The Engineering Professor

Summer vibes for my research team! What a great year for our research group!

Some highlights 🥳:

🔥 Caroline Lubbe is currently at the National Science Foundation (NSF) headquarters to attend two weeks of orientation for her summer internship in STEM education research and policy. Additionally, she will be presenting her first conference proceedings at ASEE this summer on her dissertation topic.

🔥Mariam Ayub started her pilot study this summer!!! She is acquiring essential knowledge in study coordination, as well as gathering and analyzing preliminary data. These education research skills will undoubtedly benefit her dissertation.

🔥 I got two internal funding grants to support pilot data collection for Mariam and Caroline’s projects. This will lead to multiple proposals and publications in the upcoming year. Also, in collaboration with , the conference proceeding paper on transforming engineering laboratories into blended environments using research-driven practices was selected as the BEST PAPER for the ASEE Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies!

For , we’d like to shine a spotlight on two of our grad students, Caroline Lubbe & Mariam Ayub! 🌟📚

“We would like to express our deepest gratitude 🙏 for your exceptional contributions to our engineering education research group. Your hard work 💪, dedication ❤️, and commitment have played a significant role in shaping our lab’s culture of collaborative community 🫶🏼, honest communication 🗣️, and constructive feedback 🔍. We always encourage our members to step out of their comfort zones 🚀 and embrace new opportunities for personal and professional growth 🌱, and it is graduate students like you who play a pivotal role in cultivating this environment. We cannot thank you enough for your remarkable dedication and efforts!”

🌈-From ECoPaC Members: Sindia M. Rivera-Jiménez, Ph.D, and undergraduates Abby, Boyd, Mahir, Maganda, and Sofia.

🌟🎉 Big cheers to UF Engineering sophomores, Maganda Holmes & Boyd Nelson, on their debut poster presentation! 🚀 Their work is revolutionizing Engineering Labs for remote learning, 🔬 broadening access, and empowering students with lifelong learning skills, all under the funding supported of the UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering via University of Florida Strategy Funds.

🎓💡 A massive thank you to the Center for Undergraduate Research for orchestrating such an incredible event!

This new research is a collaborative effort, involving the EED, 🧪 UF Chemical Engineering PhD Program, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UF. 🛠🚁 With the summer pilot just around the corner, led by our dynamic faculty team - Sindia M. Rivera-Jiménez, Ph.D., Fernando Merida, and Matthew Traum - and our passionate graduate students, Mariam Ayub and Alex Lacerna, we’re all systems go!

🌞📚 Stay tuned for more exciting updates!

Thrilled to strike the Captain Morgan pose while representing UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering alongside academic advisors Janna Underhill & Chip Johnson from Civil Engineering, and Caroline Lubbe, PhD student at ECoPaC Engineering Education Research Group! We had the privilege of engaging with bright high school students and their parents at Santa Fe College, discussing the journey of becoming an engineer through the transfer student pathway.

It was particularly rewarding to provide insights and answer questions in both English and Spanish, bridging language barriers and making this experience more meaningful. As a parent of a soon-to-be transfer student myself, I deeply understand the concerns and aspirations families navigate during this critical time.

Our conversations were not just about academic transitions; they were about dreams, ambitions, and the impact engineering has on our world. Grateful for these moments of exchange and looking forward to inspiring more future engineers by collaborations between UF Department of Engineering Education and the HWCOE office of Academic Advising and Academic Affairs.

In , embracing reflective practices allows us to learn from our experiences, enhance our approaches, and pave the path to meaningful progress.

Join me in taking the time to ponder, assess, and grow. 🌱

It is official, I will be supervising PhD students in my near future! Hopefully, the 10 years of experience in Higher Education have prepared me for this moment.

Always happy to work with my students to create outreach activities showing our love for !

Thanks for the conference highlight. It was an honor to receive this award ! The work is just beginning!