Department News:

New NSF Grant

The Department of Engineering Education recently received its first grant from the National Science Foundation for a project entitled "How People Learn: Effect on Student Achievement and Retention in Engineering." The goal of the project is to determine the relationship between teaching techniques, advising, and mentoring and performance in the classroom for undergraduate students in the College of Engineering. Thus, the Freshman Engineering Program (FEP) will be restructured to include new approaches to teaching, to emphasize engineering applications of material being taught concurrently in courses such as Calculus and Physics, and to provide students with information regarding career opportunities in various fields of engineering through interaction with leading engineers from local industries. The effect of restructuring FEP will be evaluated by comparing the performance in Calculus and Physics of students who have participated in the restructured program with that of students who participated in FEP before the restructuring.

Changes in First Year Program

Several changes have been made in the first-year program in the College of Engineering. Beginning with the Autumn Quarter of 2008, all first-year students in the College will be placed in Learning Communities. Learning Communities are groups of approximately 25 students who take several of their courses together, thus helping the students to acclimate to life in the College. The Freshman Engineering Program, which enrolls students that are admitted to the College but are undecided about a major and also enrolls "pre-engineering" students, has been redesigned. The redesigned program includes organized academic support for courses taken by first-year students in the College and visits by prominent engineers from industrial and governmental organizations who explain the opportunities available in all fields of engineering to the students. Finally, a voluntary academic support program that is available for all first-year students for approximately six hours a day, five days a week has been initiated. In order to receive support through this program, all a student has to do is visit the Learning Center in room 416 of the Engineering Research Center.

Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program

On June 26, 2008, Eric D. Fingerhut, Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, announced that the University of Cincinnati will partner with Sinclair Community College and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College in a project entitled "Diversifying Yield and Retention in Engineering, Mathematics and Science" that will receive $4.268 million in funding under the Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program; Choose Ohio First is Ohio's premier model for recruiting and retaining talented Ohio residents as students in STEM and STEM education fields. The competitive awards were based on collaborations between colleges, universities, and their Ohio business and industry partners that will have the most impact on advancing Ohio's position in the world markets including aerospace, medicine, computer technology and alternative energy.

UC will lead this project and will attract and graduate an estimated 250 additional students in STEM fields over a 5-year period. Approximately two-thirds of the funds awarded under this announcement will be used to expand several highly innovative programs that currently exist in the College of Engineering and the Department of Engineering Education to support engineering students. Most noteworthy is the program's plan to recruit and retain first generation college students, underrepresented minorities, women and economically disadvantaged students. Recipients will be afforded the successful UC cooperative education experience, an alumni shadowing program, summer bridge program, structured freshman and sophomore year support, as well as mentoring and undergraduate research opportunities.