Preliminary Work on Weaving Professionalism Throughout the Engineering Curriculum
- Conference
- Location
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New Orleans, Louisiana
- Publication Date
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June 26, 2016
- Start Date
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June 26, 2016
- End Date
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June 29, 2016
- ISBN
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978-0-692-68565-5
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Educational Research and Methods
- Page Count
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19
- DOI
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10.18260/p.25946
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/25946
- Download Count
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578
Paper Authors
Alma H. Rosales Colorado State University
Alma Rosales received her bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics from the University of Texas. Rosales joined IBM Austin in 1976 as a communications programmer, and held numerous technical and management positions within IBM. In 2003, Rosales was named director of Worldwide Enablement Services in the Integrated Supply Chain Division, where she managed 300 people in 21 locations around the world. From January 2007 to December 2008, Rosales was an IBM executive on loan to Colorado State University, as part of the IBM Faculty Loan program. She was instrumental in establishing the Professional Learning Institute within the College of Engineering. Rosales served as program director of MAES (Mexican American Engineers and Scientists) and co-chair of the Texas Science and Engineering Festival in 2010 and 2011. The festival attracted a cross-demographic attendance of 25,000 in 2010 and 32,000 in 2011.
In September 1998, Hispanic Engineer and Information Technology Magazine recognized Rosales for her many contributions to her industry, naming her as one of its 50 "Women Who Make a Difference." The award honors Hispanic women who are inventing new technology, new processes, or are reshaping management. In 2004, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers presented their Corporate Achievement Award to Rosales at their National Career Conference. This award is given to a Hispanic engineer who has made significant accomplishments in the scientific, technical, or engineering arena. In September 2008, the Colorado Rockies honored Rosales with a Hispanic Leadership Award for her leadership and contributions to the Hispanic community. In October 2012, MAES presented Rosales with the Medallo de Oro (Gold Medal) Award for her service to MAES and the Latino STEM community.
Rosales is currently a managing partner in RS&Associates, a professional leadership development and management consulting company. Rosales is also working with the Colorado State University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering on integrating professional skills development into the engineering curriculum.
Andrea M. Leland Colorado State University
With nearly twenty years combined experience in higher education and private industry, Andrea Leland has distinguished herself as a dynamic communicator and tireless ambassador of engineering education and research. For the past twelve years she has worked in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Colorado State University to advance its mission through well-planned communication strategies and relationship building. Leland has played an integral role in engaging industry to guide the department’s professional formation efforts to prepare students for an increasingly global profession. Leland holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Organizational Communications and Marketing from the University of Central Missouri.
Olivera Notaros Colorado State University, ECE Department
Olivera Notaros has finished undergraduate and graduate studies in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department in Belgrade, Serbia. She has held different university teaching positions since 1990. She is currently Adjunct Faculty and Head of Senior Design in the ECE Department at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Richard F. Toftness IEEE High Plains Section
Richard Toftness has been working in various Technical Professional roles for greater than 40 years. He has worked for Fortune 500 companies, small private firms and has owned his own business. He has managed large multi-function organizations and R&D departments, manufacturing operations and quality departments both in the United States and Internationally. During his career he has been part of three startup businesses, starting one from scratch and attempting to rescue two others. Richard is known for his ability to look past the trendy silliness that many organizations get enamored with and get to the core of what people need to do to be productive professionals. Richard is a recipient of a 2012 Academy Award (Oscar) for technical development of the Phantom High Speed Camera in additional to other awards for professional achievement and volunteer leadership roles. Richard has also written papers titled “Project Management with Technical Professionals”, “Real Men Downsize”, and “Ivan Boesky got it Wrong” and is sporadically working on a book based on his experiences. Richard believes that the engineering profession, with its many disciplines, provides intelligence and structure which is desperately needed in our increasingly complex world. Most recently he has organized a volunteer effort which brings together engineering professionals and students on campus. https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardtoftness
Thomas J. Siller
Colorado State University
orcid.org/0000-0002-0567-0631
Tom Siller is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Colorado State University. He has been a faculty member at CSU for 28 years and recently completed a 13 year appointment as the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs in the College of Engineering.
Michael A. De Miranda Ph.D. Colorado State University
Professor Engineering Education, School of Education and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO USA
Alistair Cook Colorado State University
PhD Student in Education Sciences focusing on Engineering for Global Development as a context to teach engineering professional skills to undergraduate engineering students
Melissa D. Reese Colorado State University
Melissa D. Reese received a BS in International Business/Finance and an MBA in Management/Organizational Development from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1998 and 2006, respectively. She is currently the department manager of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Colorado State University.
