2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

A Decade of Student Veteran Advocacy: Retrospection, Introspection, and Expectation of the Military Veterans Division

This retrospective article explores the conceptualization and creation of the Military and Veterans Constituent Committee (MVCC) and the ultimate founding of the Military and Veterans Division (MVD) of ASEE, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The division was a grassroots effort to develop an organization dedicated to increasing awareness and support for issues faced by engineering and engineering technology students who are veterans or service members. MVD advocates for student veteran professional development, support, and educational and career transition resources, while highlighting military veteran strengths. The division appeals to student veterans and active-duty service members, but more importantly it attracts staff, faculty, and industry partners who share the same zeal and attention for student veterans and service members who are pursuing an engineering education. Drawing on reflections from founding committee members, the piece highlights the motivations, milestones, and challenges that shaped and continue to shape the organization's mission. The responses provide rich insight into how a shared commitment to advocacy, allyship, and academic inclusion catalyzed a growing network of over 200 members across disciplines and institutions. As the organization looks ahead, the founders' reflections offer guidance and inspiration to expand efforts in research, policymaking, advocacy, and community building around the needs of military-affiliated students in technical fields.

The prompt that will be used to collect feedback from the MVD leadership and founding members is below.

Section 1: Background Information
• What is your affiliation with MVD?
• What is your current role at your institution?
• Military affiliation (optional): (Veteran, Active duty, Reserve, Military family, No affiliation)
Section 2: Reflections on the Past
• What motivated you to get involved in the formation or support of the MVD?
• What were the most significant challenges faced during the early years?
• What was the most surprising experience you had working in the division during the early years?
• In your view, what impact has the Division had over the past 10 years on ASEE or on the broader academic/military community?
Section 3: Present Impact
• How would you describe the current role or value of the Military and Veterans Division within ASEE?
• What initiatives, programs, or efforts have had the most visible or meaningful impact?
• Share an example of how your awareness of challenges and opportunities for students who are veterans or service members has evolved because of your participation…
Section 4: Looking Ahead
• What do you see as the most pressing needs or opportunities for military-affiliated students in engineering moving forward?
• What areas should the Division focus on over the next 5–10 years?
• What advice or message would you offer to future leaders of the Division?
• Are there activities or partnerships that the Division should pursue to expand its reach and impact?
Section 5: Consent
• Your Name
• May we quote you in the retrospective article? (Yes or No)
• May we include attribution to you when quoting your responses (Yes or No)

Authors

Dr. Jerry Lynn Dahlberg Jr http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2778-5349 University of Tennessee, Space Institute [biography]

Jerry Dahlberg is the Senior Director of Research at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. Prior to joining UTSI, he was an Assistant Teaching Professor and Senior Design Committee Chair at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering Science in 2014, M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2016 and PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 2018 from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte after retiring from the U.S. Army in 2010.
Dr. Alyson Grace Eggleston http://orcid.org/0009-0007-1163-7444 The Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Alyson Eggleston is an Associate Professor in the Penn State Hershey College of Medicine and Director of Evaluation for the Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Her research and teaching background focuses on program assessment, STEM technical communication, industry-informed curricula, and educational outcomes veteran and active duty students.
Dr. Robert J. Rabb P.E. The Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Robert Rabb is the associate dean for education in the College of Engineering at Penn State. He previously served as a professor and the Mechanical Engineering Department Chair at The Citadel. He previously taught mechanical engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the United Military Academy and his M.S. and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. His research and teaching interests are in mechatronics, regenerative power, and multidisciplinary engineering.
Dr. David M. Feinauer P.E. Virginia Military Institute [biography]

Dr. Feinauer is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Military Institute. His scholarly work spans a number of areas related to engineering education, including the first-year engineering experience, incorporating innovation and entrepreneurship practice in the engineering classroom, educational pathways for veteran and active duty students, and P-12 engineering outreach. Additionally, he has research experience in the areas of automation and control theory, system identification, machine learning, and energy resilience. He holds a PhD and BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Kentucky.

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