Mon. June 22, 2026 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM
Crown Ballroom - Upper Level, Charlotte Convention Center
There are currently 483 registrants interested in attending
MONDAY PLENARY
The ASEE Monday Plenary is a flagship session of the American Society for Engineering Education’s annual conference, designed to bring all attendees together for a shared, high-impact experience at the start of the week. This plenary features influential voices addressing pressing issues and emerging trends in engineering education.
The General Body Meeting will provide an update on ASEE HQ Activities and Operations
Featuring Keynote Panel:
Artificial intelligence is already reshaping how students learn, how instructors teach, and how practitioners work, yet the gap between AI's promise and its practical application remains wide. This panel brings together three engineering faculty from UNC Charlotte to examine what it actually looks like to put AI to work in engineering education. Drawing on experience across a new first-year curriculum, NSF-funded adaptive learning research in core mechanics courses, and AI training programs for hundreds of construction and facilities professionals, the panelists address AI as subject matter, as a pedagogical tool, and as a professional reality. They share concrete lessons learned and take up the harder question of what engineering educators owe their students as the tools, norms, and risks of AI continue to evolve rapidly.
Dr. Jake Smithwick is an Associate Professor in the Albert School of Construction at UNC Charlotte. His applied research focuses on facility performance benchmarking and workforce development, conducted in collaboration with organizations like IFMA, the National Academies, and the Associated Builders and Contractors, spanning more than 200,000 buildings. He recently developed a new graduate course on AI in construction and facilities management, served as Education Lead for IFMA’s AI in FM Working Group, and has delivered AI training programs for hundreds of construction, facility, and procurement professionals across North America. His industry experience includes supporting over $15 billion in procured services and six years in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
Dr. Ghasemi is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science at UNC Charlotte and director of the THinC Lab. His research focuses on control, autonomy, robotics, human-machine systems, and intelligent transportation. Dr. Ghasemi is also active in engineering education innovation. He uses adaptive learning platforms to personalize learning in core mechanical engineering courses, such as System Dynamics, and to support students with different levels of preparation. His educational innovation efforts are supported by the National Science Foundation through an IUSE project focused on integrating adaptive learning across core mechanics courses, including Statics, Dynamics I, and Dynamics II, to strengthen prerequisite knowledge, create connected learning pathways, and improve student success.
Robert P. Loweth (he/him) is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Office of Student Development and Success at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His research explores how engineering students and practitioners approach early-stage engineering design activities such as problem definition, idea generation, and impact assessment. He also examines how engineering educational systems, ranging from classroom-level pedagogical practices to societal-level cultural norms, impact engineering students’ academic success and professional development. The goals of his research are 1) to develop tools and pedagogies that support engineers in achieving the positive societal changes that they envision and 2) to advance curricular and institutional structures that support the success of diverse engineering students. As an instructor, he developed the Logic and Computational Problem Solving course for UNC Charlotte's new Common First Year engineering curriculum that launched during the 2025-2026 academic year.