Zinta S. Byrne
Colorado State University
orcid.org/0000-0002-0558-0556
Zinta S. Byrne is a tenured full professor of psychology at Colorado State University. Her previous careers were as software design and development engineer, and project and program manager for Hewlett-Packard Company, and management consultant for Personnel Decisions International, before becoming a professor at CSU. She is author of "Understanding Employee Engagement: Theory, Research, and Practice" and "Organizational Psychology and Behavior: An Integrated Approach to Understanding the Workplace". She is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Managerial Psychology, serves on several editorial boards, and has published in peer-reviewed scientific academic and practice outlets. She has her own consulting practice, Atniz Consulting, LLC, working with organizations around the country focusing on their organizational culture and leadership to maximize employee engagement.
James Warren Weston Colorado State University
I am a researcher in Colorado State University's doctoral program.
Anthony A. Maciejewski Colorado State University
Anthony A. Maciejewski received the BSEE, MS, and PhD degrees from the Ohio State University
in 1982, 1984, and 1987, respectively.From 1988 to 2001, he was a professor of electrical
and computer engineering at Purdue University, West Lafayette. He is currently a professor
and the department head of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Colorado State University.
He is a fellow of the IEEE. A complete vita is available at: http://www.engr.colostate.edu/ ~aam.
Abstract
This work in progress describes the efforts of a diverse team of educators who are redefining what it means to teach and learn in an engineering department, along with the processes and value systems through which people become engineers [1]. As one of six schools charged by the National Science Foundation with revolutionizing engineering and computer science education for the nation, this paper will discuss how the team is paving the way to change through organizational and pedagogical innovations that empower multifaceted faculty teams to embed professionalism throughout the curriculum. Working in close collaboration with its industry partners, the team seeks feedback on its efforts to reshape professional formation and ensure that students develop critical skills for the 21st century.
Still in the first year of the grant cycle, the team has begun to implement changes that reimagine the roles of the faculty. The new model moves away from teaching courses in isolation to an integrated, collaborative structure that enables newly assigned “Thread Champions” and “Integration Specialists” to weave threads throughout the curriculum and show connections to professional practice. The holistic approach utilizes learning studios with modules that build on the concept of “nanocourses” and emphasize knowledge integration – a learning model well-grounded in education pedagogy and supported by research. In addition to ensuring deep knowledge of the discipline, the learning studios provide clear pathways to developing professional skills more effectively and meaningfully. Such skills include leadership, communication, teamwork, project management, entrepreneurship, ethical responsibility, cross-cultural adaptability, and civic and public engagement.
A former Fortune 500 executive is serving as the Professional Formation Thread Champion for the project, building on the successes of her work with the Professional Learning Institute (PLI) – a college-wide lecture series designed to provide students with real-world professional skills to complement technical curricula. Launched in 2007, all engineering majors are required to participate in the PLI as part of their undergraduate experience. This paper will describe the importance and evolution of the Professional Formation Thread, created through collaboration between the Thread Champion, faculty, and industry teams.
This paper seeks community feedback on: • Efforts to leverage the learning studios to expand the Professional Learning Institute well beyond an isolated lecture series. • Innovative initiatives to support professional formation, including a new Engineer in Residence program – a partnership with the IEEE that brings engineering professionals to campus to interact in a maker space laboratory. • Development of collaborations with international universities to facilitate multi-national design teams. • Novel engagement programs to involve industry in the advancement and assessment of the project. Practicing professionals from companies such as Keysight Technologies are interacting with students in new ways to evaluate and grow their talents in testing and measurement, project management, and communications.
The team's goal is to draw on the expertise and experiences of the engineering community to refine, expand, and assess the work of this project. The research findings will contribute to the nation's economic vitality and global competitiveness by advancing the theoretical development of engineering education and organizational development frameworks.
References [1] National Science Foundation, IUSE/Professional Formation of Engineers: Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (RED), Program Solicitation NSF 14-602.
Rosales, A. H., & Leland, A. M., & Notaros, O., & Toftness, R. F., & Siller, T. J., & De Miranda, M. A., & Cook, A., & Reese, M. D., & Byrne, Z. S., & Weston, J. W., & Maciejewski, A. A. (2016, June), Preliminary Work on Weaving Professionalism Throughout the Engineering Curriculum Paper presented at 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana. 10.18260/p.25946
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