2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Teaching Sustainability Through Undergraduate Research and K12 Outreach

Presented at Chemical Engineering Division (ChED) Poster Session

West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) and its partners are committed to sustainability education and currently engaged in multiple initiatives to incorporate sustainability in K-12 and engineering education through grant funded activities. This paper describes undergraduate research and K-12 outreach as supplementary activities to course-based approaches. The authors share the motivation, background and status of the two initiatives with a goal of stimulating and informing co-curricular and pipeline building efforts in sustainability education.

The first initiative is a semester undergraduate research experience funded by a state grant. The topic is sustainability, and undergraduates are mentored in research topics related to upcycling, Internet of Things (IoT) technology to promote economic sustainability, carbon capture and various others. Undergraduates apply for research positions through Handshake. Upon hire, the undergraduates engage in research during the fall and spring semesters and present their findings at seminars held each semester. They also have other opportunities to present their work at local, statewide and national conferences. This paper will share project descriptions and lessons learned for this approach to sustainability education.

The second initiative is an NSF Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) grant that focuses on integrating spatial computing to enhance elementary environmental science instruction. The goal of the initiative is multifaceted and includes advancing understanding of local watershed ecosystems, promoting environmental STEM careers, and racing forward with innovative methods in spatial computing to enhance a proven curriculum. The program targets grades 3-5 teachers for intense professional development. The teachers take what they have learned along with materials for the lessons to their elementary school classrooms. Elementary schools also receive funding for field trips to local streams and other outdoor settings to apply what they have learned and reinforce understanding. This paper will share the outcomes of the first year of this project.

Authors

Dr. Tamara Floyd Smith West Virginia University Institute of Technology [biography]

Dr. Tamara Floyd Smith is a Professor of Chemical Engineering and VP Academic Affairs at West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, WV.
Dr. Nathan Galinsky West Virginia University Institute of Technology [biography]

Dr. Nathan Galinsky is an Associate Professor the chemical engineering department at WVU Tech since 2019. He has been actively involved in outreach within the university running summer camp programs since 2021 and being actively involved within the department and university in K-12 outreach, recruitment, and retention efforts. His educational research interests are on K-12 outreach, retention efforts, technology in the classroom, and student engagement.
Dr. Gifty Osei-Prempeh http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5702-1409 West Virginia University Institute of Technology [biography]

Gifty Osei‑Prempeh is a chemical engineering faculty member at West Virginia University Institute of Technology. She has taught a broad range of core courses across the curriculum, including material and energy balances, transport operations, thermodynamics, reaction engineering, and chemical process design. Her research spans nanoporous adsorbents for carbon capture, pyrolysis pathways for biomass, and the valorization of waste plastics into useful products.

She integrates her sustainability‑focused research directly into her teaching, fostering a learning environment where students engage with contemporary environmental challenges and develop the mindset needed for responsible, future‑oriented engineering practice.
Dr. Naresh Ramesh West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Nanette Marcum-Dietrich Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Kenan Hatipoglu West Virginia University Institute of Technology [biography]

Kenan Hatipoglu is the chair of Leonard C. Nelson School of Engineering and professor of Electrical Engineering at West Virginia University Institute of Technology. He completed his Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Louisville, Kentucky in 2008 and his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering is from Tennessee Tech University in 2013. He is an active member of IEEE and ASEE.
Steve Kerlin

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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