2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

WIP: Exploring Instructional Faculty Perceptions of Effective Engineering Mentoring

Presented at Faculty Development Division (FDD) Poster Session

This WIP paper explores how engineering non-tenure track instructional faculty (NTTIF) from different higher education institutions in the U.S. interpret professional development training as it relates to determinates of impactful mentoring relationships with students in their classrooms. This work is based in data obtained through the “RITA Mentoring Hub” funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) from 2022-2025. The aim of this mentoring hub was to train, mentor, and equip NTTIF with the necessary professional development skills to form their own professional action plans for obtaining promotions in engineering departments at their respective universities. This study was a collaboration between three higher education institutions including Morehouse College, the University of Florida, and Virginia Tech University. Twelve (12) total NTTIF in engineering participated. In January of 2024, a virtual mentor training workshop was conducted for participants by the International Mentoring Association (IMA) at the University of Florida. This IMA workshop, titled “RITA Mentoring Association – Building Futures”, highlighted four modules to bridge: theory, skills and strengths, responsive mentoring, and success assessment. This WIP paper focuses on the first module: theory, and the third module: responsive mentoring, focusing on the building blocks that underpin effective mentoring relationships and the situational responsiveness to the impact of mentoring in classrooms. A focus was placed on the challenges within effective mentoring in engineering. Effective mentoring is important to NTTIF through supporting stronger ties to their institution, promoting social capital, and facilitating smoother transitions based on hidden curriculum (unwritten or unacknowledged norms). This study has further implications beyond NTTIF but within the broader scope of engineering based mentoring relationships and the development of mentors serving in different capacities within the field. This paper will be presented as a poster. 

Authors

Samantha A. Englehart University of Florida [biography]

Samantha (Sam) Englehart is a PhD Student & Graduate Assistant in the TWISTER Lab within the Department of Engineering Education at the University of Florida (UF). She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an M.S. in Civil Engineering focusing in water resources. She comes into the PhD program with 3 years of experience in the civil transportation field working as a water resources engineer focusing on transit hydraulics and erosion control. Her research interests include engineering workplace development, college to workforce transitions, ethics in engineering, and engineering faculty mentoring experiences. She is actively involved in graduate student organizations and serves as the secretary of the Engineering Education Graduate Student Council (EEd GSC) at UF.
Idalis Villanueva Alarcón http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-8767-2576 University of Florida [biography]

Dr. Idalis Villanueva Alarcón is Chair and Professor in the Department of Engineering Education in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida. A presidential awardee (PECASE), she has led multiple pioneering efforts in engineering education including multimodal methods in engineering education using sensor technologies and biophysiological tools, hidden curriculum, mentoring, active learning, professional identity, among others. She is a renowned national and international leader in engineering education research and practice earning her multiple accolades and honors through professional organizations such as the National Academy of Engineering, IEEE, and ASEE. She integrates her technical experiences as a Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineer, Analytical Cell Biologist, and Engineering Education Researcher to tackle complex engineering education problems across the learner life span.
Dr. Gadhaun Aslam University of Florida [biography]

Gadhaun Aslam is an Adjunct Instructional Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at the University of Florida. His research leverages a range of methodologies, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and multimodal approaches. He integrates computational techniques such as machine learning, natural language processing, and affective computing with pedagogical research. His work aims to bridge gaps in engineering and computer science education, promote effective teaching practices, develop personalized interventions, and enhance faculty professional development.
Dr. Homero Murzi http://orcid.org/https://0000-0003-3849-2947 Texas A&M University [biography]

Dr. Homero Murzi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering at Texas A&M. Homero's research focuses on developing engineering education practices that prepare graduate students and faculty members with the tools to promote effective learning environments. Homero has been recognized as a Diggs Teaching Scholar, a Graduate Academy for Teaching Excellence Fellow, a Global Perspectives Fellow, a Fulbright Scholar, a recipient of the NSF CAREER award, and was inducted into the Bouchet Honor Society. Homero serves as the Chair for the Research in Engineering Education Network (REEN). He holds degrees in Industrial Engineering (BS, MS) from the National Experimental University of Táchira, Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Temple University, and Engineering Education (PhD) from Virginia Tech.
Marisela Martinez-Cola Morehouse College

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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