Conference Session

WIP II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Lesly Samantha Murillo, University of Maryland College Park; Tabatha Cuadra Rodriguez, University of Maryland College Park; Paige E Smith, University of Maryland, College Park

Tagged Topics

Diversity, FYEE 2025

and 5 representing Strongly Agree.We expect that the closer the averages are to “5,” the more likely the program is demonstratingstrength in relation to the goal.Conclusions​​These LLPs illustrate the meaningful impact that well-structured, community-centeredliving-learning programs can have on undergraduate engineering students. Through theirintegrated model, which combines community, support, and inclusion, these programs supportstudents holistically during a critical period of their educational journey. As evidenced byretention outcomes, positive student feedback, and deep engagement in co-curricularopportunities, the programs foster belonging, confidence, and persistence.Students benefit from close peer relationships formed through shared

Conference Session

Full Papers IV

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Katerina Goseva-Popstojanova, West Virginia University; Daniel Mackin Freeman, University of Washington; Robin A.M. Hensel, West Virginia University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

impact students’ major selection. Effective recruitmentemphasizes personalized outreach and career-focused messaging that highlights job stability andlong-term opportunities [7],[8]. Incorporating multimedia content, such as brief instructional andtestimonial videos, can further strengthen engagement with prospective students [9],[10].Mentoring supports the development of essential life skills - such as communication, networking,and professionalism - while boosting confidence and encouraging persistence in academic andcareer paths [11]. Participation in subject-based organizations and competitions enhances studentsatisfaction, campus engagement, academic motivation, and commitment to future careers [12].Social and professional events with peers

Conference Session

WIP II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

David Kriesberg, University of Maryland College Park; Evan Hutzell, University of Maryland College Park; Richard Blanton, University of Maryland College Park

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

population. The real opportunity lies in activatingthe much larger population of “maker-curious” students, those who may feel excluded fromtechnical spaces due to confidence gaps, identity mismatches, or a lack of prior exposure. Forthese students, early encouragement, scaffolded access, and low-to-no barriers to entry allcontribute to the likelihood of engagement and thus our ultimate goal of retention.Program Description MSI’s impact approach is based on a progressive pipeline where students start in highlystructured activities and as their confidence in their skills grow, they move to self-directedengagement. First-year engineering students encounter makerspaces through ENES100:Introduction to Engineering Design, a required course where

Conference Session

GIFTS I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Lee Kemp Rynearson, Campbell University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

(88.5%) and in Fall 2024, 50 of 62 (80.6%) students completed the survey.Data from three additional 2024 responses was discarded for low survey engagement time. Theseresponse rates show that students were willing to engage in this optional, ungraded activity onthe final day of class and additional incentives were not required in this context. Note that somestudents skipped on the final day of these classes, which lowered response rates.Results from the Fall 2023 and Fall 2024 course offerings are shown in Table 1, with the relativeimpact, the change (or delta, Δ) across the two course offerings, the overall ranking of eachtopic’s impact, and the change in the ranking across the two course offerings shown.Table 1. Class Topic Impact Findings

Conference Session

WIP II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Ronnie L Brown, University of the District of Columbia Community College

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

educational videos in their learning process? o Anticipated Result: We anticipate that qualitative analysis of student reflections and interviews will reveal predominantly positive perceptions regarding the effectiveness of creating and engaging with peer-generated content, highlighting benefits such as enhanced understanding, improved communication skills, and a deeper sense of contribution to their learning community.Future WorkThis work-in-progress research coincides with the growing body of literature on student-centeredlearning and engineering retention strategies. While collaborative learning is an establishedpedagogical approach, this study dives into the impact of a specific

Conference Session

GIFTS I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Becca Kiriazes, Catholic University of America

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

a great way to show off student life and school spirit on social media or other marketing channels.For future iterations, we recommend adding a brief post-activity reflection to gather studentfeedback. This would help assess the activity’s impact on comfort navigating campus resourcesand sense of belonging. Providing a campus map as part of the activity materials is also advisedto further support navigation.ConclusionThe photo scavenger hunt successfully helped first-year engineering students get familiar withcampus, meet faculty and peers, and build a sense of community. By combining exploration withinteraction, it made the start of the semester more engaging and welcoming. With some planning,this flexible activity can easily be

