2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Improving Support of Welding Technology Students: Examining Experiences and Perceptions of Welding Technology Students through Survey Results

Presented at Student Division (STDT) Technical Session 4

This research presents findings from a survey examining the experiences of welding technology (WT) students in Southeast Michigan. Welding is an essential component of many industries and serves as a foundational technology in modern society. Welding is considered foundational because there are many roles within the industry that require human capability and cannot be replaced by automation. However, the specific experiences of welding technology students are not often examined in the literature. This research study presents findings from the survey portion of a larger collaborative research study examining the educational experiences, outcomes, and career trajectories of welding technology students in response to a growing demand for welding professionals and a simultaneous decline in program graduates. The larger study targeted WT students, faculty, administrators from three southeastern Michigan community colleges, one university, and industry employers. The study’s goal is to create practical strategies for improving instruction, program design, and career pathways, ultimately enhancing the welding workforce pipeline in the region. In the research presented in this paper, we administered a survey to students who were currently enrolled in a WT program or taking a welding class to understand their motivations and experiences. We used descriptive statistics to analyze and report on the participants' backgrounds and characteristics. Findings from the survey provides insight into the various factors and background characteristics that influence a student's decision to enroll and persist in a WT program. Recommendations for welding administrators and instructors are also discussed.

Authors

Ms. Alexandria Williams University of Michigan [biography]

Alexandria Williams is a Master’s student in the Engineering Education Research Bridge to Doctorate Program at The University of Michigan. Her research interests focus on leveraging machine learning to create adaptive, inclusive, and personalized learning environments that address the diverse needs of underrepresented minority (URM) students and other marginalized learners in higher education. Alexandria holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Alcorn State University.
Ms. Amber Green University of Michigan [biography]

Amber Green is a PhD student in Engineering Education Research and Robotics at the University of Michigan. Her research interests include robotics student self-efficacy, robotics students’ perceptions of instructional robotics practices and self-efficacy boosting instructional practices. Amber received a Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering from the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The Ohio State University.
Vibhavari Vempala http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7119-1498 University of Michigan [biography]

Dr. Vibhavari Vempala is a Research Fellow in the Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. She works with Dr. Joi-Lynn Mondisa to study mentoring and the career and professional development experiences of engineering students. Dr. Vempala received a PhD in Engineering Education Research from the University of Michigan in 2025 and hold a MS and BS in Biomedical Engineering.
Dr. Joi-Lynn Mondisa http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-3959-6548 University of Michigan [biography]

Joi Mondisa is an Associate Professor in the Industrial & Operations Engineering Department and Graduate Program Director of the Engineering Education Research Program at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on mentoring practices, programs, and experiences as well as professional development in STEM. Prior to her graduate studies, Dr. Mondisa spent 10 years working as a professional in manufacturing, operations, technical sales, and publishing. During that time, she also taught engineering technology courses at Triton College in River Grove, Illinois, for seven years. She earned a B.S. in General Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, an M.B.A. from Governors State University, an M.S. in Industrial Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University.

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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