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Session Description

Free ticketed event
The objective of this workshop is to share insights from an ongoing project focused on understanding how to make student support more proactively responsive to undergraduate engineering students’ needs, especially for students who are marginalized by the engineering environment. This collaborative session will foster meaningful dialogue, enabling practitioners to share their insights and contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of our valuable assessment tool. The workshop will be delivered in three parts.

During Part I, participants will be introduced to an ongoing NSF CAREER project entitled ""Responsive Support Structures for Marginalized Students: A Critical Interrogation of Navigational Strategies."" We will provide an overview of the project's central research focus and its integrated education plan, designed to share practical tools for improving student support in engineering. During Part II, participants will participate in a group activity designed to familiarize them with the Situational Judgment Inventory as a potential tool and intervention. This innovative assessment tool we will focus on is being carefully crafted to assess students' navigational tendencies within the dynamic landscape of engineering learning environments. By examining students' responses to various situational scenarios, the inventory offers valuable insights into their decision-making tendencies and assumptions. During Part III, participants will share their perspectives/expertise and feedback for refining and enhancing the Situational Judgment Inventory's practicality and effectiveness.

By the end of this workshop, participants will have gained a comprehensive understanding of the CAREER project, become acquainted with the Situational Judgement Inventory, and made a meaningful impact by actively engaging in the refinement process.

120 minutes total:

15 minutes - Part I intro and background

45 minutes - Part II activity

45 minutes - Part III debrief and feedback

15 minutes - wrap up

Speakers

1. Dr. Walter C. Lee

   Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

   Walter C. Lee, Ph.D. (he/him) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education and Director for Research in the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity (CEED). He holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University, an M.S in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Virginia Tech. His career vision is to be a driving force in the national effort to diversify engineering and ensure that institutions provide students with the necessary support to succeed regardless of their background. Dr. Walter C. Lee is extensively familiar with engineering student support and conceptualizing ways to improve it in unique ways. He has been deeply involved with Virginia Tech’s engineering student support office, the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity (CEED), as both a researcher and practitioner. He also has extensive experience leading workshops and seminars on topics related to broadening participation, marginalization, and student support.

2. Ms. Malini Josiam

   Virginia Tech Department of Engineering Education

   Malini Josiam (she/her) is a Ph.D. student and Research Assistant in Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, advised by Dr. Walter Lee. She is also pursuing an M.S. in Civil Engineering, with a focus in Sustainable Land Development at Virginia Tech. She holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (2021) from The University of Texas at Austin. Her research interests include understanding how to improve equity and culture within engineering. Malini Josiam has conducted workshops related to student support, navigation, and marginalization. She also has experience working in student support as an undergraduate.