ASEE 2011 Annual Conference & Exposition Blog

Your daily recap and reminder of the must-see events and happenings at the 2011 ASEE Annual Conference

Tuesday, June 28

The day-long Global Pavilion in the Exhibit Hall highlighted ASEE’s expanding international activities and global initiatives of ASEE corporate partners Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, Digilent, and HP.

Tuesday’s four Distinguished Lectures provided excellent insights into a wide range of topics significant to engineering education. David Williamson Shaffer of UW-Madison looked at creative engineering thinking and an epistemic perspective on learning and assessment in his speech, while Larry F. Hanneman of Iowa State discussed demand pressures building within the college-educated labor market. In their lecture, Linda P. Rosen from Change the Equation and Rick Stephens from Boeing showed how widespread national and global efforts are sparking a revolution in K-12 STEM education. Anette Kolmos from the European Society for Engineering Education, Masahiro Takei from the Japanese Society of Engineering Education, and Myongsook Oh from the Korean Society of Engineering Education updated us on the current state, development, and impact of engineering education in their respective regions/countries and constituencies.

Linda Rosen

Rick Stephens

The Manufacturing Division Competition, featuring high school, college, and university students competing to design and fabricate a wearable hand-assisting device for patients with limited hand function, was an incredible, hands-on experience and tons of fun!

The exhibit hall brought a lively mix of attendees:

ASEE Diversity Booth

The Meet the Board forum, pictured below, gave attendees a chance to query the ASEE Board of Directors.

Norman Fortenberry, new Executive Director of ASEE, answers a question.

The day ended with the Corporate Member Council reception, pictured below, followed by dinner.

What’s On Tomorrow:

Wednesday is ABET Day, featuring several sessions and presentations on ABET accreditation. Wednesday is also the final day of the conference, wrapping up with more valuable sessions and exciting events.

The day’s highlights include two Distinguished Lectures. Technical sessions and meetings run from 7 a.m. through the morning, then resume after the Lectures until 5:30 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., work shifts to pleasure with the ASEE Awards Reception, sponsored by Dassault Systèmes, which is a great, complementary opportunity to network with colleagues and toast the 2011 award winners. Then, at 7 p.m., join us for the ASEE Annual Awards Banquet, also presented by Dassault, to dine and celebrate with the recipients of ASEE’s Society Awards and the 2010 Annual Conference Best Paper Award.

For the titles, times and locations of all workshops and other events, visit the online session locator at: www.asee.org/osl. You can build an individual matrix or use a keyword search to find topics of interest.

ASEE Distinguished Lecture Series, 10:30 a.m. – Noon

DISTINGUISHED LECTURE: SHIRLEY M. MALCOM. 10:30 a.m.–Noon. Vancouver International Conference Centre, 306. Sponsored by the ASEE Board of Directors.

Topic: Engineering the Future: A Workforce Perspective

Shirley M. Malcom, Head of the Directorate for Education and Human Resources Programs of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, looks at what kinds of skills are needed to address the challenges of the future and how we can enable students to acquire them.

DISTINGUISHED LECTURE: LEAH H. JAMIESON AND JACK R. LOHMANN. 10:30 a.m.–Noon. Vancouver International Conference Centre, 122. Sponsored by the ASEE Board of Directors.

Topic: Creating a Culture for Scholarly and Systematic Innovation in Engineering Education: Final Report of a Multi-Year Initiative

Leah H. Jamieson, Dean of Engineering at Purdue University-West Lafayette, and Jack R. Lohmann, Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Development and Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, present results of a national research survey of hundreds of engineering faculty, department chairs, and deans in the culmination of a seven-year ASEE initiative. The lecturers will discuss what the engineering education community is doing well and where it aspires to do better.

Notable panels:

Globalizing Engineering Education III: What We have Learned, What We Need to Learn. 8:45 a.m.–10:15 a.m. Conference Centre, 203. Moderator: Peggy Blumenthal, Senior Counselor to the President, Institute of International Education. This session will consist of panelists’ international experiences; a moderated discussion of challenges encountered, strategies found to be most effective, and recommended next steps and vision for the future; and an open Q &A.

