2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

1. Dr. Ghazal Barari http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1047-7617 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University [biography]

   Dr. Ghazal Barari is an Associate Professor of Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide. With a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Central Florida, her research pivoted from combustion and biofuel’s reaction mechanism to engineering education and student success pathways. She studies AI applications in curriculum design, simulation-based learning, and students’ engagement in online environments. She leads the Engineering Fundamentals program’s ABET accreditation, serves as an editor for International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace, and has been recognized for her innovative teaching and service.

2. Julianna Gesun http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0084-951X Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach [biography]

   Julianna Gesun, Ph.D., is currently a postdoc researcher at Embry-Riddle. Her research broadly focuses on understanding and supporting the process by which engineering programs facilitate the environments for students to develop optimal functioning in undergraduate engineering programs. Her research interests intersect the fields of positive psychology, engineering education, and human development to understand the intrapersonal, cognitive, social, behavioral, contextual, cultural, and outcome factors that influence thriving in engineering.

   Prior to joining Embry-Riddle, she was a National Science Foundation/American Society for Engineering Education engineering postdoctoral fellow at the University of New Hampshire. She received her Ph.D. in Engineering Education at Purdue University, where she was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow and the winner of Purdue's 2021 Three Minute Thesis competition for her work in developing research and courses on engineering thriving. She also received dual bachelor's degrees in Industrial Engineering and Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her prior work experiences include product management, consulting, tutoring, marketing, and information technology.

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