch found a lack of teaching in the areas of social and attitudinal aspects of sustainability.Furthermore, the findings showed that courses applying a more community-oriented andconstructive, active learning pedagogical approach increased students’ knowledge of SD.The literature survey findings and emerging engineering ethics criteria of ABET and otherprofessional organizations paved the way to reevaluate the curriculum to respond and act. Thispaper highlights preliminary research conducted and the initiation of action to

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Aniruddha Maiti; Samuel Adewumi; TEMESGEN ALEMAYEHU TIKURE; Zichun Wang; Niladri Sengupta; Anastasiia Sukhanova, Marshall Community & Technical College; Ananya Jana, Marshall University

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Diversity

and DeepSeek R1 have received significant attention due to theircapabilities and design.OpenAI introduced GPT-4o in May 2024 [1]. This model builds on earlier versions and improvesperformance in text, speech, and vision tasks. It provides GPT-4-level intelligence. At the same 1time, it operates faster and it has lower computational cost. These improvements make GPT-4oapplicable across a wide range of tasks.DeepSeek, an AI startup, released DeepSeek R1 in January 2025 [2]. This model offers perfor-mance comparable to leading proprietary systems but at a lower cost. It is open-source, whichallows AI researchers to study and modify it. This transparency has made DeepSeek R1 an im-portant

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Nathan Galinsky, West Virginia University Institute of Technology

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Diversity

Paper ID #49600Designing and Developing Summer K-12 STEM Outreach Programs Througha Tenure-Track Faculty’s PerspectiveDr. Nathan Galinsky, West Virginia University Institute of Technology Dr. Nathan Galinsky is a tenure-track faculty in the chemical engineering department at WVU Tech since 2019. He has been actively involved in outreach within the university running six summer outreach programs since 2021 and being actively involved within the department and university in K-12 outreach, recruitment, and retention efforts. His educational research interests are on K-12 outreach, developing more engaging out of class

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Kastriot Palokaj, Eastern Michigan University; Justin Barnet Brock, Eastern Michigan University; Elizabeth Selby, Eastern Michigan University; Mussa Geyre, Eastern Michigan University; Ethan Victor Harper, Eastern Michigan University; Nicholas B Cote, Eastern Michigan University; John Losee, Eastern Michigan University; Daoud Sidibe Sambimana, Eastern Michigan University; Qin Hu, Eastern Michigan University

Michigan UniversityDr. Qin Hu, Eastern Michigan University Qin Hu received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China, and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA. She is currently an associate professor in the School of Engi neering at Eastern Michigan University. Her main research interests have been in the area of numerical biophysics, therapeutic applications of electromagnetic fields, software engineering & development, and artificial intelligence. She has published numerous journal articles, conference papers and book chapters on her research

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Edward Jesse Sizemore III; Mohammed Ferdjallah, Marshall University; Asad Salem

statistical data analysis. As an electrical and biomedical engineering scientist, he conducted research in computer modeling of the brain, cranial electrical stimulation (CES), electrical impedance tomography, electrode design, and EMG and muscle action potentials and ions channels simulation & modeling. His technical research interests include digital systems, embedded, systems, computer architecture, adaptive and system identification, modeling and simulation, and signal and image processing. His clinical research interests include impacts of chronic diseases in elderly (such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and diabetes), innovative technology for drug addiction treatment and prevention, medical records, comparative

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Fatma Outay, College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University; Haroon Malik, Marshall University

techniques. Finally, the integration of chatbots in security demonstrates theirpotential to enhance automated threat response and user education in real time.2.1. Phishing Threat OverviewPhishing is a deceptive cybercrime where attackers impersonate trusted entities to trick individuals intorevealing sensitive information like passwords or financial details [7]. Initially emerging in the 1990s asemail scams, phishing has evolved into a persistent cybersecurity threat across multiple digital platforms.Attackers increasingly exploit real-time messaging services like WhatsApp, where rapid interactions makeit difficult for users to verify message authenticity. Phishing attacks take various forms, including emailphishing[26], SMS-based "smishing," and

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Benjamin P Starling, Ohio Northern University; Kento Akazawa; Andrew Nelson; Kodi Rogue; Benjamin Faibussowitsch, Ohio Northern University

structured research approach guided the project, including an evaluation of existing universityadvising tools, such as DegreeWorks, to identify gaps and areas for enhancement. The app isdesigned to provide administrators with tools for academic calendar planning, course catalogorganization, and past scheduling review to prevent conflicts and reduce manual workload.Future iterations may introduce functionalities for academic advisers, including scheduling officehours, managing advising appointments, and facilitating direct communication with studentsthrough virtual meetings and messaging features.Key evaluation metrics for the app include accuracy, efficiency, data access speed, systemreliability, cross-platform compatibility, and adoption rates

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Roberto Andre Mossi, Gannon University; Ramakrishnan Sundaram, Gannon University

the development of the curriculum by introducing students from the Department of Computer Science (CS) to the development of artificial intelligence, and how other areas like biology can bring further development into the technology that they develop. We compare how this relates to the biological structure of organisms towards their decision-making based on tasks, random initialization, and constraints. Based on their behavior, we will propose fine-tuning ways to improve the research further towards a replication of human behavior through the use of genomes.IntroductionUsing genomes the behavior of the subjects will be determined through their genes. The genes will be determined atthe beginning through a randomizer

Collection

2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Elin Jensen, Lawrence Technological University; Taylor Warstler; Donald D. Carpenter P.E., Lawrence Technological University; Alyssa Taube; Lynne Seymour

Tagged Topics

Diversity

].However, these fields are projected to continue to struggle with unfilled jobs over the next tenyears. Collaborative and coordinated outreach efforts by industry and academia are critical toattract new talent to engineering [2]. This paper highlights the collaboration among nonprofitorganizations, a medium-sized for-profit company, a government agency, and an academicinstitution in organizing an activity for a major outreach event. The initiative aimed to raise highschool students' awareness of careers related to the natural resource of water.Collaborative Organizations - The nonprofit Pure Oakland Water (POW) was founded in 2013by the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash with the mission of creatingand supporting environmental

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2025 ASEE North Central Section (NCS) Annual Conference

Authors

Omar Ahmed Raheem Al-Shebeeb, West Virginia University; Austin Harper; Ahmed Shoyeb Raihan, West Virginia University

Department for four years. Dr. Al-Shebeeb obtained his M.S. and B.S. degrees in Production (Manufacturing) Engineering from the Production and Metallurgy Engineering Department at the University of Technology, Iraq. Dr. Al-Shebeeb was working as an Assistant Professor (2011-2013) and Instructor (2007-2009) at the University of Diyala, Iraq. He has taught several courses in the mechanical engineering, engineering management, and production (manufacturing) engineering fields. His areas of research interest are in Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) and design efficiency, design thinking, productivity improvement, advanced manufacturing and technologies, subtractive and additive manufacturing, quality control