BOARD # 240: First and Final Year of NSF IUSE Funding: The Justice Equity Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) Ambassador Initiative – A (Terminated) HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project

Nivedita Kumar; Stephen Secules; Tekla Nicholas

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Publication Date: June 22, 2025
Start Date: June 22, 2025
End Date: August 15, 2025
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session I
Tagged Topics: Diversity and NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 7
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/55600

Paper Authors

biography

Nivedita Kumar Florida International University orcid.org/0009-0000-8354-9776

visit author page

Nivedita (Nivi) Kumar is a doctoral candidate in engineering and computing education at Florida International University (FIU), with a research focus on caste-based inequities in engineering and computing education in the U.S. Their work examines how systems, structures, and cultures perpetuate caste inequities despite an apparent caste-blind environment. They also explore gender diversity in computing education, particularly addressing the leaky pipeline issue affecting women’s participation in STEM fields.

visit author page

biography

Stephen Secules Florida International University orcid.org/0000-0002-3149-2306

visit author page

Dr. Stephen Secules is an Assistant Professor in the School of Universal Computing, Construction, and Engineering Education at Florida International University. Secules holds a joint appointment in the STEM Transformation Institute and a secondary appointment in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. He has bachelor degrees in engineering from Dartmouth College, a master’s in Architectural Acoustics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a PhD in Education (Curriculum and Instruction) from the University of Maryland. Prior to his academic career, Stephen was an acoustical consultant for 5 years in both London, UK and Silicon Valley, CA. His research has focused on culture and equity in engineering education, particularly undergraduate contexts, pedagogy, and student support. Through his work he aims to use critical qualitative, video-based, participatory, and ethnographic methods to look at everyday educational settings in engineering and shift them towards equity and inclusion. He also leads the Equity Research Group where he mentors graduate and undergraduate students in pursuing critical and action-oriented research.

visit author page

author page

Tekla Nicholas Florida International University

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

Background The JEDI Ambassador Program fosters student advocacy through an inclusive learning community focused on research, outreach, and leadership development to transform the College of Engineering at Southern Public University (SPU), one of the largest Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) in the South Eastern United States. This initiative leverages existing programmatic infrastructure to plan for more large-scale and translatable institutional transformation. Grounded in liberatory pedagogy (Freire, 1970) and Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR, Cammarota & Fine, 2010), the initiative empowers students by fostering critical consciousness and active engagement while addressing systemic barriers to success. Purpose This poster presents the strategies, processes, and implementation of the project in the first year of its National Science Foundation (NSF) funding. Method The poster presents findings from multiple sources, including post-training surveys and end-of-year evaluation interviews that assess students’ perceptions and experiences of being a JEDI Ambassador. Additionally, we present reflections from the JEDI leadership team and stakeholders, which provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of programmatic practices and overall program impact. Findings Our findings show significant shifts in students’ understanding of their roles as advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion within their academic community. Participants reported increased confidence in their leadership abilities and a deeper understanding of the systemic barriers faced by underrepresented groups in engineering. Feedback from the JEDI leadership team indicates that programmatic practices, such as mentorship and community-building activities, have fostered expansions in their agency and a sense of belonging and engagement among ambassadors. Implications The insights gained from this first year highlight the potential for the JEDI Ambassador Program to serve as a model for institutional transformation in engineering education. By leveraging the voices and experiences of student ambassadors, the initiative aims to create a more inclusive and equitable academic environment that benefits students and enhances the broader institutional culture. Future efforts will focus on refining strategies based on stakeholder feedback and expanding outreach to ensure the sustainability and impact of the program.

Citation
Format

Kumar, N., & Secules, S., & Nicholas, T. (2025, June), BOARD # 240: First and Final Year of NSF IUSE Funding: The Justice Equity Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) Ambassador Initiative – A (Terminated) HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/55600

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Background  
The JEDI Ambassador Program fosters student advocacy through an inclusive learning community focused on research, outreach, and leadership development to transform the College of Engineering at Southern Public University (SPU), one of the largest Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) in the South Eastern United States. This initiative leverages existing programmatic infrastructure to plan for more large-scale and translatable institutional transformation. Grounded in liberatory pedagogy (Freire, 1970)  and Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR, Cammarota &amp;amp; Fine, 2010), the initiative empowers students by fostering critical consciousness and active engagement while addressing systemic barriers to success.
Purpose  
This poster presents the strategies, processes, and implementation of the project in the first year of its National Science Foundation (NSF) funding.
Method  
The poster presents findings from multiple sources, including post-training surveys and end-of-year evaluation interviews that assess students’ perceptions and experiences of being a JEDI Ambassador. Additionally, we present reflections from the JEDI leadership team and stakeholders, which provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of programmatic practices and overall program impact.
Findings  
Our findings show significant shifts in students’ understanding of their roles as advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion within their academic community. Participants reported increased confidence in their leadership abilities and a deeper understanding of the systemic barriers faced by underrepresented groups in engineering. Feedback from the JEDI leadership team indicates that programmatic practices, such as mentorship and community-building activities, have fostered expansions in their agency and a sense of belonging and engagement among ambassadors.
Implications  
The insights gained from this first year highlight the potential for the JEDI Ambassador Program to serve as a model for institutional transformation in engineering education. By leveraging the voices and experiences of student ambassadors, the initiative aims to create a more inclusive and equitable academic environment that benefits students and enhances the broader institutional culture. Future efforts will focus on refining strategies based on stakeholder feedback and expanding outreach to ensure the sustainability and impact of the program.

AU  - Nivedita Kumar
AU  - Stephen Secules
AU  - Tekla Nicholas
CY  - Montreal, Quebec, Canada 
DA  - 2025/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - BOARD # 240: First and Final Year of NSF IUSE Funding: The Justice Equity Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) Ambassador Initiative – A (Terminated) HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/55600
ER  -