Strengthening HBCU Engineering Education Research Capacity

Through this NSF-supported (HRD-0411994) project, HBCU deans identified annually 3-person teams that included at least 2 engineering faculty and up to 1 faculty member from a social science or education discipline. Each team participated in a one-year cycle of activities in 2004, 2005, or 2006. There were 4 activities offered in 2004, 5 offered in both 2005 and 2006, and one activity in 2007. Identified campus teams were to have engaged in three activities: 1. In the first summer of their participation, teams attended a 1-week workshop funded by NSF (DUE-0341127) on Conducting Rigorous Research on Engineering Education hosted by the Colorado School of Mines as a collaborative effort by the American Society for Engineering Education, the American Education Research Association, and the Professional and Organizational Developers network. 2. The following November, teams attended a 3-day meeting hosted by Project Kaleidoscope for its Faculty for the 21st Century. This meeting provided networking and skills development among an emerging and established group of academic leaders. Through their involvement in this activity, HBCU faculty obtained key strategies and skills for operating within their own institutions. They also raised their national profile and prominence and enhanced their personal networks. 3. Each October, teams attended the CASEE annual meeting immediately preceding the Frontiers in Education (FIE) conference to strengthen their visibility with and connections to leaders in the engineering education community.

With supplemental support provided by the Division of Engineering Education and Centers, we also provided support for 2-person faculty teams from each of 13 Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) that were highest in the baccalaureate production of Hispanic engineers at the time our proposal was submitted, to attend the 2004 CASEE Annual Meeting and integrate into the leadership community of engineering educators. Throughout the meeting, CASEE research community affiliates and implementation network affiliates presented results of their work and started discussions on the future of engineering education research. In addition, by reprogramming under subscribed supplemental funds, the activities sponsored for the HSI faculty were expanded over the three years of the project to include all activities offered to the HBCU faculty. Another NSF supplement by EEC provided funds for the HBCU and HSI faculty identified in this grant to attend the 2006 Frontiers in Education meeting. We were also able to support travel by HBCU and HSI faculty to the ASEE 2007 conference.

Monica Cox of Purdue University, supported by the Rigorous Research workshop ((DUE-0341127)) developed and printed a booklet of resources for MSI faculty members to use as they develop their research programs.