Work In Progress: Developing Changemaking Engineers (Year 2)

Abstract

San Diego. Fluent in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, her research uses theories from interdisciplinary sources including cultural studies, critical race, gender and feminist theories. Central to her work are questions of culture, power and inequality. She is co-author, with Susan Lord, of The Borderlands of Education: Latinas in Engineering. Dr. Ming Z. Huang, University of San DiegoMing Huang received his MS in University of Rhode Island and Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in Mechanical Engineering. He is currently professor and chair of mechanical engineering department at USD. His research interests are coordination and computer aided design optimization of of robotic mechanisms, theory and practices of inventive problem solving and engineering pedagogy.Dr. Leonard A. Perry, University of San Diego Dr. Leonard Perry (ISE) has research interests in the area of system improvement via quality improvement methods especially in the area of applied statistics, statistical process control, and design of experiments. Dr. Perry consults, instructs, and collaborates on quality improvement projects with representatives from biotech, health care, defense, and traditional manufacturing institutions. He has been an instructor for the Six Sigma Black belt training at the Six Sigma Institute for three years. He is a UCSD Certified Six-Sigma Master Black-Belt and an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer.c American Society for Engineering Education, 2017 WIP: Developing "Changemaking Engineers" (Year 2) Abstract With funding from a National Science Foundation (NSF) IUSE/PFE: Revolutionizing Engineering and Computer Science Departments (IUSE/PFE: RED) grant, we aim to "revolutionize" engineering education, by preparing students to practice engineering using a contextual framework that embeds humanitarian, sustainable and social justice approaches alongside technical engineering skills. This research will produce and disseminate a model for redefining the "engineering canon" to include a professional spine threaded throughout the curriculum with the goal of developing "Changemaking Engineers". The revised engineering canon will build upon engineering technical skills to include the knowledge and professional skills needed to empower our graduates to impact society and enhance the common good. The model will provide a template for change for similar institution-types and create a platform for change that moves away from narrowly-constructed and techno-centric epistemological approaches. This work in process provides a descriptive overview of our progress to date. IntroductionTraditionally, engineering students are trained technically, with less focus on critical examinations of assumptions within engineering practice, and less emphasis on the larger contexts in which engineering is embedded. With funding from a National Science Foundation (NSF) IUSE/PFE: Revolutionizing Engineering and Computer Science Departments (IUSE/PFE: RED) (hereinafter referred to as RED) grant, our project team is working to create...

Beyond pipeline and pathways: Ecosystem metrics

“…The emergence of innovative degree programs that allow engineering students some flexibility, embed interdisciplinary perspectives, and explicitly combine the social with the technical suggest that changes are underway. Examples include general engineering for developing change making engineers (Chen & Hoople, ; Roberts, Huang, Olson, Camacho, & Lord, ), Engineering Plus (Forbes, Bielefeldt, Sullivan, & Chaker, ), and the Computer Science Professionals Hatchery (Anderson, Xu, Jain, Winiecki, & Salzman, ). If the tendency to create such innovative programs propagates, it will enrich the ecosystem, creating niches for engineering students with more diverse perspectives.…”

What Is Engineering and Who Are Engineers? Student Reflections from a Sustainability-Focused Energy Course

“…In the spring of 2020, The University of San Diego's Department of Integrated Engineering offered a reimagined energy course for second-year engineering students, which emphasized sustainability [1,2] and a sociotechnical approach that was informed by culturally sustaining pedagogies (CSPs). By sociotechnical (as opposed to "technocentric"), we refer to an engineering paradigm with social contextualization and the considerations that are irretrievably knitted into it, with an equal valuation to the technical [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Sustainability and sociotechnical concepts in engineering are foundationally connected, as approaching engineering education and practice through the sociotechnical paradigm is essential if we are to design a sustainable future.…”

Introducing Changemaking Engineering into an Operations Research Course: Some Unexpected Results

“…[3] Awards have been made to three cohorts in the summers of 2015, 2016, and 2017 [4]. The school of engineering proposed the project Developing Changemaking Engineers which was funded in the first year of the program [5]. The first author of this paper is a Co-PI on the grant.…”