Conference Session

Full Papers III

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Qudsia Tahmina, The Ohio State University at Marion; John Francis Simonis, The Ohio State University at Marion

Tagged Topics

Diversity, FYEE 2025

demonstration on programming for reading and writing values toand from sensors and motors. A post-survey was conducted to assess students’ engagement and interest inthe workshop through the admissions office. Based on the quantitative assessment of survey data, mostparticipants declared the workshop was extremely interesting. It was not only students but teachers whowere interested in adapting this activity into their curriculum. This collaborative workshop withthe admissions office increased awareness among students and teachers about engineering applications andwhat the institutions have to offer.KeywordsCareer Exploration, Outreach and Engagement, Enrichment, STEM Education, Engineering Workshop,Circuit Analysis, TinkerCad,IntroductionIn today’s

Conference Session

WORKSHOP I: Integrating Service Learning into First-Year Engineering Courses: A Hands-On Workshop

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Kathryn Schulte Grahame, Northeastern University; Brian Patrick O'Connell, Northeastern University; Anne Shea, Northeastern University; Kennedy Gallagher, Northeastern University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

will provide actionablestrategies grounded in educational research and real-world implementation.Background and ContextWhy Service Learning?Service-learning is a dynamic teaching tool that empowers faculty to seamlessly integrateacademic course content with meaningful community-based experiences. This pedagogicalapproach purposefully engages students in active learning situations that foster deeperunderstanding of subject matter while simultaneously developing competencies tied to criticalconsciousness and social impact [1]. The classroom and community components work in tandem,creating a symbiotic relationship where theoretical knowledge enhances practical application andreal-world experiences enrich academic discussions. Through this process

Conference Session

Full Papers I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Anne Marguerite McAlister, University of Virginia; Benjamin Goldschneider, University of Virginia; Lisa Lampe, University of Virginia; David R. Gutierrez, University of Virginia; Esther Tian, University of Virginia; Shaylin Williams, University of Virginia

Tagged Topics

Diversity, FYEE 2025

year, and research has shown thatgetting exposed to the content and community of a major through structured exploration [8] andexperiential learning [9] can have positive impacts on students’ perceptions of prospectivemajors and confidence in selecting a major. Understanding how major confidence can bebolstered is crucial for first-year instructors [10], and we seek build upon the prior research [11]to explore how this confidence may be related to belonging.Our work was driven by the following research questions: Do SoB and BU relate to (1) eachother or change over the first year? (2) students’ reported engineering identity? (3) students’perceptions of various aspects of engineering culture? (4) reported use of university supportresources? Or

Conference Session

WORKSHOP IV: Play as Prep Workshop: Time & Resource-Efficient Strategies for Developing Effective Undergraduate TAs of First Year Students

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Christine Alexander, University of Maryland, College Park

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

worked as a Teaching Artist in schools, museums, and theaters. Her training includes 7 years of applied improvisation for educational contexts (Smithsonian Associates), and three years of Gestalt Theatre training for educators (Gestalt Theatre Association), along with coursework in Design Thinking. FYEE 2025 Conference: University of Maryland - College Park, Maryland Jul 27 WORKSHOP: Play as Prep: Time & Resource-Efficient Strategies for Developing Effective Undergraduate TAs of First Year StudentsIntroduction Pedagogical training for TAs improves their teaching efficacy, and effective TAspositively impact students’ engagement [1] and sense of support in class [2]. But running aparallel pedagogical

Conference Session

WIP II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Olukemi O. Akintewe, University of South Florida

