2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

An Engineering Peer Advising Leaders (PALs) Program Expands for Researching Inclusive Student Engagement (RISE)–Work in Progress Paper

Presented at Engineering Leadership Development Division (LEAD) Technical Session 2

A Peer Advising Leaders (PALs) program, initiated in summer 2016 to develop peer advising leadership skills among biomedical engineering student leaders is expanding to integrate research. The program was developed to support new student onboarding and to serve as an extension to the professional academic advisors in the major. Still supporting its initial mission, the PALs programs has successfully trained and cultivated ~45 peer advising leaders, further enhancing student engagement. However, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift towards more student-centered approaches, prompting the program's evolution into PALs-RISE. PALs-RISE integrates a critical inquiry component, Researching Inclusive Student Engagement (RISE), empowering peer leaders to explore inclusive engagement through critical inquiry and reflection. Maintaining the program’s foundational underpinnings - student development and servant leadership theories, the RISE expansion seeks to address: "How can inclusive student engagement in engineering and science be re-imagined, redesigned, and re-framed?"

Using critical incident techniques, PALs analyze their leadership experiences to identify strategies for fostering more inclusivity. This data will inform future PALs program iterations, providing a framework for training student leaders to promote inclusive engagement in their majors and organizations. By merging critical incident research with leadership development, PALs-RISE cultivates leaders capable of addressing post-pandemic engagement challenges and creating equitable learning environments. This Work in Progress (WIP) aims to collaboratively develop evidence-based practices with program directors, academic advisors, educators, and peer leaders, reshaping inclusive engagement in engineering and science post-pandemic.

Authors

Dr. Kim L Paige http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6680-0172 Georgia Institute of Technology [biography]

Dr. Kim L. Paige is the Director of Retention and Engagement within the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Georgia Tech and Emory University. As the visionary founder and director of the BME Peer Advising Leaders (PALs) program, she cultivates a transformative environment for biomedical engineering students to develop into exceptional leaders. Through the PALs program, Dr. Paige recruits, trains, and develops student leaders to embody the principles of professional academic advising and leaders within their academic, professional, and social communities. These student leaders serve as invaluable resources for their peers, offering guidance, support, and insights into the biomedical engineering experience. Grounded in student development and servant leadership principles, the PALs program fosters ethical and inclusive leadership, building strong peer-to-peer relationships that facilitate knowledge transfer and personal growth. Dr. Paige's unwavering commitment to guiding and educating students in higher education drives her to advocate for the development of critically reflective students, scholars, leaders, and practitioners. As a catalyst for positive change, she continues to inspire and empower future generations of engineers.
Bianca Bernada Chuma Georgia Institute of Technology [biography]

Bianca Bernada is a junior Biomedical Engineering student at Georgia Institute of Technology on the pre-health track, specializing in women’s health and medical device innovation. She currently serves as the Vice President of the Black in Biomedical Engineering club, the Health Chair of the GT NAACP unit and the Team Lead for the BME Peer Advising Leaders Program. Bianca leverages her leadership roles to advocate for equity and inclusivity not only in healthcare but also in the social development of engineers. As Team Lead, she works to ensure that all students, regardless of background, have access to mentorship and leadership opportunities, fostering a more inclusive and diverse engineering community.

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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