My research examines how engineering students learn, engage, and develop their identities within undergraduate engineering classrooms. Using a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning approach, I investigate the use of real-world case studies, reflective activities, and design-based learning to help students connect abstract technical concepts to authentic engineering contexts. I am particularly interested in how these pedagogical approaches influence student engagement, identity development, and emotional connection to engineering work. Ultimately, my research aims to prepare engineers who can apply strong technical skills while thoughtfully situating their engineering decisions within broader external contexts. Building on this student-centered foundation, my work also focuses on how core engineering topics are taught and contextualized across the undergraduate curriculum. I study instructional practices and curricular structures in courses such as engineering design, engineering math and thermodynamics, with attention to how technical content is framed and connected to real-world applications. Through this work, I examine how engineering education can better support students in making informed, responsible decisions that consider technical performance alongside environmental and societal implications.
GEEN 1400 - Engineering Projects
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2023 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Spring 2025 / Fall 2025 / Spring 2026
First-year students solve real-world engineering design problems in interdisciplinary teams. Design projects vary by section. Curriculum focuses on iterative design process, teamwork and team dynamics, supporting design with testing and analysis, and technical writing. Completed projects are exhibited at an end-of-semester design expo. Students responsible for contributing towards their design project budget (approximately $75). Degree credit not granted for this course and ASTR 2500, ASEN 1400, ASEN 1403 and ECEN 1400.
GEEN 2010 - Engineering Tools and Analysis
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024 / Fall 2025
Taught by engineering faculty, this course utilizes active learning pedagogies to connect math content to engineering problems (across multiple disciplines) by using real engineering tools. Students are introduced to circuits, multimeters, oscilloscopes, sensors and more. They learn to program in MATLAB (no previous programming experience necessary). Students work collaboratively with other students to collect and analyze experimental data. There is one lecture, one mixed lecture/hands-on problem session, and one lab period each week.
GEEN 2400 - Engineering Projects for the Community
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2025
Design engineering products for local community clients, with emphasis on humanitarian engineering and integrated systems with electrical, mechanical, and software components. Students are challenged to take design projects to a higher level by requiring an additional iteration through design cycle and more engaged user-testing, in order to infuse student projects with robustness necessary for public-use products. Students responsible for contributing towards their design project budget, workshop, and expo costs (approximately $100). Cannot be taken concurrently with GEEN 3400.
GEEN 3024 - Materials Science for Engineers
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2026
Examines structure, properties, processing and uses of metallic, polymeric, ceramic and composite materials. Specific topics covered include perfect and imperfect solids, phase equilibria, transformation kinetics, mechanical and electrical behavior and failure modes. Approach incorporates both materials science and materials engineering applications. Degree credit not granted for this course and MCEN 2024. Formerly GEEN 2024.
GEEN 3852 - Thermodynamics for Engineers
Primary Instructor
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Summer 2023
Explores fundamental concepts and basic theory, including first and second laws of thermodynamics, properties, states, thermodynamic functions and cycles. Links theory and application with labs and a design project involving a functioning thermodynamic process. Degree credit not granted for this course and AREN 2110 and MCEN 3012.
MCEN 3012 - Thermodynamics
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2022 / Summer 2023
Explores fundamental concepts and basic theory, including first and second laws of thermodynamics, properties, states, thermodynamic functions and cycles. Degree credit not granted for this course and AREN 2110 and GEEN 3852.
