Conference Session

Developing an Academic Framework Supportive of our Military Veterans

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian J Novoselich P.E., Virginia Tech; David B Knight, Virginia Tech Department of Engineering Education

Tagged Divisions

Military and Veterans Constituent Committee

? RQ2: What differences exist among mechanical engineering-centric capstone design teams from civilian and military institutions in shared leadership in terms of 1) the amount of leadership enacted, and 2) the level of leadership distribution within the teams?Review of the LiteratureFormative leadership experiences are critical to the long term development of engineers as futureleaders. Various national level reports have expressed the need for technically minded leaders tohelp shape sustainable, technically sound solutions to the world’s grand challenges (e.g.1; 3). Tohelp develop the next generation of engineering leaders, engineering educators are tasked withimparting a basic understanding of leadership principles for

Conference Session

Developing an Academic Framework Supportive of our Military Veterans

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Blake Stringer, Kent State University, Kent; Maureen McFarland, Kent State University, Kent

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Military and Veterans Constituent Committee

alsoimportant to keep in mind the resources and mechanisms that the veterans themselves bring tothe academic environment. Brawner, et. al.[4], provides a discussion of the assets of studentveterans to the academic environment, as well as some of the challenges of student veterans inthe classroom. Student veteran assets include determination, motivation, flexibility, and workethic. Their challenges include balancing family and academic requirements, working in a less-structured environment, dealing with service-related disabilities, and seeking assistance whenneeded.A recent report provided university data of four engineering institutions. Out of approximately18,000 engineering students across these universities, only 180 or 1% are veterans receiving

Conference Session

Understanding the Military Veteran's Human Resource Needs - Transition from Military Service to the Engineering Profession

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joyce B. Main, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Michelle M. Camacho, University of San Diego; Catherine Mobley, Clemson University; Catherine E. Brawner, Research Triangle Educational Consultants; Susan M Lord, University of San Diego

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Military and Veterans Constituent Committee

9 43% Multidisciplinary 1 5% Nuclear 1 5% Total Participants 21ResultsWe analyzed our transcripts with the following research questions in mind: 1. Why do veterans pursue a Bachelor’s degree in engineering? 2. How do military experiences shape student veterans’ educational experiences? 3. What are the experiences of student veterans in engineering education?Our thematic analysis indicates that military veterans pursue engineering based on (1) previousexperiences with engineering-related activities while in the military, (2) recommendations fromfamily and friends, (3) the intellectual challenge they