2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Work in Progress: Reimagining the ECE Curriculum: Bridging Technical Preparation, Professional Formation, and University Mission for a Holistic Education

Presented at Curricular Innovations for Future-Ready Engineering Talents

The changing landscape of engineering education is driven by the need to prepare and graduate engineers who can tackle global challenges and pioneer technological advancements in an ethical, sustainable, and equitable way. This calls for pedagogical innovations, a shift in the curriculum, and a broader and more holistic skillset than is traditionally taught in most engineering programs. While technical proficiency is crucial, the development of professional formation skills and an understanding of the interconnectedness of global issues are equally vital.

In response to Seattle University’s call for a bold and comprehensive reimagining of curricula campus-wide, the ECE department has embarked on a transformative journey that bridges professional formation and technical preparation in a mission-aligned manner. Revised curricula will include
• Themes such as sustainability and climate change, racial and economic justice, technology and its impacts on society, community engagement and experiential learning, and universal design.
• Elements of professional formation such as ethical and cultural awareness, emotional intelligence, leadership and communication, and continual learning, among many others.

The authors envision that this paper will be the first in a series of papers that document the process of integrating professional formation and the university’s mission into the ECE curriculum at Seattle University. This paper will focus on reimagining the curriculum, while future papers will focus on revising, implementing, and evaluating the proposed changes. Over the course of this work, curriculum-mapping tool and curricular-auditing tools custom-designed for the aforementioned themes will be used to align the proposed themes and skills with course-specific learning outcomes.

Authors

Dr. Shiny Abraham Seattle University [biography]

Dr. Shiny Abraham is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Seattle University. Her disciplinary research efforts focus on the application of Internet of Things (IoT) technology and Machine Learning towards remote environmental monitoring, and soil and water conservation. Her pedagogical research revolves around leveraging technology trends to enhance interest in ECE, as well as broadening participation in engineering. Dr. Abraham is a member of the IEEE and ASEE, and she serves in leadership roles within both organizations. She also serves on the board of the Inclusive Engineering Consortium (IEC). Dr. Abraham received the B.E. degree in Telecommunication Engineering from Visveswaraiah Technological University (VTU), India in 2007 and Ph.D. from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA in 2012.
Dr. Mehmet Vurkac http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4188-7798 Seattle University [biography]

Mehmet Vurkac is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seattle University.
Dr. Agnieszka Miguel Seattle University [biography]

Dr. Miguel is Professor and Department Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seattle University. Dr. Miguel received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, and MSEE and BSEE from Florida Atlantic University. Her professional interests involve image processing, machine learning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering education.
Dr. Miguel held several ASEE officer positions including Vice President for External Relations, First Vice President, and Vice President of Professional Interest Councils. She was a member of the ASEE Board of Directors from 2016 until 2023. She was the President of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA) in 2022-2023 and was the Program Chair of the 2022 ECEDHA Annual Conference.
Dr. Margarita D. Takach Seattle University [biography]

Dr. Margarita Takach is an Associate Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Seattle University. She earned her PhD degree from the University of Washington. Her teaching interests include digital and analog circuits and systems, and signal processing.
Eddy Ferré Seattle University
Shruti Singh Seattle University [biography]

Dr. Shruti Singh is a Term Faculty in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Seattle University. She earned her PhD degree from University of Denver specializing in renewable energy and smart grids. Her research focus is on renewable energy integration into smart grids, ensuring efficient energy management and grid stability, aiming for a sustainable impact. She is a member of IEEE, ASEE and SWE and has worked on several NSF and NREL funded projects.
Prof. Henry Louie Seattle University [biography]

Dr. Henry Louie received the B.S.E.E. degree from Kettering University, the M.S. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington in 2008. He is currently an Associat

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