2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

A Call for the expansion of intercultural competency to graduate engineering education

Presented at ERM: Methods in Graduate Education

The purpose of this research brief is to call for an expansion of the current research and practices regarding intercultural competency in engineering education. Intercultural competency, here meaning competencies of working and communicating across national and international context, is a necessary skill for engineers in our increasingly global and diverse society. Most often, intercultural competencies are introduced to engineering students through study abroad programs, virtual global exchange partnerships, and global engineering projects. While these programs are impactful, they are time-intensive, cost-intensive, and localized, limiting the breadth of students who need these skills to a select few. Additionally, these programs and accompanying research mainly focus on the undergraduate experience and are formed from a U.S. perspective. Domestic undergraduate students are not the only population that need these skills. Over half of graduate students in the United States are international, creating a unique environment where the development of intercultural competency is necessary for daily interactions and future endeavors. However, few scholars have investigated intercultural competency development among engineering graduate students. In this research brief, we explore the current state of intercultural competency research and practice in engineering education, critique U.S.-centric approaches to intercultural competency, and provide recommendations to bring a focus on intercultural competency development to graduate student populations.

Authors

Erin Johnson Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Erin Johnson is a PhD candidate at Pennsylvania State University in Mechanical Engineering. She is under the advisement of Dr. Catherine Berdanier in the Engineering Cognitive Research Laboratory (ECRL). In 2024, Erin was awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP). She completed her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Tuskegee University and a M.S. in Engineering Design at Pennsylvania State University
Jiuqing Yu Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Jiuqing Yu is a first-year PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University, working under the advisement of Dr. Catherine Berdanier in the Engineering Cognitive Research Laboratory (ECRL). She previously earned a Master of Philosophy in Industrial Systems, Manufacture, and Management from the University of Cambridge and completed her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University.
Nosakhare Iyobosa Idiaghe http://orcid.org/https://0000-0003-4152-0267 University of Nebraska - Lincoln [biography]

Nosakhare I. Idiaghe is a doctoral candidate in the engineering education research program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He holds a master’s degree in industrial engineering and a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Benin, Benin City.
Dr. Jessica Deters http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-8766-9548 University of Nebraska - Lincoln [biography]

Dr. Jessica Deters is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and Discipline Based Education Researcher at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. She holds her Ph.D. in Engineering Education and M.S. in Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech and a B.S. in Applied Mathematics and Statistics from Colorado School of Mines. Her research focuses on engineering culture, workplace preparedness and career trajectories of undergraduate and graduate students, and student well-being. She is the 2025 recipient of the Harold and Esther Edgerton Junior Faculty Award and the Henry Y. Kleinkauf Family Distinguished New Faculty Teaching Award.
Catherine G. P. Berdanier http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3271-4836 The Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Catherine G.P. Berdanier is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry from The University of South Dakota, her M.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering and her PhD in Engineering Education from Purdue University. Her research expertise lies in characterizing graduate-level attrition, persistence, and career trajectories; engineering writing and communication; and methodological development.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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