2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Enhancing STEM Faculty Sustainability Curricular Competencies using the Engineering for One Planet Initiative

Presented at Fostering the Faculty in EnvE and Sustainability- ENVIRON Division

Efforts to strengthen sustainability mindsets across the engineering discipline are increasingly driven by diverse sectors, including accreditation bodies, industry, government agencies, and public advocacy. One initiative that has gained significant traction since 2021 is the Engineering for One Planet (EOP) initiative, catalyzed by The Lemelson Foundation in partnership with VentureWell. EOP provides the engineering education community with essential resources—such as teaching tools, funding opportunities, and professional support—to help transform engineering curricula and equip all engineers with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets needed to contribute to a healthy and sustainable world.
In collaboration with ASEE, The Lemelson Foundation launched the EOP MiniGrant Program to support activities that promote curricular innovation and foster sustainability competencies among engineering students. As part of this program, this paper presents the development and implementation of a faculty workshop designed to introduce and apply the EOP Framework across a range of institutional contexts, including community colleges, mid-sized teaching-focused universities, and mid-sized research institutions.
The workshop was delivered in two two-hour sessions to maximize accessibility and engagement. The first session introduced participants to the EOP Framework and its core sustainability competencies. The second session guided faculty through the process of designing a curricular activity using their own teaching experience, supported by the Backward Course Design method.
This paper will present an assessment of the workshop’s effectiveness, including participant feedback and insights gained during the curriculum development process. Findings highlight how faculty engaged with the EOP Framework, the challenges they encountered, and the strategies they employed to integrate sustainability into their courses. The results offer practical recommendations for scaling similar efforts and advancing sustainability education across diverse engineering programs.

Authors

Dr. Nelson A. Granda http://orcid.org/https://0009-0003-4582-2155 North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (CoST) [biography]

Nelson A. Granda Marulanda is an Assistant Professor in the Applied Engineering Technology department at the North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. Nelson has a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, a Masters in Manufacturing Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, and a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from The University of Tennessee Knoxville. Before becoming a professor, he worked for several years in the Eolic and Aerospace industry. Nelson’s research interest revolved around Sustainable Development through the triple bottom line and System Thinking approach. Nelson believes that education is the key to achieving a sustainable world.
Prof. Jasmina Burek http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0186-9149 [biography]

Dr. Jasmina Burek (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) and Principal Investigator at BUilding REsilience through Knowledge (BUREK) Lab. Her research focuses on sustainability and resilience engineering. She develops decision-making models to measure and minimize environmental, social, and economic impacts (footprint assessment) of products, materials, buildings using life cycle assessment (LCA). She has over 15 years of LCA method application in areas of buildings, energy, and product supply chains. At UML, she is moving towards the research in resilient buildings and developing LCA method to account for it.
Dr. Yang Zhang Western Carolina University [biography]

Dr. Yang Zhang is an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering + Technology at Western Carolina University. Dr. Zhang achieved his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Industrial Engineering from Texas Tech University. Dr. Zhang is passionate of conducting engineering education with innovative methods; he believes the best method for conveying the subject matter is the interest.

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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