Tagged Topics

Diversity, FYEE 2025

relationship has begun. One peer mentor suggested creating a campus organization forinformal mentoring for those unable to join the study.A community is being built among the mentees. Peer mentors have created a final exam studypreparation activity, providing resources and guides for first-year students in physics, chemistry,and calculus. They divide the coursework, with each mentor tutoring a specific course. No resultshave been gathered regarding the impact of this initiative. Ultimately, the research should clarifythe influence of mentorship on engineering persistence for women students.AcknowledgementThe authors acknowledge the USF Women in Leadership Faculty Grant, the SSMN CareerDevelopment Grant, and the National Science Foundation Professional

Conference Session

Full Papers II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Natalie C.T. Van Tyne, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Benjamin Daniel Chambers, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Michelle Soledad, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

that students share with eachother, how students receive and utilize this advice, and the impact of such advice on success.One such study asked biology and engineering students enrolled in high structure courses [8] togive advice to students who will take these courses in the future [2]. They found that studentsprimarily gave advice related to study strategies, such as “do the homework” or “do notprocrastinate.” Other feedback included interactions between the instructor and their peers andcourse expectations (e.g., how difficult the exams are, what the learning environment is like),results in keeping with those from other similar studies [6]. Another study provided students withthe advice given by students who had previously taken the course

Conference Session

Full Papers II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Haritha Malladi, University of Delaware; Marcia Gail Headley, University of Delaware; Pamela S. Lottero-Perdue, Towson University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

infrastructure, and community engagement. She teaches the introductory engineering course for all first-year undergraduate students in the College of Engineering at UD. Her undergraduate teaching experience includes foundational engineering mechanics courses like statics and strength of materials as well as courses related to sustainability and infrastructure. Her research interests are in foundational engineering education, sustainability in engineering curriculum, and green technologies in infrastructure.Dr. Marcia Gail Headley, University of Delaware Dr. Headley is a Data Scientist at the Center for Research in Education and Social Policy (CRESP) at the University of Delaware. She specializes in the development of mixed

Conference Session

Full Papers IV

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Anne Marguerite McAlister, University of Virginia; Benjamin Goldschneider, University of Virginia; Emily Wang, University of Virginia; William Harry Keenan, University of Virginia

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

Full Paper: What are we Teaching First-Year Engineering Students? A Qualitative Analysis of Introductory Engineering Course SyllabiKeywords: Learning Objectives; Learning Outcomes; Syllabus; First-Year EngineeringAbstractAn introductory engineering course can have positive and lasting impacts on students’ attitudesand skills [1]. However, introductory engineering courses vary widely. Reid et al. [2] developeda taxonomy for mapping the terrain of introductory engineering courses which specifies themany topics that could be included in such a course. Our exploratory study extends this workwith the goal of moving from what could be included towards what is included. Specifically

Conference Session

WIP I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Evelyn Walters, Temple University; Laura Riggio, Temple University; Cory Budischak, Temple University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

-year engineering students atTemple University. Designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to the engineeringprofession, these courses cover fundamental concepts across various engineering disciplineswhile emphasizing critical problem-solving skills, technical communication, and teamwork.Until Fall 2022, both courses were delivered as large-format lectures accommodatingapproximately 150 students per session, limiting opportunities for student interaction andcollaboration. Recognizing the need to cultivate a more engaging and community-orientedlearning environment, significant changes were implemented in Fall 2022. The coursestransitioned to smaller section sizes of 45 students, allowing for more personalized instructionand increased

Conference Session

Full Papers I

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

DeAnna Katey, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Terrance I Harris, Drexel University

Tagged Topics

Diversity, FYEE 2025

impact.Advice to Future Students Participants urged new students to “just do it”—to join mentoring programsearly, build networks, and take full advantage of available resources.This study highlights the multifaceted impact of peer mentoring on Black first-year engineering students,revealing how culturally responsive mentoring fosters academic success, social integration, and personalCEED. Participants’ narratives emphasized the importance of shared identity with mentors, whichenhanced trust, relatability, and emotional support. These findings align with Seery et al. [32], whodescribe peer mentors as both informational and emotional anchors.Mentoring relationships also cultivated a strong sense of community and belonging, particularly amongstudents who

