2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Countering Systemic Racism in Infrastructure Education: A Group Concept Mapping Study on Priorities for Educating Future Engineers

Presented at Broadening Participation in Civil Engineering

This paper addresses a crucial need in civil and environmental engineering (CEE) education: integrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) principles to counter systemic racism when teaching the infrastructure lifecycle. The research team piloted the Group Concept Mapping (GCM) methodology to identify and prioritize actionable strategies that can guide the education of future engineers in addressing racial inequities in infrastructure projects. The findings from this pilot study demonstrate that GCM is feasible, and valuable results are likely to be obtained from a more extensive study. A total of 15 participants contributed to GCM activities in this pilot study. Forty statements generated by the participants were clustered and rated by the participants to create concept maps to understand the importance, implementation feasibility, and potential effectiveness of the strategies. Key findings indicate strong agreement among participants on the importance and feasibility of specific actions, suggesting a clear alignment between what is needed and what can be practically implemented within the CEE community. The analysis also consistently identified specific actions as highly important, feasible, and transformative. In particular, participants agreed that it is essential to integrate social context into technical assignments, such as using GIS to map census data, and CEE faculty should receive training on facilitating difficult conversations about racism, as this is often outside traditional engineering instruction. Developing and using case studies that highlight successful DEI initiatives, including infrastructure projects that correct past racist designs, can serve as powerful teaching tools. The roadmap developed from this work offers actionable insights for educators and institutions seeking to equip future engineers with the knowledge and skills to address systemic racism in their professional practice. As a pilot study, the process and outputs offered an understanding of the feasibility and effectiveness of the GCM approach for obtaining valid and reliable results from a more extensive study. Furthermore, the research team learned how to facilitate participant engagement better to achieve higher participation levels. Overall, this pilot study demonstrated the value of GCM as a tool for conceptualizing DEIJ integration in CEE education.

Authors

Dr. Rodolfo Valdes-Vasquez http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6971-1885 Colorado State University [biography]

Dr. Rodolfo Valdes-Vasquez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Construction Management at Colorado State University. His research, teaching, and engagement align with sustainable design and construction topics. He has received grant funding from federal and state agencies and private organizations. Rodolfo has taught multiple courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and he is well-versed in the scholarship of teaching. His efforts in leading the Sustainable Buildings program were recognized with the 2019 Award for Excellence in Education Abroad Curriculum Design. He has also worked as a construction project engineer, consultant, and safety inspector. He believes that educating the next generation of professionals will play a pivotal role in sustainability standard practices.

In terms of engagement, Dr. Valdes-Vasquez has served as the USGBC student club's adviser and the ASC Sustainability Team's faculty coach since 2013. He is currently serving as a CSU President's Sustainability Commission member, among multiple other committees. In addition, he is involved with various professional organizations at the national level, including the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), the Associated School of Constructions (ASC), the Construction Research Congress (CRC), and the Center for Infrastructure Transformation and Education (CIT-E). At the international level, he serves as the Associate Editor for the ASC International Journal of Construction Education and Research. He collaborates with faculty members in Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Spain.
Dr. Kristen L. Sanford P.E. http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7115-0119 Lafayette College [biography]

Dr. Kristen Sanford is an associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Lafayette College. Her expertise is in sustainable civil infrastructure management and transportation systems, and transportation engineering education. She teaches a
Dr. Frederick Paige http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3380-6444 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Dr. Frederick (“Freddy”) Paige is the founder of the STILE (Society, Technology, Infrastructure, and Learning Environments) Research Group, Assistant Director of the Virginia Center for Housing Research (VCHR), an Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech in the Vecellio Construction Engineering and Management Program, and a co-Founder of Virginia Tech Digging in the Crates (VTDITC). Starting as a student member of ASCE in 2010, Dr. Paige is now a full member of MOSAIC (Members of Society Advancing an Inclusive Culture). Dr. Paige’s main scholarship goal is to create the knowledge needed to develop an informed public that lives in a sustainable built environment. Previous work with a variety of utility companies, sustainability non-profits, and educational institutions has provided Dr. Paige with a versatile toolkit of knowledge and skills needed to address a diverse range of civil engineering issues. His main area of scholarship is high-efficiency homes and sustainable communities. Dr. Paige completed his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at Clemson University, where he also received his M.S. and B.S. degrees in Civil Engineering. Some of Freddy’s favorite things to do are: traveling with his partner Hannah, playing basketball, creating music, or eating with family. Freddy encourages you to read, think critically, laugh, and make dope vibrations in the world.
Scott Rosas
Dr. Philip J. Parker P.E. University of Wisconsin - Platteville [biography]

Philip Parker, Ph.D., P.E., is Program Coordinator for the Environmental Engineering program at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He is co-author of the textbook "Introduction to Infrastructure" published in 2012 by Wiley. He has helped lead the

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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