STEM Education | College of Engineering Technology

Research in this discipline includes engineering education culture, equity in engineering education, and increasing diversity in STEM through transformation of traditional teaching methods.

This focus area has earned several grants that seek to increase the recruitment and retention of women in Engineering Technology and Engineering, including a previous NSF S-STEM grant upon whose success the SD-CoMETS program is modeled. Additionally, College of Engineering Technology faculty are working on a project funded by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN) to improve student learning through reflective storytelling. Recruitment and retention of both under-represented faculty and students in STEM higher education is a goal of the College. Self-determination theory is used as the framework for interventions to increase retention of women, deaf and hard of hearing, and racial/ethnic minority students in engineering technology programs at RIT. Programmatic activities used in this research include the utilization of inclusive pedagogies and focused mentoring.

Programmatic activities focus on culture change efforts, professional development, monitoring the status of women faculty, and support of peer networks. Research activities study the efficacy of these efforts. Additional expertise includes integrating entrepreneurial mindset with well-known pedagogies (active-, problem-, and project-based learning) into undergraduate engineering curricula to enhance student learning and motivation.

Active collaborations within the Engineering Unleashed community create resources that better meet the needs of our undergraduate students.