The 2021 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition was held virtually from July 26th to July 29, 2021. The ASEE Conference is the only conference devoted to all disciplines of engineering and engineering technology education, and nurtures an exchange of ideas and concepts, augments teaching methods and curricula, and offers a vast range of networking prospects.
Texas A&M’s growing success in the scholarship of teaching and learning in engineering education was strongly evident at the conference. Texas A&M University’s faculty and students had 40 papers, 8 poster presentations, 3 Workshops, 3 Panels, 2 Hands-On Demos, and 4 national awards, including a Lifetime Achievement award for Past Provost Karan Watson. In addition to this, faculty and students actively served as speakers, moderators, and division leaders vividly across the conference.
Sponsored Session by Engineering Education
A Sponsored session presented by Engineering Education at Texas A&M was the highlight of Wednesday, and included presentations by Dr. John Hurtado, Interim Vice Chancellor of Engineering, The Texas A&M University System, Interim Dean of Engineering, Texas A&M University, Interim Director, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, and Professor, Aerospace Engineering; Dr. Harry Hogan, Professor Mechanical Engineering, and Acting Senior Associate Dean, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs; Dr. Tracy Hammond, Director, Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation (IEEI), Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Director of the and Chair of the Engineering Education Faculty at Texas A&M, and Director, Sketch Recognition Lab; Dr. Andrea Ogilve, Assistant Dean for Student Success, and Assistant Professor of Instruction; Dr. Michael Johnson, Professor, Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution, Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Associate Dean for Inclusion and Faculty Success; Dr. Angie Price, Associate Professor, Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution, Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, and Dr. Jay Porter, Professor, Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution, Electronic Systems Engineering Technology, and Associate Dean for Engineering, Texas A&M University Galveston.
Texas A&M participants felt that the conference was a huge success and shared their sentiments about their experience. Here’s what they had to say: Harry Hogan, Professor Mechanical Engineering, and Acting Senior Associate Dean, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs said: “We all share the vision to be #1 in Engineering Education, and we are clearly making it happen.” Tracy Hammond, Director of the Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation (IEEI), Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and Chair of the Engineering Education Faculty at Texas A&M, said, “The Texas A&M faculty are making huge strides to make Texas A&M the most inclusive and effective institution in teaching at scale.”
“We should take more opportunities like this to disseminate the innovations in engineering education coming out of TAMU,” said Jay Porter, professor, Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution, Electronic Systems Engineering Technology, and Associate Dean for Engineering, Texas A&M University Galveston. (This year’s ASEE provided) “good suggestions on resources to implement on my upcoming Capstone Course… excellent ideas on activities for…outreach events…and.. was very rewarding,” said Andrew Conkey, Instructional Associate Professor. “It was nice to visit with colleagues in the biomedical engineering community of practice….and [a panel] focused on publishing in Biomedical Engineering Education was quite helpful for future submissions,” said Charles W. Patrick Jr., Professor of Practice. “I exited the conference with a host of new research ideas as well as some impactful feedback on my presentations,“ said Randy Brooks ’86 | Professor of Practice, Texas A&M Engineering Academy – Brenham, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University.
Check out the descriptions of the four prestigious national awards presented to four TAMU faculty:
Karan Watson – 2021 ASEE Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Karan Watson, Regents Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University, was awarded the 2021 ASEE Lifetime Achievement Award in Engineering Education. Watson was recognized for her pioneering leadership and sustained contributions to education in the fields of engineering and engineering technology. This prestigious award recognizes individuals with significant contributions in teaching, education, research, administration or educational programs, professional service, or any combination thereof.
Tracy Hammond – 2021 Chester F. Carlson Award
Dr. Hammond, Director, Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation (IEEI), Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Director of the and Chair of the Engineering Education Faculty at Texas A&M, and Director, Sketch Recognition Lab was honored with the ASEE Chester F. Carlson Award, in recognition of her work as an educator. The award is presented annually to “an individual innovator in engineering education who, by motivation and ability to extend beyond the accepted tradition, has made a significant contribution to the profession.” Through her work, Hammond continues to make a significant contribution to engineering education and further development at Texas A&M University. Her many goals include developing new technologies to improve engineering education, bridging the gender and diversity gaps in engineering and industries, and creating inclusive classrooms by helping faculty to engage with students.
Pauline Wade – 2021 Isadore T. Davis Award
Pauline Wade was awarded the Isadore T. Davis Award. This award, given annually to an outstanding engineering educator, celebrates the spirit and leadership of individuals who make a mark in the collaborative efforts of engineering with industry. Wade is the Associate Professor of Practice, Computer Science & Engineering at Texas A&M University and is currently the faculty lead for the department’s Industry Capstone Program which allows companies to sponsor and mentor a senior design project, to allow students to benefit from the experiences of an industry practitioner. Wade makes sure to help her graduates be successful in industry, through the engagement of industry practitioners to team-teach courses and participation in course content and curriculum improvement. The students she has mentored on the knowledge, skills, and attitude needed to succeed in industry, achieved nearly a 100% employability rate. She supervised undergraduate research and mentored the student leadership team of the Texas A&M College of Engineering Honors (EH) to help them develop a strategy to engage the entire honors student community, improving retention at all levels.
Alaa Elwany, 2021 John L. Imhoff Global excellence Award
Dr. Alaa Elwany, associate professor of the Wm Michael Barnes ’64 Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Texas A&M University, received the 2021 John L. Imhoff Global Excellence Award for Industrial Engineering Education. This award is given to a recipient recognized for their accomplishments and contributions in industrial engineering education, their demonstrated excellence in global cooperation and understanding through leadership, as well as other avenues.
We are proud of this historic representation for Texas A&M University and its system schools, and we look forward to this continued prominent representation at future ASEE conferences. The 2022 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota!
Find out more at http://ieei.tamu.edu/conferences/asee