Recruiting and Retaining Women and Underrepresented Minority Students. 8:45 a.m.–10:15 a.m. Conference Centre, 223. Moderators: Carmen G. Villa, Texas A&M University, and Sarah Hug, University of Colorado, Boulder. The Panel Session is jointly sponsored by the Divisions on Women in Engineering and Minorities in Engineering to provide empirically based guidance for engineering programs seeking to recruit and retain women and underrepresented minority students.

Engineering Education Research. 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Conference Centre, 223. Engineering education researchers (new, tenured, and research faculty) share their experience of how they became interested in engineering education and how they are currently integrating engineering education into their careers.

Green Renewable Energy. 2:15 p.m.–3:45 p.m. Conference Centre, 206. Moderators: Byron G. Garry, South Dakota State University, and Dr. John M. Mativo, University of Georgia. This session is devoted to Green Renewable Energy as the emerging and promising discipline of Engineering Technology.

And don’t miss:

Unique Developments in Engineering Technology. 7:00 a.m.–8:30 a.m. Conference Centre, 204; Novel Entrepreneurship Programs. 7:00 a.m.–8:30 a.m. Conference Centre, 116; Preparing Engineering Students for the Global Workplace, Competency, and a Successful Career. 8:45 a.m.–10:15 a.m. Conference Centre, 116; ELOS Best Paper Nominations. 8:45 a.m.–10:15 a.m. Conference Centre, 120; Build Diversity in Engineering Graduate Programs. 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Conference Centre, East Building – Room 14; Materials Experiments, Labs, Demos, and Hands-On Activities. 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Conference Centre, 117; Mini-Workshop on Bias in Faculty Searches. 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Conference Centre, East Building – Room 7; Educational Research and Methods Potpourri II. 2:15 p.m.–3:45 p.m. Conference Centre, East Building – Room 16.

Spotlight on K-12

Core Concepts, Standards, and Policy in K-12 Engineering Education. 7:00 a.m. –8:30 a.m. Conference Centre, 206. Moderator: Elizabeth A. Parry, North Carolina State University. Advancing the discourse on K-12 engineering with a longitudinal study, national survey, and comparisons of curricula.

Crossing Bridges and Easing Transitions into the First Year. 7:00 a.m. –8:30 a.m. Conference Centre, East Building – Room 13. Moderator: Norma L. Veurink, Michigan Technological University. This session provides a look at several summer bridge programs and transition programs aimed at helping students cross over from where they were in high school to where they need to get to in college.

Making Elementary Engineering Work: Lessons from Partnerships and Practice. 12:30 p.m. –2:00 p.m. Conference Centre, 205. Moderator: Christine M. Cunningham, Museum of Science, Boston. College of Engineering and Public School partners will describe how they implement engineering across the curriculum in elementary schools.

Integrating Technical Research into Professional Development and K-12 Classrooms. 4:00 p.m. –5:30 p.m. Conference Centre, 205. Moderator: Marion Usselman, Georgia Institute of Technology. From RET programs to specialized curricular enhancements and high school research experiences, a new trend seeks to take research innovation into the K-12 classrooms.

Extending a Hand Back: Older Students Inspiring Younger Students. 4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. Conference Centre, 105/106. Moderator: Susan E. Walden, University of Oklahoma. Service learning from higher education back to K-12 or within K-12 systems provides inspiration and role models for STEM pursuits.

High School Engineering Programs, Curriculum, and Evaluation. 2:15 p.m.–3:45 p.m. Conference Centre, East Building – Room 2. Moderator: Jenny Daugherty, Purdue University. Papers in this session will describe engineering implementations in high school classrooms.

Spotlight on Women Engineers:

WIED Olio. 7:00 a.m.–8:30 a.m. Conference Centre, 103/104. Moderators: Demetra Evangelou, Purdue University-West Lafayette, and Priti N. Mody-Pan, University of Washington. Topics of interest to women in engineering.

Pockets of Success for Women. 4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. Conference Centre, 223. A multidisciplinary team with the Multiple Institution Database for Investigating Engineering Longitudinal Development (MIDFIELD) will share findings from three years of research.

Events highlights: WEDNESDAY

ABET Sessions. Below is a list of ABET Day sessions and events. Attendees will discover how engineering programs respond to 21st century needs while striving to meet ABET accreditation criteria. They’ll also learn about ways to collaborate so as to provide students with highly relevant, rigorous, innovative, and accredited technical education programs. You can read more about these sessions and their presenters here.

