Research Initiation - Developing Professional Identity: Integrating Academic and Workplace Competencies within Engineering Programs

化学工程教育需要一种新的教育方法，通过纳入制药、可再生能源、生物技术、纳米技术、核工程以及食品和消费品等领域的关键元素，与行业期望的演变和扩展相适应。考虑到化学工程在这些领域的影响，执业化学工程师应该在这些广泛的领域拥有技术知识，并熟练地进行沟通和领导。然而，典型的化学工程本科核心课程并不能使学生适应化学工业所包含的多种需求。大多数课程都是以内容为导向，以经典问题为基础的，这使得整合新兴工业实例和实践具有挑战性。沟通技巧和团队合作经验主要是通过高级课程获得的。目前许多教师的行业经验有限，他们对新行业衍生的新出现的实际问题和应用缺乏充分的认识。工业中使用的许多标准软件在大学里是没有的，更广泛的化学工业需求没有被纳入课程内容。因此，学生的积极性和/或参与度较低，迷失在内容驱动的学习中，同时错过了概念的大局和应用。因此，他们往往难以认同这一职业，而且还没有为毕业后的工作做好准备。这个项目考察了一种独特的体验，在这种体验中，将创建一个学生-教师-行业一体化社区，以弥合行业需求和化学工程本科课程中培养的能力之间的差距。该项目将调查旨在影响职业认同形成和促进行业相关能力的多项活动的影响。从研究中获得的知识和见解将有助于工程项目分析行业参与的重要方面、实施的可行性以及对学生结果和教师专业学习的影响。这一结果将使工程教育工作者能够提高下一代的技能，并为他们的劳动力做好更好的准备。该项目旨在将学术和工业工作场所能力整合到工程项目中。行业专业人士和工程教育工作者将共同努力，提供以应用为导向和以基础为导向的教育。在化学工程课程的首批课程之一的大二课程中实施该方法，该项目将考虑：(A)课堂上的工业文化融入过程，(B)教师和工业培训师的协同指导和指导，以及(C)学生与行业专业人员的互动。在项目期间，学生的工程认同和自我效能将通过调查、访谈和其他工具进行监测。这项研究的结果将有助于更好地理解有效的工程教育模式和方法，以培养工程师的专业化。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Chemical engineering education needs a new educational approach commensurate with the evolution and expansion of industry expectations via inclusion of key elements from several fields: pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, biotechnology, nanotechnology, nuclear engineering, and food and consumer products, among others. Given the impact of chemical engineering in these areas, practicing chemical engineers are expected to be technically knowledgeable in these broad areas and also skilled in communication and leadership. However, the typical chemical engineering undergraduate core curriculum has not adapted to prepare students for the multiple needs encompassed by the chemical industry. Most courses are content-driven and based on classical problems, making it challenging to integrate emerging industrial examples and practices. Communication skills and teamwork experience are mainly gained in senior level courses. Many current faculty members have limited industrial experience, and they are not fully aware of emergent, practical problems and applications derived from new industries. Much of the standard software used in industry is not available at universities, and broader chemical industry needs are not incorporated into course content. As a result, students are less motivated and/or engaged, get lost in content-driven learning while missing the big picture and applications of the concepts. They therefore often struggle to identify with the profession and are not ready for the workforce when they graduate. This project examines a unique experience in which a student-faculty-industry integrated community will be created to bridge the gap between industry needs and the competencies developed within chemical engineering undergraduate programs. This project will investigate the effects of multiple activities designed to impact professional identity formation and promote industry-related competencies. Knowledge and insights gained from the research will help engineering programs to analyze important aspects of industry engagements, the feasibility of implementation and impact on student outcomes and faculty professional learning. The results will allow engineering educators to improve the next generation’s skillset and better prepare them for the workforce. The project aims to integrate academic and industrial workplace competencies within engineering programs. Industry professionals and engineering educators will work together to deliver application-guided and fundamentals-driven education. Implementing the method in a sophomore course, one of the first courses in chemical engineering curriculum, the project will consider: (a) the industrial enculturation process in the classroom, (b) synergistic instruction and mentoring by faculty and industrial trainers, and (c) student interaction with industry professionals. During the project, students’ engineering identity and self-efficacy will be monitored via surveys, interviews and other tools. The result of this study will lead to better understanding of effective engineering education models and methods for the professional formation of engineers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.