Conference Session

Full Papers III

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Aysa Galbraith, University of Arkansas; Leslie Bartsch Massey, University of Arkansas; Heath Aren Schluterman, University of Arkansas; Latisha Puckett, University of Arkansas; Gretchen Scroggin, University of Arkansas

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

component, or both. Offering choice encouragesstudents to engage with topics that are meaningful to them, draw on their unique strengths, andbring their own perspectives to the project. This approach not only supports a more equitablelearning environment but also creates a deeper sense of ownership and motivation [7].Day 2 to 12 of the project is outlined in the Innovation Component and Robotics Componentsections below. Both pathways allow students to show mastery of the same learning outcomes: 1. Collaborate effectively within a team and demonstrate shared responsibility. 2. Develop and apply written and verbal communication skills. 3. Engage in thoughtful analysis and self-reflection throughout the project. 4. Identify and address

Conference Session

WORKSHOP I: Designing Active Learning Activities with Ethics in Mind, and Body (no matter if this is a fundamental principles class or an ethics-as-a-stand alone class, or any class in-between)

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Nicole Farkas Mogul, University of Maryland, College Park; David Tomblin, University of Maryland, College Park; Timothy Duane Reedy, University of Maryland, College Park

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

science and technology. David also does public engagement with science andDr. Timothy Duane Reedy, University of Maryland, College Park Timothy Reedy is a lecturer in the University of Maryland’s Science, Technology, Ethics, and Policy (STEP) minor, where he helps students critically explore the social, political, and cultural dimensions of science and engineering. His teaching challenges students to consider the broader implications of technological innovation, encouraging them to reflect on responsibility, power, and impact in their design and decision-making processes. FYEE 2025 Conference: University of Maryland - College Park, Maryland Jul 27TitleWorkshop: Designing Active Learning Activities with

Conference Session

Full Papers III

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Cassie Wallwey, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

particular focus and emphases on engineers’ impact and value in our society [5].This work’s framework of EM comes from the ongoing work of the Kern EntrepreneurialEngineering Network (KEEN). This network is a coalition of 61 universities that is working tobetter grow and develop an entrepreneurial mindset (EM) in engineering students to preparethem to address societal needs and global challenges. Through Entrepreneurial Minded Learning(EML) and the 3C framework (Curiosity, Connections, and Creating Value) [5], engineeringprograms within the KEEN network and faculty engaging with the network through their manyfaculty professional development programs [6] are working to equip students withentrepreneurial mindsets to accompany their “standard

Conference Session

GIFTS II

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

Ryan McAfee Grudell, Ohio Northern University; Mark Mintzlaff, Ohio Northern University; Ethan Berei, Ohio Northern University; Grace Lawson, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Topics

Diversity, FYEE 2025

complete given tasks, and ability tonavigate the device without significant instruction from their educator. Prior and post-test evaluationscould be made, specifically any improvement in quick math skills before and after learning on the device.Future WorkIn the future, several enhancements can be made to improve the educational impact and functionality ofMath Quest. One area of further development is the integration of a color display. Adding additionalgraphical aspects would help boost student engagement through visually appealing and interactivecontent. For example, images could be used to create more immersive math problems, such as countingobjects in a scene (e.g., apples, carrots, and soccer balls). These make concepts more concrete

Conference Session

Full Papers IV

Collection

FYEE 2025 Conference

Authors

James Nathaniel Newcomer, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; David Gray, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Alice Hyunna Noble, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Devin Erb, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Annabel Bass, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Topics

FYEE 2025

students’ understanding of their place within theengineering discipline.Identity development is central to engineering education[1]. Identity, particularlyengineering identity, has been shown to impact motivation, persistence, and students’perception of themselves as engineers [2], [3]. First-year experiences often mark criticalmoments of identity formation. Lakin found that students’ definitions of engineering -whether focused on altruism or technical rigor - were linked to whether they sawthemselves as “already doing engineering,” a belief strongly tied to professional identitydevelopment [2].Allie describes engineering learning as acquiring a discursive identity throughcommunity participation. [4]. What students say about their goals can reveal