In this article we point to the ways in which engineering and communication disciplines can work together to ensure the ABET criterion that encompasses effective communication is represented in engineering curricula. Drawing upon examples from several universities in North America, we offer useful portraits of writing across the curriculum approaches, interdisciplinary courses, integrated programs, and a variety of support systems including writing and communication centers and online resources. As we develop increased awareness of the importance of including communication instruction in engineering curricula, the variety of possibilities presented in this article can help us integrate communication and engineering education.

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Minimizing all aspects of COVID-19 exposure is a high priority as universities prepare to reopen. One of those aspects includes developing protocols for interior spaces such as academic buildings. This paper applies mathematical modeling to investigate different virus exposure levels due to traffic patterns within academic buildings. The assumption used are: 1) Risk of infection is a product of exposure rate and time and 2) the exposure rate decreases with distance. One-way vs. two-way pedestrian traffic scenarios within hallways were modeled and analyzed for various configurations. The underlying assumption that a small exposure to a large number of people is similar to a large exposure to a few people is the driver to minimize exposures levels in all aspects. The analysis indicates that minimizing the time spent in passing between classes is the driving factor in minimizing risk, and one-way traffic may increase the time required to pass between classes. While the case presented is limited, the modeled approaches are intended to provoke future research that can be extended and applied to larger populations to help provide decision makers with more rigorous tools to shape future policies regarding traffic flow within buildings.

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where she co-directs the Virginia Tech Engineering Communications Center (VTECC). Her research focuses on communication in engineering design, interdisciplinary communication and collaboration, design education, and gender in engineering. She was awarded a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation to study expert teaching in capstone design courses, and is co-PI on numerous NSF grants exploring communication, design, and identity in engineering. Drawing on theories of situated learning and identity development, her work includes studies on the teaching and learning of communication, effective teaching practices in design education, the effects of differing design pedagogies on retention and motivation, the dynamics of cross-disciplinary collaboration in both academic and industry design environments, and gender and identity in engineering.