Overall, the number of graduate and doctorate degrees awarded in the U.S. has grown over the course of the early 21st century. Fields like engineering and education have been producing Ph.D.'s for several decades. However, recent shifts in technology have changed the Ph.D. process drastically. The specific new field of a Ph.D. in engineering education came formally into existence in 2004 with the creation of Purdue’s School of Engineering Education, with other programs debuting since then. Other, less formalized Ph.D. pathways in engineering education alson have appeared, expanding the possibilities of Ph.D. study. Thus, the process of graduate school, while familiar to many academics, is also always becoming new, and it is important to update and reiterate advice to reflect those new realities.
This panel session aims to bring together new faculty in EER and related roles to share their experiences and advice for getting through graduate school.
Stephen is an assistant professor of engineering and computing education at Florida International University. He has a prior academic and professional background in engineering, having worked professionally as an acoustical engineer. He has taught a number of courses on engineering and education, including courses on engineering design, systems in society, and learning theories. His research interests include equity, culture, and the sociocultural dimensions of engineering education.
Dr. Cassandra McCall is a pos-doctoral researcher in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Her primary research interests include professional identity formation, grounded theory methods, theory development, and broadening participation. Currently, she is principal investigator on an NSF-sponsored project exploring identity formation of civil engineering students with disabilities. Dr. McCall holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and served on the ASEE Student Division Executive Board from 2013 tp 2017.
Jessica Swenson is an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Education at the University at Buffalo. She was awarded her doctorate and master's from Tufts University in mechanical engineering and STEM education, respectively, and completed postdoctoral work at the University of Michigan. Her current research involves examining different types of homework problems in undergraduate engineering science courses, flexible classroom spaces, active learning, responsive teaching, and elementary school engineering teachers.
Aaron W. Johnson is an instructor in the Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences Department at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He teaches courses in structures and vehicle design and conducts engineering education research. His research focuses on how mathematical models are taught in undergraduate engineering science courses and how these models are used in analysis and design. Before CU he was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan and the Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach. He received his Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2014 and a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan in 2008.
Dr. Prateek Shekhar is an assistant professor at New Jersey Institute of Technology. His research is focused on examining translation of engineering education research in practice, assessment and evaluation of dissemination initiatives, and educational programs in engineering disciplines. He holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.S. in electrical engineering from University of Southern California, and a B.S. in electronics and communication engineering from India.
Dr. Jin Woo Lee is an assistant professor at California State University, Fullerton. His research focuses on studying and developing design strategies, particularly in problem definition and concept generation. Jin received a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and a B.S in mechanical engineering from the State University of New York at Binghamton.
Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Racheida S. Lewis, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at the University of Georgia in the Engineering Education Transformations Institute (EETI) and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. She has been recognized as a Gates Millenium Scholar, GEM Associate Fellow, New Horizon Scholar, and a 2019 inductee into the Bouchet Honor Society. She completed her doctoral work at Virginia Tech, where she focused on the impact matriculations structures have on self-efficacy development in electrical and computer engineering students. She received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia, respectively. Racheida believes in creating a diverse engineering field and strives to do so through connecting with teaching and mentoring future engineers. She has devoted her life to this mission through her leadership and lifetime membership in the National Society of Black Engineers. Ultimately, Racheida aspires to bridge research and pedagogy within the academy to improve engineering education within the field and across disciplines. When she is not working, Racheida loves to travel, attend concerts, and spend time with friends and family.