What’s New in ABET Accreditation. 7:00 a.m.–8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. Conference Centre, 121. Dispelling Myths: Common Misconceptions about ABET and Accreditation. 8:45 a.m.–10:15 a.m. Conference Centre, 121. ABET and Curriculum-Level Assessments. 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Conference Centre, 216. Educational Innovation and ABET-Accredited Programs: Can They Co-Exist? 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. and 2:15 p.m.–3:45 p.m. Conference Centre, 121. ABET Accreditation Activities Meeting. 2:15 p.m.–3:45 p.m. Conference Centre, 212.

Ticketed lunches and business meetings will be held by many divisions. Check for locations, times, and ticket prices at: www.asee.org/osl.

ASEE Annual Awards Reception, sponsored by Dassault Systèmes. 6:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m., Conference Centre, West Ballroom CD. Complimentary for all conference attendees.

ASEE Annual Awards Banquet, sponsored by Dassault Systèmes. 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. Conference Centre, West Ballroom CD. Tickets: $75 for registered attendees, pre-reg. $85 on-site. $85 for unregistered attendees, pre-reg. $95 on-site.

Keep in Mind:

Registration continues Wednesday for attendees, exhibitors and presenters, 7:00 a.m.–Noon in the Conference Centre Exhibit Hall. Please give yourself ample time before sessions begin.

The Projects staff at the ASEE booth in the Exhibit Hall can provide the latest information on fellowships and scholarships administered by the Society. Learn about millions of dollars’ worth of programs for faculty, post-doctoral researchers, graduates, and interns sponsored by the U.S. Navy, National Science Foundation, and Department of Defense.

The Speaker Ready Room provides a dedicated quiet space for presenters to prepare their materials. Monday – Wednesday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Conference Centre, 102. Internet service is not provided.

Your daily recap and reminder of the must-see events and happenings at the 2011 ASEE Annual Conference

Don’t miss the ASEE Global Pavilion! Experience dynamic presentations by ASEE corporate and institutional partners highlighting globally focused programs and initiatives that address the critical issue of sustainability. There is no cost to attend pavilion sessions, but all sessions are ticketed. Visit the global pavilion promotional table located in the ASEE registration area to pick up your session tickets!

Make sure the ASEE Global Pavilion is on your agenda! Here are some photos of today’s presenters:

ASEE Global Pavilion schedule, Tuesday, June 28:

Autodesk ———————– 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Dassault Systèmes —— 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Digilent ————————– 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
HP ——————————– 3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Highlights from Monday:

Monday’s Main Plenary by Karl A. Smith, Cooperative Learning Professor of Engineering Education at Purdue University and Morse–Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor & Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Minnesota, focused on six highlighted topics (presented by six different educators) selected for their broad appeal across established, evolving, and emerging practices in engineering education.

An interactive panel discussion on the state of engineering education as a formal academic discipline was delivered at the tasty Breakfast of Champions.

The mid-morning Focus on Exhibits brunch provided the opportunity to socialize after the main plenary and before the packed day of sessions and panels. The NSF paper session was well-attended, as was the exciting robot competition later in the day.

What’s On Tomorrow:

Tuesday is Industry Day, with a number of important technical sessions devoted to industry–academic relations, including industry/research licensing best practices, industry collaborations in engineering technology, and preparing engineers for a global workplace.

The day’s highlights include four Distinguished Lectures.Technical sessions run from 7 a.m. through the morning, then resume after the Lectures. At 4:45 p.m., work shifts to pleasure with the ASEE Focus on Exhibits Happy Hour. Take the opportunity to speak with deans and ASEE leaders at the Meet the Board Forum at 4 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall and Global Pavilion.

For the titles, times, and locations of all workshops and events, visit the online session locator at: www.asee.org/osl. You can build an individual matrix or use a keyword search to find topics of interest.

ASEE Distinguished Lecture Series, 10:30 a.m. – Noon

Distinguished Lecture: DAVID WILLIAMSON SHAFFER. 10:30 a.m.–Noon. Vancouver International Conference Centre, 301. Moderator: Dr. Trevor Scott Harding. Sponsored by the Educational Research and Methods Division and the ASEE Board of Directors.

