2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

1. Ayush Pandey http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3590-4459 University of California Merced [biography]

   Ayush Pandey is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Electrical Engineering department at the University of California, Merced. Before joining UC Merced, he completed his Ph.D. in Control and Dynamical Systems at the California Institute of Technology. He is interested in increasing access to computational tools for engineering education and research. His dissertation research develops computer-aided design tools for the engineering of biological systems to address sustainability and health challenges at scale. In 2022, he was appointed as an Adjunct Professor at the Harvey Mudd College where he explored the role of mathematical modeling and analysis tools in interdisciplinary computational biology education. Prior to that, in 2018, he obtained his master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology. In 2017, he obtained dual bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the Electrical Engineering department from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur.

2. Dr. Eileen Kogl Camfield http://orcid.org/https://0000-0003-1712-2277 [biography]

   Since 1997, Eileen has worked in higher education as a classroom instructor, curriculum designer, and faculty pedagogy coordinator. She spent five years as director of a university writing program before becoming the Executive Director of Student Academic Success Services. Currently based at the University of California at Merced, Eileen serves as senior faculty associate in the Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning and as a teaching professor in the Interdisciplinary Humanities Graduate Group and The Global Arts, Media, and Writing Studies Department. Her work focuses on student and faculty agency and self-efficacy development as well as burnout resistance. She also leads a research group dedicated to exploring strategies for developing student resilience in the face of compounding adversities. Her recent book Joy-Centered Pedagogy in Higher Education: Uplifting Teaching & Learning for All (Routledge Press, 2025) argues that joy—rooted in curiosity, connection, and creativity—provides a powerful framework for both explaining the effectiveness of pedagogical strategies and for guiding educators through academic obstacles.

3. Dr. Susan M Lord http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2675-5626 University of San Diego [biography]

   Susan Lord is Professor and Chair of Integrated Engineering at the University of San Diego. She received a BS from Cornell University in Materials Science and Electrical Engineering (EE) and MS and PhD in EE from Stanford University. Her research focuses on the study and promotion of equity in engineering including student pathways and inclusive teaching. She has won best paper awards from the Journal of Engineering Education, IEEE Transactions on Education, and Education Sciences. Dr. Lord is a Fellow of the IEEE and ASEE and received the 2018 IEEE Undergraduate Teaching Award. She is a coauthor of The Borderlands of Education: Latinas in Engineering. She is a co-Director of the National Effective Teaching Institute (NETI).

4. Dr. Diane T. Rover Iowa State University of Science and Technology [biography]

   Diane Rover holds the title of University Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State University (ISU). She also currently serves as the alliance director for the NSF Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska IINSPIRE LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation), co-leads projects in the department funded by NSF Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (RED) and Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM) programs, and is a co-PI of the NSF Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society led by the University of Missouri. Her teaching and research have focused on engineering education, high impact educational practices, inclusive educational practices, broader impacts of research, embedded computer systems, system level design, parallel and distributed systems, and performance analysis. Dr. Rover began her academic career at Michigan State University and has served in department and college administrative positions at MSU and ISU, including associate dean of engineering. She has engaged with many academic institutions and professional organizations, including community colleges, both U.S. and international universities, and various boards. She has served in various leadership roles within IEEE, ASEE and ABET. Dr. Rover is a Fellow of the IEEE and of ASEE.

5. Prof. Ashfaq Khokhar Iowa State University of Science and Technology [biography]

   Ashfaq A. Khokhar received his B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan, in 1985, MS in computer engineering from Syracuse University in 1988, and his Ph.D. in computer engineering from Univ

6. Sarah Kurtz http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0638-9200 University of California Merced [biography]

   Sarah Kurtz obtained her PhD in 1985 from Harvard University and is now a Distinguished Professor at the University of California Merced after more than 30 years working at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in Golden, CO. She is known for her contributions to developing multijunction, GaInP/GaAs solar cells, supporting the Concentrator Photovoltaic (PV) industry, and leading efforts on PV performance and reliability. Her work has been recognized with a jointly received Dan David Prize in 2007, the Cherry Award in 2012, C3E Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, and induction into the National Academy of Engineering in 2020. At the University of California Merced she is working both to help the university grow and to support the Energy Transition by studying long-duration energy storage, monitoring of perovskite/silicon tandem modules, and starting a new study on agrivoltaics to help California sustain its agriculture with reduced water consumption while continuing to add more solar.

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