2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Board 308: Impact of Engineers Without Borders USA Experiences on Professional Preparation

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session

Experiential education is becoming a more important part of engineering education. Experiences range from within the classroom to extra-curricular activities. Within experiential education, community engagement is particularly promising, given its alignment with diversity research and the leveraging of university resources to address needs within our society. One of the largest engineering engagement organizations is Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA), which recently celebrated 20 years of student and community engagement. This poster presents the results of a sequential mixed-methods study consisting of surveys followed by interviews for each of alumni of EWB-USA as well as individuals who have interacted professionally with the EWB-USA alumni. Surveys were designed for both populations and the results show positive impact on alumni transition into a wide range of industry settings. Interviews have identified themes of impact. These include: becoming a connected part of a larger whole, portions of the volunteer experience that participants connect with particular learning outcomes, and more. Analysis of the interview data is ongoing and results will be available to be shared at the time of the poster session.

Authors

Dr. William "Bill" C. Oakes http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6183-045X Purdue University, West Lafayette [biography]

William (Bill) Oakes is the Assistant Dean for Experiential Learning, a 150th Anniversary Professor, Director of the EPICS Program, Professor of Engineering Education at Purdue University, and a registered professional engineer. He is one of the founding faculty in the School of Engineering Education having courtesy appointments in Mechanical, Environmental and Ecological Engineering and Curriculum and Instruction. He was the first engineer to receive the U.S. Campus Compact Thomas Ehrlich Faculty Award for Service-Learning and a co-recipient of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering’s Bernard Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education. He is a fellow of NSPE and ASEE and elected to the ASEE Hall of Fame.
Paul A. Leidig P.E. Purdue University, West Lafayette [biography]

Paul A. Leidig works in learning and organizational development within the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. He received his B.S. in Architectural Engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University. Dr. Leidig is licensed as a Professional Engineer in the state of Colorado and has six years of structural engineering consulting experience. He has focused on community-engaged engineering and design for over fifteen years.
Dr. Eric Holloway http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0343-1709 Purdue University, West Lafayette [biography]

Dr. Eric Holloway currently serves as the Sr. Director of Industry Research in the College of Engineering at Purdue, where he focuses on industry research in the College of Engineering. He also holds a courtesy faculty appointment in the School of Engineering Education and the School of Mechanical Engineering.

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