I am thrilled to welcome you to the Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation (IEEI), an institute dedicated to improving engineers’ educational opportunities. Since becoming a faculty member in the CSCE department, I have been amazed by the exceptional students and the faculty’s quality. The Texas A&M University College of Engineering undergraduate and graduate programs have consistently been ranked in the top 20 programs in the nation, and we are a world-leading research institution. IEEI’s mission is to continue to advance engineering education through inclusive and effective engineering programs by promoting research and innovative engagement to help engineers meet global challenges.
Our university is already a powerhouse of engineering education innovation and application, but we here at IEEI seek to improve the university’s engineering education with dedicated research and outreach. Our mission is to produce inclusive and effective engineering programs through research and innovative engagement to help engineers meet global challenges. As director of the institute, my goal is to both 1) make Texas A&M internationally known for our engineering education capabilities and 2) improve and increase our faculty’s successes in engineering education.
Shortly before I took over the directorship, the global pandemic presented unique challenges for faculty and students. While most of us had some online teaching experience, the entire class experience has been revamped to ensure that online learning is as effective as in-person learning. The IEEI was here to help departments make that transition effectively and met students’ educational, safety, and emotional concerns. Our weekly Engineering Education Faculty group meetings have provided an informative, enjoyable, and trustworthy space to learn how to navigate these new changes. IEEI has also started two new faculty fellow groups: one on research, where the faculty work together to create quality grant proposals in engineering education, and another on teaching, where the faculty work together to identify and communicate effective teaching in the virtual classroom.
These are just a few initiatives we have started to help Texas A&M reach students and researchers with better opportunities to engage with peers and field-leading experts. In the next few years, IEEI will implement more programs to expand the university’s scholarship in engineering education and impact the classroom’s effectiveness and inclusiveness. I am excited to be taking this journey alongside our faculty, and I welcome all the current and prospective students to join us.
With best wishes,
Dr. Tracy Hammond
Director, Institute of Engineering Education & Innovation