2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Lessons from RIEF Mentoring: Toward Scalable Models of Faculty and Researcher Development

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session II

The NSF Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (RIEF) program is a two-year capacity-building grant designed to support engineering faculty with little to no prior experience in engineering education research (EER). In this program, the faculty member serves as principal investigator (PI) and partners with one or more experienced EER scholars as co-principal investigators (mentors). A central component of each proposal is the mentoring plan, co-developed by the PI and mentor(s), and tailored to the needs of the team. While the program solicitation requires a mentoring plan, the structure and model of mentoring employed are left to the investigators’ discretion.

RIEF projects pose challenges for novice EER scholars consistent with Borrego’s (2007) findings on engineering faculty transitioning into EER. Specifically, mentees must navigate a paradigm shift—grappling with differences between engineering and education research—and undergo enculturation into a new research community, which involves developing skills in interdisciplinary collaboration and grounding research in theoretical frameworks.

This paper reflects on the experiences of three RIEF mentees who were mentored by the same EER scholar mentor, alongside graduate students and a postdoctoral scholar who served in dual mentee/mentor roles. These projects adopted the cognitive apprenticeship model of mentoring (Dennen & Burner, 2008), in which mentors make their expert thinking visible through modeling, coaching, scaffolding, and gradually fading support to foster mentees’ independent mastery of social science research skills.

Using collaborative autoethnographic data, including reflections, interviews, and analytic memos, we examine the mentoring dynamics within our RIEF projects and identify lessons learned with potential applications beyond the RIEF context. Findings highlight broader implications for faculty development, mentoring research trainees, classroom applications, and adopting sustainable peer mentoring practices.

Authors

Dr. Julie P Martin University of Georgia [biography]

Julie P. Martin is the Director of the Engineering Education Transformations Institute at University of Georgia. Julie is a Fellow of ASEE and the editor-in-chief of Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, where her vision is to change the culture of academic publishing to one characterized by constructive feedback. Julie is an ASEE Fellow and a member of the Hall of Fame.
Dr. Jennifer S. Brown http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3712-8089 University of Georgia [biography]

Dr. Jennifer Brown earned her PhD in Engineering and Science Education (2023) and her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (2020) from Clemson University. She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher in the Elevate lab at the University of Georgia in the Engineering Education Transformations Institute. Her primary research foci include graduate student and faculty professional development, graduate well-being, and mentorship of women and others with marginalized identities in STEM. Her engineering background is in advanced manufacturing and design.
Dr. Fred Richard Beyette Jr. The University of Georgia [biography]

Fred R. Beyette Jr. has been teaching and performing research in areas related to Mixed Technology Embedded Systems since 1988. From 1988 to 1995, his efforts contributed to the work of materials, device and systems specialists at the NSF Engineering Res
Mrs. Kristina Kennedy The Ohio State University [biography]

Kristina Kennedy joined The Ohio State University in 2021 as an Associate Professor in the College of Engineering and Faculty Director for the Integrated Business & Engineering Program (IBE) – a multidisciplinary, cross-college program serving both business and engineering honors students. In this role, Kennedy teaches the IBE First-Year Cornerstone and IBE Senior Capstone courses. Additionally, she oversees the program – creating meaningful experiences for students, raising funds, and forging industry partnerships for student success.

Prior to her current role, Kennedy worked as an engineer with Honda Research & Development. Her roles included test engineer, interior quality lead and most recently, project leader for the Honda Odyssey and Acura MDX. During her time with Honda, she founded the first global Business Resource Group - the Women in Engineering Network – to support, develop, and highlight the work of its members. She participated in a number of leadership programs and is featured in the “Who Makes a Honda” series.

Kristina holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Iowa and an MBA from The Ohio State University. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family (game nights, cheering for her kids’ sports teams, and puzzling), traveling, and volunteering.
Landon Todd Smith http://orcid.org/0009-0000-2264-3726 University of Georgia

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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