2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Changing Culture: Policies and Practices for Lasting Departmental Transformation

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session II

The Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (RED) program aims at long-term transformation of academic departments, adopting approaches that will extend beyond the five years of the grant. A theory of change guides that transformation, with the intent of designing a deliberate effort to approach both institutional policies and practices, emerging from aiming at a culture change that lays the foundation of a true and lasting transformation. Given that leadership changes often take place during a five-year time frame, it is particularly important that the structures put in place support, encourage and inspire a cultural change allowing them to survive administrative shifts. Culture change is an intangible and fragile concept, and it is particularly challenging to implement it within a unit that is part of a much larger organization with rigid structures. RED projects often focus on curricular reforms and interventions at the course and programmatic level as vehicles for change and these can survive administrative changes in the short term. However, it is less clear that long term transformations take place with this approach, especially given the high turnover of both faculty members and administrators that is a recent feature of academia.
The RED grant of this study took a different avenue to approaching change, as the main instrument was not curricular reform, but the adoption of a fundamentally different view of neurodiversity as a philosophy for transformation of the education system. Since the beginning of the project in 2020, profound cultural shifts have taken place in the world and within the context of education, with major implications for both the project and the mindset of faculty, staff and students. The project is currently nearing completion, which is accompanied by a change in leadership both at the departmental and the college level. This study describes the shared perspective of the former and current department heads in facilitating the transition and developing a plan for institutionalizing and incentivizing transformational work. The role of departmental policies such as workload, merit and resource allocation is discussed, along with the role of the leadership philosophy and departmental climate in providing continuity.

Authors

Prof. Kay Wille University of Connecticut [biography]

Dr. Kay Wille is a Professor and Interim Director of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Connecticut fostering an inclusive and supportive academic environment. He earned his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Leipzig, Germany. His research focuses on ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), concrete durability, and sustainable infrastructure. Dr. Wille is a recipient of the prestigious NSF CAREER Award and the C.R. Klewin Excellence in Teaching Award. He actively advances the civil engineering profession through leadership roles in the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and contributions to national standards and innovation in concrete technology.
Ms. Connie Syharat http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7913-863X University of Connecticut [biography]

Connie Syharat is a Ph.D. student in Engineering Education and a Research Assistant at the University of Connecticut as a part of two neurodiversity-centered NSF-funded projects. As the Program Manager of a Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (NSF:RED) project titled, "Beyond Accommodation: Leveraging Neurodiversity for Engineering Innovation", she has co-facilitated a range of Neuroinclusive Teaching Institutes and workshops for STEM instructors and Teaching Assistants. As a graduate researcher, she conducts qualitative research related to the experiences of neurodiverse graduate students in STEM fields through an Innovations in Graduate Education (NSF:IGE) project titled, “Encouraging the Participation of Neurodiverse Students in STEM Graduate Programs to Radically Enhance the Creativity of the Professional Workforce". Previously, she spent eight years as a K-12 teacher in Connecticut, where she maintained a focus on providing a varied learning environment and differentiated instruction for all types of learners.
Prof. Arash Esmaili Zaghi P.E. http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2246-2911 University of Connecticut [biography]

Arash E. Zaghi is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He received his PhD in 2009 from the University of Nevada, Reno, and continued there as a Research Scientist. His latest
Dr. Sarira Motaref P.E. University of Connecticut [biography]

Sarira Motaref is an Associate Professor in residence in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Connecticut. She is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Connecticut. She received her PhD in 2011 from the University of Nevada, Reno. She has been teaching junior and senior-level design courses, as well as several large-enrollment classes. Sarira is currently serving as Assistant Director of Faculty Development at the School of Engineering and Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) to enhance teaching and learning effectiveness of engineering courses. She is the winner of 2021 University Teaching Fellow award, 2019 Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, and recipient of 2016, 2017, and 2018 Klewin Excellence in teaching award.
Prof. Marisa Chrysochoou http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-2592-925X University of Missouri - Columbia [biography]

Marisa Chrysochoou is the Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Missouri. Before joining Mizzou, she served as Professor and Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Connecticut (UConn). At UConn, she directed the EPA Technical Assistance for Brownfields Program, which supports communities in redeveloping contaminated properties, and the NSF-funded Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (RED) project titled "Beyond Accommodation: Leveraging Neurodiversity for Engineering Innovation."

Chrysochoou has been a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Department Heads Coordinating Council since 2021. She was also recognized by the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) in 2023 for her contributions to environmental engineering education.

Throughout her career, Chrysochoou has secured funding for various projects, collaborating with federal and state agencies, industry partners, and multidisciplinary academic teams. Her work has focused on environmental geochemistry, surface chemistry, the treatment and reuse of industrial waste, remediation of contaminated soils and sediments, brownfield redevelopment, and environmental justice. She has also worked on engineering education reform, emphasizing neurodiversity and service learning.

Chrysochoou has extensive experience working with government entities, program managers, and academic faculty across disciplines to develop partnerships that support research and innovation. As an educator, she has focused on creating experiential learning opportunities and adapting curricula to address modern engineering challenges.

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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