2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Assessing the Impact of Short-Term Study Abroad Program to Chile on First-Year Engineering Undergraduates

Presented at International Division (INTL) Technical Session 2: Study Abroad and Global Learning Experiences

This full paper aims to describe and evaluate intercultural competence and appreciation, professional skills, and desire to persist through a Global Engineering First-Year Engagement Seminar (FYS) experience in Latin America, Chile. This embedded short-term study abroad course was piloted with first-year engineering students at a large R1 Public Institution in the Mid-Atlantic. The FYS experience provides opportunities to increase first-year engineering undergraduate students’ intercultural competence, appreciation, and professional skills, increase underrepresented students' retention and graduation rates, and increase access to study abroad in Latin America. Qualitative methodology was utilized to evaluate the impact of the FYS experience on students’ intercultural awareness and competence, professional skills, and persistence. Qualitative data were collected from nine participants via focus-group sessions, and the data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that this program positively impacted students’ perceptions of their professional skills as well as their intention to persist in engineering. We recommend incorporating more embedded study abroad course experiences into the first-year engineering curriculum.

Authors

Luis Delgado Jr. [biography]

Luis R. Delgado Jr. is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Pennsylvania State University. He has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at El Paso and earned a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering with a minor in Public Policy from Penn State. Along with his role as a Ph.D., he is also a graduate research assistant at the Leonhard Center for Enhancement of Engineering Education at Penn State. His research interests are engineering education, diversity, equity, inclusion, and retention of underrepresented minority groups. Luis will research how diverse human talents contribute to our profession's social and global relevance.
Dr. Angela Rothrock The Pennsylvania State University
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.
Dr. Stephanie Cutler The 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.

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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Broadening Participation in Engineering and Engineering Technology
engineering
undergraduate