2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Lessons Learned: Mental Health Initiatives for Engineering Faculty Impacts on Faculty Well-being

Presented at Faculty Development Division (FDD) Technical Session 7

Lessons Learned: Mental Health Initiatives for Engineering Faculty
Impacts on Faculty Well-being

This Lessons Learned paper reflects on the impact of mental health initiatives prepared for faculty and staff by an engineering teaching and learning center at a large, R-1 institution in the Eastern United States. Specifically, the center had three initiatives: 1) offering a summer book club relating to student mental health and teaching and learning, 2) offering an international mental health first-aid training for engineering faculty and staff, and 3) providing the Calm app free-of-charge for faculty, their students, and staff who voluntary chose to use the app. This paper shares how the initiatives were developed; evaluated; and received by faculty, staff, and administrators; as well as sharing lessons learned from offering the three mental health initiatives, and thoughts for the future of the center related to faculty and student mental health. The preferred presentation method is a lightning talk.

Keywords: Lessons Learned, Faculty Development, Mental Health, Classroom Environments, Personal well-being

Authors

Ms. Shawna Dory Penn State University [biography]

Shawna Dory is a PhD candidate in the Education Policy Studies Department at Pennsylvania State University. She has a bachelor of arts degree in Sociology from Geneva College, and earned a master’s of education degree in Counselor Education, Student Affairs from Clemson University. Along with her role as a PhD candidate, she is also a research assistant in the Leonhard Center for Enhancement of Engineering Education at Penn State. Her research interests include gender equity and women student persistence in engineering education, and first-generation student persistence in engineering education. Shawna has also done work related to sexual misconduct and Title IX implementation in higher education.
Dr. Sarah E Zappe Penn State University [biography]

Dr. Sarah Zappe is Director of the Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education and Assistant Dean of Teaching and Learning at Penn State. She holds a doctoral degree in educational psychology emphasizing applied measurement.
Dr. Stephanie Cutler Penn State University [biography]

Dr. Stephanie Cutler has degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, and a PhD in Engineering Education from Virginia Tech. She is an Associate Research Professor and the Director of Assessment and Instructional Support in the Leonhard Center at Penn State.

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