2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Launching the Engineering Ambassador Program: First Year of an NSF ITYC Project

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session I

This paper reports on the first year of an NSF ITYC project that launched an Engineering Ambassador Program. Designed to address ongoing barriers to engagement and persistence in engineering at two-year institutions, this program integrates faculty and industry mentoring, technical and professional skill development, student-led outreach, and a summer immersive undergraduate research experience at a partnering four-year institution. Using a mixed-methods research design alongside an independent external evaluation, this paper reports on implementation and student experiences during Year 1. Preliminary findings suggest that participation supported students’ understanding of engineering practice and its real-world applications and encouraged exploration of engineering-related academic and professional opportunities. These early results inform ongoing program refinement and contribute evidence toward scalable, experiential strategies for engineering pathways at two-year institutions.

Authors

Dr. Claire L. A. Dancz http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4359-8041 Clemson University [biography]

Dr. Claire Dancz is Associate Director for Instructional Innovation in the Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation at Clemson University. She leads institutional efforts that advance faculty development, instructional innovation, and the scholarship of teaching and learning, emphasizing inclusive, evidence-based, and high-impact practices across disciplines. Her work strengthens general education, fosters ethical and creative integration of emerging technologies such as generative AI, and builds capacity for teaching excellence aligned with Clemson Elevate’s goal to deliver the #1 student experience. Through cross-campus collaboration and community-based faculty learning, Dr. Dancz’s leadership has enhanced faculty confidence, deepened student engagement, and expanded a culture of innovation that transforms the teaching and learning experience.
Dr. Elizabeth A Adams P.E. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo [biography]

Dr. Elizabeth Adams is an Assistant Professor at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California. She a civil engineer with a background in infrastructure design and management, and project management. Her consulting experience spanned eight years and included extensive work with the US military in Japan, Korea, and Hawaii. In 2008 Elizabeth shifted the focus of her career to education and academia, later receiving her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Arizona State University. Prior to her position at Cal Poly Dr. Adams taught engineering for 13 years in community colleges in Arizona and California. Her work highlights a commitment to undergraduate engineering education and its improvement through best teaching practices. Her research efforts are focused on increasing transfer student success.
Dr. Nihal Orfi Fresno City College [biography]

Dr. Nihal Orfi teaches full time as an Engineering faculty at Fresno City College. She obtained her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). She has been actively involved in projects related to engineering education and enhancing the academic experience for engineering students. Her current focus has been on improving enrollment, retention, and persistence rates of traditionally underrepresented students in engineering programs.
Maryam Kouhirostami California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Kelsey Ginori California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Dr. Casey Burton Corso http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1243-109X Magnolia Consulting
Emily Evans [biography]

Emily Evans, Ph.D., is a Researcher and Evaluator at Magnolia Consulting, specializing in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Dr. Evans has experience as a teacher, professional learning provider and researcher of formal and informal STEM education in a variety of settings and contexts.

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