2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) concepts into technical curricula is essential for preparing future engineers to engage with a rapidly diversifying society and to address the historical and ongoing inequities in infrastructure development. This curriculum intervention introduces DEI principles into Civil Testing Materials course through a focused assignment on the impact of 1960s highway construction on marginalized communities. Students were tasked with creating a PowerPoint presentation that explores how infrastructure projects, such as highway development, disproportionately affected low-income and minority communities. The assignment encourages students to analyze these historical events, reflect on the broader social and ethical responsibilities of civil engineers, and propose modern strategies to integrate DEI principles into infrastructure planning. This intervention aims to shift students’ perspectives, enabling them to critically assess the societal implications of engineering decisions and to understand the role of equity in creating inclusive urban environments. By studying four real-world cases such as the displacement caused by highway projects in cities like Atlanta (I-85), Detroit (I-75), Syracuse (I-81), and New Orleans (I-10), students gained an understanding of the intersection between engineering practices and social justice. This paper reflects on the early stages of the intervention, outlining the course design and anticipated learning outcomes. It is expected that this assignment will foster greater awareness among engineering students of the importance of DEI considerations and help them develop as socially responsible engineers. Ongoing assessment will evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention in promoting a more inclusive approach to civil engineering profession.