2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Building Globally Competent Engineers: Early-Career Reflections on International Research Experiences

Presented at International Division (INTL) Technical Session 5: Workforce Readiness, Employability, and Career Pathways (feat. INTL Best Paper Awards 2026)

Developing globally competent engineers is critical in today’s interconnected professional landscape. This study examines how participation in a National Science Foundation–funded International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program in the U.K. shaped the professional development and global readiness of early-career engineers from the U.S. Using Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) as a framework, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 U.S. alumni who participated in the U.K.-based program and are within 10 years of entering full-time employment. Thematic analysis revealed four interconnected performance domains influenced by IRES participation: (1) Technical Expertise and Knowledge Integration, (2) Global and Cross-Cultural Collaboration, (3) Leadership and Professional Networking, and (4) Adaptability and Independent Work. Participants reported that these experiences had lasting impacts on their career trajectories, confidence, and ability to navigate international professional environments. Findings highlight IRES as a long-term educational intervention that cultivates both technical and global competencies, offering insights for program design, employer engagement, and policy support for international STEM experiences.

Authors

Dr. Nicole P. Sanderlin http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-9481-7916 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Dr. Sanderlin serves as Director of Global Engagement in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering. She provides leadership for international initiatives and works closely with engineering faculty to develop new institutional partnerships and international opportunities for engineering students. Her research focuses on internationalization, intercultural competency, and global experiential learning as it relates to building career competencies for engineers.
Marin Jayne Fisher Virginia Tech [biography]

Marin is a doctoral student from Aurora, IL. She holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Brigham Young University. Her current research interests include teamwork in student teams and religious identity within engineering. When not working on research, she enjoys hikes, road biking, and coaching high school color guard.
Rebekah Riddle Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

REBEKAH RIDDLE is a doctoral student in the Planning, Governance, and Globalization program and is a member of the SPI (Science-Policy Interface Lab) a Virginia Tech. She works closely with scientists and engineers to bridge the gap between science and policy using serious games. She holds an M.Eng. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Virginia and a B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech.
Mirabelle DCruz http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2456-085X [biography]

Head of Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) for the Faculty of Engineering at University of Nottingham, UK, leading a multi-skilled, multi-disciplinary team of experts in supporting activities across the RKE lifecycle. With significant funding ~£245M from a wide range of national and international sponsors including key industrial partners; we engage in inter-disciplinary activities to address globally important areas such as, advanced manufacturing and materials, aerospace and transport, advanced healthcare technologies, clean energy and sustainability. This followed an extensive 25 year research career working with UK and European research institutes and industries on the human factors challenges of advanced interactive technologies, such as virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. A strong research professional with a Bachelor of Science in Production and Operations Management, and a Doctor of Philosophy in the Structured Evaluation of Training in Virtual Environments.

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