Topic: Measuring Innovation with Epistemic Games

David Williamson Shaffer, Educational Psychology Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, looks at creative engineering thinking: what makes it unique, and how we can measure it and teach it using computer games. The result is an epistemic perspective on learning and assessment: a theory of learning suited to the global economy of the 21st Century and the realities of professional practice.

Distinguished Lecture: LARRY F. HANNEMAN and PHIL D. GARDNER. 10:30 a.m.–Noon. Conference Centre, 211. Sponsored by the Educational Research and Methods Division and the ASEE Board of Directors.

Topic: Changing Employer Expectations: Under the Economic Turmoil a Skills Gap Simmers

Larry F. Hanneman, Adjunct Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Iowa State University, and Philip D. Gardner, Director of Research for the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University, will discuss demand pressures building within the college-educated labor market in response to companies desperately seeking talent to replace their aging Boomer workforce.

Distinguished Lecture: LINDA ROSEN AND RICHARD STEPHENS. 10:30 a.m.–Noon. Conference Centre, 122. Moderators: Mr. Pete Janzow and Ms. C. Diane Matt. Sponsored by the Corporate Members Council and the ASEE Board of Directors.

Topic: The Sleeping Dragon is Waking

Linda P. Rosen, Chief Executive Officer of Change the Equation, and Richard “Rick” Stephens, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Administration at the Boeing Company, talk about STEM K-12 education in the United States as a once-dormant force that now stirs in the public eye. Moreover, widespread national and global efforts are sparking a revolution in K-12 STEM education.

Distinguished Lecture: ANETTE KOLMOS, MASAHIRO TAKEI, AND MYONGSOOK OH. 10:30 a.m.–Noon. Conference Centre, 306. Sponsored by the ASEE Board of Directors.

Topic: ASEE International Partners

Anette Kolmos, Professor in Engineering Education and Problem-Based Learning at Aalborg University and representing the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI), Masahiro Takei, Professor at Chiba University’s Graduate School of Engineering and representing the Japanese Society of Engineering Education (JSEE), and Myongsook Oh, Professor of Chemical Engineering at Hongik University and representing the Korean Society of Engineering Education (KSEE), discuss the current state, development, and impact of engineering education in their respective regions/countries and constituencies.

Notable panels:

Gender and Engineering Education: A Panel Discussion and Workshop. 8:45 a.m.–10:15 a.m. Conference Centre, East Building – Room 10. Moderators: Jean-Celeste M. Kampe, Michigan Technological University, and Yevgeniya V. Zastavker, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering. The goal of this session is to help educators become more aware of how they relate to gender and how their behavior and discourse may affect their students.

Opportunities for Engineering Research from Federal Agencies and Beyond. 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Conference Centre, 206. Moderators: Ralph H. Zee, Auburn University, and Michael R. Kessler, Iowa State University. The overall goal of this panel presentation is to better prepare faculty members, especially new members, to be more effective and efficient in identifying the best funding sources and developing their research proposals.

Best Practices in K-12 and University Partnerships. 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Conference Centre, East Building – Room 13. Moderator: Mercedes M McKay, Stevens Institute of Technology. This panel will offer attendees tips and strategies for forming and maintaining an effect partnership between university engineering educators and K-12 school personnel. Presentations by invited panelists will be followed by discussion with the audience.

Engineering Educators in Government. 2:15 p.m.–3:45 p.m. Conference Centre, 213. Moderator: John R. Reisel, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Several former government fellows will share their experiences. Topics to be discussed include how engineers can shape government policy and how all engineering educators can bring a discussion of the public policy process into their classrooms.

Simulation Meets Low-Cost Hardware for Hands-On Mechatronics, Robotics, and Controls Curriculum. 2:15 p.m.–3:45 p.m. Conference Centre, East Building – Room 15. Moderator: Rohit Shenoy, MathWorks. This presentation-style panel will discuss two core elements: Modeling & Simulation and Low-Cost Rapid Prototyping.

And don’t miss:

Innovations in Power Engineering Education. 7:00 a.m.–8:30 a.m. Conference Centre, 114; Developing Young MINDS in Engineering: Part I. 8:45 a.m.–10:15 a.m. Conference Centre, 216; Structural Education Applications in Architectural Engineering. 8:45 a.m.–10:15 a.m. Conference Centre, 305; Ethical Perspectives on the Grand Challenges of Engineering. 12:15 p.m.-3:45 p.m. Conference Centre, 121; Innovative College-Industry Partnerships for the Future. 12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Conference Centre, 215; Aerospace Teaching and Learning I. 12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Conference Centre, 105/106.

