2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Building a Manufacturing Spine: Lessons from a Faculty Module Design Workshop

This Work in Progress paper presents findings from the first semester of manufacturing module implementation at a large mid-Atlantic research university. The project aims to strengthen the integration of manufacturing concepts across the engineering curriculum through sustained faculty engagement and collaborative curriculum design. Starting in a summer workshop for creating modules, 14 faculty and five graduate students were engaged in three days of dialogue about the critical need of manufacturing education in the United States. Participants engaged in hands-on sessions and structured dialogue around the national need for manufacturing education, explored strategies for embedding manufacturing principles into existing courses, and collaboratively developed course modules for implementation during the 2025–2026 academic year with a focus on incorporating experiential learning.

As of this abstract, three faculty members have successfully implemented their manufacturing modules, impacting over 350 students, with another four faculty members planning to implement their modules later this Fall semester. Data are being collected through student satisfaction surveys, faculty pre-module meetings, and faculty post-module reflections. This paper shares preliminary lessons learned , identified challenges and opportunities in faculty-led curriculum integration, and offers suggestions for scholars implementing similar training and development programs at their universities.

While the modules developed by these faculty incorporate manufacturing into unique disciplinary contexts, they are designed to be taught throughout the engineering curriculum, for example in demonstrating first principles. It is anticipated that the findings of this study can more broadly inform faculty training and development, the incorporation of emerging manufacturing technologies into engineering curriculum, and ways to intentionally engage faculty from the summer throughout the academic year.

Authors

Mr. Benjamin Edward Chaback http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3791-743X Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Benjamin (Ben) Chaback is a Ph.D. student in engineering education at Virginia Tech. He uses modeling and systems architecture to investigate undergraduate engineering education and is working towards creating sustainable systems for student success. Ben is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education, the Council on Undergraduate Research and is a facilitator for the Safe Zone Project and the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research. He is passionate about student success and finding ways to use research experiences to promote student growth, learning, and support.
Hannah Glisson Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Dr. Hannah E. Glisson currently serves as a Senior Analyst in Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Hannah's research interests include broadening participation in engineering, sense of belonging among women in in engineering, undergraduate student support, and K-12 engineering outreach. She holds degrees in industrial and systems engineering (BS and MENG), higher education and student affairs (MSEd), and engineering education (PhD).
Dr. Lisa D. McNair http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6654-2337 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Lisa D. McNair is a Professor of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, where she also serves as Deputy Executive Director of the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT).
Ernesto Adolfo Cuesta Alvear Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Ernesto Cuesta is a PhD student in the Engineering Education Department at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, VA. He holds a B.Sc. in Telecommunications Engineering and an M.S. in Project Management. Before beginning his doctoral studies, he spent eight years in the telecommunications industry, leading data-center projects and managing large-scale network deployments. As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, he supports Virginia Tech’s interdisciplinary IDPro course, mentoring students through project-based learning and facilitating teamwork across engineering disciplines. His research interests center on workforce readiness and development, experiential learning environments, and interdisciplinary collaboration in engineering education.

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