Department of Engineering Education

Welcome to Department of Engineering Education. The Department of Engineering Education (DEE) was formed on July 1, 2007 and is the newest department in the College of Engineering. Formation of DEE was predicated on the realization that existing approaches to educating engineers might not be adequate for educating the engineers of the future. Thus, DEE's goal is to transform the way in which undergraduates are educated in the College of Engineering, particularly during the first two years which most significantly impact student retention. Its focus is on helping engineering students to be successful in their educational programs and in their engineering careers. DEE is specifically charged with developing innovative teaching and learning techniques, developing research opportunities for undergraduates, providing tutoring, mentoring, advising and other support services to undergraduate engineering students, coordinating the teaching of fundamental courses in engineering, coordinating the teaching of Calculus, Physics, and Chemistry to engineering students by the College of Arts and Sciences, and coordinating interactions between the College and industrial organizations that participate in the College of Engineering's internationally acclaimed, mandatory co-op program. At present, the Department of Engineering Education consists of two full-time faculty members, Dr. F. James Boerio (Head of the Department) and Dr. Rod Roseman, as well as three affiliated faculty members, Dr. Vesselin Shanov, Dr. Karen Davis, and Dr. Jeffrey Johnson.

DEE will eventually be located in a new Alumni Engineering Learning Center that will be constructed on the eighth floor of Rhodes Hall. The Learning Center will provide state-of-the-art facilities for developing new teaching and learning techniques, for individual and group study, and for tutoring, advising, and mentoring undergraduates, especially first-year students. When completed, the Learning Center will feature state-of the-art wired classrooms, open study areas, mobile tables and chairs that can be arranged in various configurations, white boards, and an inviting café area as well as faculty offices. A central kiosk will be responsible for coordinating usage of the facilities within the center. The Center will provide an academic home for first year students in the College of Engineering who typically take several required courses outside the College, and, as a result, are frequently not engaged in the day-to-day operations of the College. The Learning Center will also enable beginning engineering students to develop a sense of belonging to the College; this is especially important for students who live off campus. Construction of the Learning Center is expected to start in January of 2009 and to be completed by December of 2009. In the meantime, the Learning Center is located in room 416 of the Engineering Research Center.