Spotlight on International Trends:

Global Engineering Education: Cross-cultural Awareness and Social Impacts. 7:00 a.m.–8:30 a.m. Conference Centre, 111. Moderators: Henry A. Zwick, College of Eastern Utah, and Siben Dasgupta, Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Qualitative Research Programs & International Research Experience from Around the World. 8:45 a.m.–10:15 a.m. Conference Centre, 213. Moderators: Mysore Narayanan, Miami University, Aurenice Menezes Oliveira, Michigan Technological University, and Zsuzsa Balogh, Metropolitan State College of Denver.

Making Students Aware of Their World: Five Perspectives. 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Conference Centre, East Building – Room 2.

How Can Today’s Global Engineers Successfully Compete? 2:30 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Conference Centre, 113.

Global Engineering Models: Developments and Implementations. 7:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m. Conference Centre, 103/104. Moderators: Surinder M. Jain, Sinclair Community College, Patricia Fox, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, and Jorge Rodriguez, Western Michigan University.

Poster Sessions, 4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

Poster Sessions will be held from 4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. in the Conference Centre, Exhibit Hall C, with moderators Karen A. Vagts, Tufts University; Leonard J. Bohmann, Michigan Technological University; Melany M. Ciampi, Safety, Health and Environment Research Organization; Claudio da Rocha Brito, Science and Education Research Council; Gholam Ali Shaykhian, Florida Institute of Technology, Ahmed Rubaai, Howard University; James E. Lewis, University of Louisville, and Richard J. Freuler, Ohio State University.

They are sponsored by the divisions of Engineering Libraries, Physics, Women in Engineering, Liberal Education, Design in Engineering Education, Electrical & Computer, International, Multidisciplinary Engineering, Biological & Agricultural, Energy Conversion and Conservation, Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies, Civil Engineering, Graduate Studies, Manufacturing, Computers in Education, First-Year Programs, K-12 & Pre-College Engineering, Corporate Member Council, Chemical Engineering, and more, which offer a view of varied classroom, lab, outreach, and overseas experiences.

Be sure to stop by and learn about enriching K-12 Math Education with LEGOs; using Social Media to Build and Grow an Engineering Community on a small campus; laying the groundwork for creating an Artificial Bullfrog; dissecting the Leadership Opportunities for Female Engineering Students in Korea; and transitioning a Lab-Based Course to an Online Format.

Events highlights: TUESDAY

ASEE BISTRO. 9:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Conference Centre, Exhibit Hall C. Operating during the Exhibit Hall’s hours of operation, the Bistro features breakfast, lunch, snack foods, and beverages, available for purchase.

Manufacturing Division Competition. 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Conference Centre, Exhibit Hall C. High school, college, and university students compete to design and fabricate a wearable hand-assisting device to assist patients with limited hand function.

ASEE Meet the Board Forum. 4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. Conference Centre, ASEE Global Pavilion – Exhibit Hall C. Meet the ASEE Board at this complimentary session in the Global Pavilion.

Focus on Exhibits Happy Hour, 4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Conference Centre, Exhibit Hall C.

Field Trip to Ballard and Heliocentris Corporate Headquarters and Fuel-Cell Manufacturing Facility in Burnaby, Vancouver, BC. 7:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m. This ticketed event is $10 advance registration and $20 on-site registration. Transportation from hotel to the facility and back will be provided. Limit 30 registered attendants.

Keep in Mind:

Registration continues Tuesday for attendees, exhibitors and presenters, 7:00 a.m.–Noon in the Conference Centre Exhibit Hall. Please give yourself ample time before sessions begin.

The Projects staff at the ASEE booth in the Exhibit Hall can provide the latest information on fellowships and scholarships administered by the Society. Learn about millions of dollars’ worth of programs for faculty, post-doctoral researchers, graduates, and interns sponsored by the U.S. Navy, National Science Foundation, and Department of Defense.

The Speaker Ready Room provides a dedicated quiet space for presenters to prepare their materials. Monday – Wednesday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Conference Centre, 102. Internet service is not provided.