Highlights for NEE at ASEE 2024 in Portland

Greetings! I hope your summer is off to a wonderful start. We have an exciting program planned for the 2024 ASEE Annual Conference in Portland, OR. I hope you will be able to join us.

The New Engineering Educators (NEE) division includes members from a variety of backgrounds. Although many NEE members are new faculty members having recently graduated from PhD programs, there are many others who have worked in industry or government for several years before entering academia. Similarly, there are some seasoned faculty members who have great advice to give to new engineering faculty and have maintained ties with the division even though they can no longer claim to be “new” engineering educators. As mentioned in the call for papers, we actively seek papers that give advice on writing
technical papers, obtaining grant funding, mentoring new faculty members, introducing novel classroom techniques and integrating technology in the classroom, and preparing for tenure and promotion, among many other topics.

This year, we have a lineup of intriguing workshops and technical sessions. The NEE division will kick off the events on Sunday, June 24, with two highly anticipated workshops. The first workshop focuses on funding opportunities for new engineering researchers through the NSF RIEF program. The second workshop delves into the topic of universal design for learning. Both workshops will take place from 1:00 to 3:30 pm, with the NSF RIEF workshop in Oregon
Convention Center room D139 and the universal design workshop in room E141. Following the workshops, we invite you to stop by our table at the ASEE division mixer in Ballroom 201-204, where you can engage in conversations with fellow NEE colleagues and officers. It’s a great opportunity to connect and network within the division.

On Monday, after the morning plenary and poster session, we will commence our first technical session at 11:00 AM. This session will feature papers that focus on tools and techniques instructors can adopt for an impactful learning experience. It will be held in room B166 of the Oregon Convention Center. In the afternoon, we encourage new members and first-time attendees to join us for the Greet the Stars! luncheon, starting at 1:30 PM in the Portland Ballroom B – SGS. Later in the day, we will host a special session on Assessment Design in the Age of Generative AI. During this session, facilitators will address the use of
AI in assessment design, adjustments required in assessments to accommodate students’ use of AI, and the associated ethical dilemmas. The session is scheduled for 3:15 PM and will take place in the Regency Ballroom C: Banquet.

Tuesday is shaping up to be our busiest day this year, packed with significant events. It all begins at 9:15 AM with the NEE Business Meeting, where we will hold elections for new officers for the upcoming 2024/25 academic year. Additionally, we will discuss important matters related to planning for the 2025 Annual Conference in Montreal. Following the business meeting, we have two consecutive technical sessions lined up. The second NEE technical session will commence at 1:30 PM, focusing on the experiences, identities, and perspectives of educators. Then, at 3:15 PM, our third technical session will delve into course development, logistics, and student perceptions of classroom techniques. Both sessions will take place in room E144 of the convention center. Simultaneously, at 1:30 PM, the NEE division is co-sponsoring a community roundtable session, providing an opportunity to share concerns, experiences, and ideas to advance engineering education in grades preK to 12. This insightful roundtable session will be hosted in Portland Ballroom C: Banquet.

We wrap up Tuesday with the NEE Division Social. Please join us for the NEE Social Event Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm. This year, we will meet at the Brix – Pearl in Downtown Portland (website) to network with other new engineering educators and identify potential collaborators for future projects. Food and drinks will be available for purchase to suit a broad palate of tastes.

On Wednesday, at 3:45 PM, we will be hosting our final technical session for this year’s annual conference. This session will showcase papers covering various aspects of course assessments, such as grading and relaxed deadlines. The session will take place in room C125 of the convention center.

As usual, we have a very exciting lineup of technical sessions, panels, and workshops. Please consider attending the conference, even if you don’t have a paper to present. Being a member of NEE offers you a great opportunity to network with other new engineering faculty who may be experiencing many of the same issues that you face on a regular basis.

I look forward to seeing you in Portland! Safe travels!
Ahmed Dallal
NEE Program Chair