2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Lessons Learned from 35 Years of Impact in the Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education

Presented at Faculty Development: Round Table Discussions

In 1990, a forward-thinking alumnus, William Leonhard, gave a generous endowment in the support of enhancing engineering education at Penn State. Over the last 35 years, the established Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education has worked to have a lasting impact within the College of Engineering and more broadly. This Lessons Learned paper will discuss lessons learned over the last 35 years while also providing historical and more recent impact for the Leonhard Center. To examine the impact of the Leonhard Center, two data sets were examined. First, a recent impact study was conducted by surveying faculty who received grants from the Leonhard Center within the past few years. Additionally, previous efforts over the full 35 years of the Leonhard Center will be explored based on an artifact analysis of meeting notes from the Leonhard Center’s Industry Advisory Board (which has met every semester since 1991).

We hope that by sharing our efforts, other centers for teaching and learning can learn from our experience. Additionally, we would like to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Leonhard Center by sharing the work we have done and future work we are planning to pursue. Throughout the history of the Leonhard Center, there have been many lessons learned, forgotten, and re-learned that we would like to share with the faculty development community.

Authors

Dr. Stephanie Cutler Pennsylvania 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.
Dr. Sarah E Zappe Pennsylvania 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. Ibukun Samuel Osunbunmi http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-7821-9059 The Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Ibukun Samuel Osunbunmi is an Assistant Research Professor, and Assessment and Instructional Specialist at Pennsylvania State University. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Engineering Education from Utah State University. Also, he has BSc and MSc degrees in mechanical engineering. His research interests include student engagement, design thinking, learning environment, evidence-based pedagogy, e-learning, broadening participation in STEM education, sustainable energy, and material characterization.
Shawna Dory Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Shawna Dory is a PhD candidate in the higher education program, education policy studies department at the Pennsylvania State University. She has a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Geneva College, and a master 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 for the Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education. 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.

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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