March 2010
Colleagues associated with NCETE are presenting papers at the 2010 International Technology & Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) meeting in Charlotte, NC. For a list of presentations, click here.
November 2009
NCETE fellows are launching successful careers. Below are updates from some of them.
Jenny Daugherty is an Assistant Professor in the Organizational Leadership & Supervision Department at Purdue University. Jenny’s research focuses on reconceptualizing the design of integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professional development, particularly spanning high school to workforce education. She has worked on four nationally funded projects, published eleven manuscripts, delivered twenty-two presentations, and conducted five national teacher workshops. Most recently Jenny co-authored a manuscript entitled “Professional Development for Teachers of Engineering: Research and Related Activities” that appeared in the National Academy of Engineering’s The Bridge: Linking Engineering and Society (Fall 2009).
Todd Kelley is in his second year at Purdue University as an Assistant Professor in the College of Technology. In November 2008, Todd Kelley and Johannes Strobel from Engineering Education at Purdue received a seed grant from NCETE to conduct research titled: PLTW and EPICS High: Curriculum Comparisons to Support of Problem Solving in the Context of Design. A paper from this study was recently presented by Kelley and Mr. Jon Pieper (an undergraduate research assistant) at ASEE North Mid-West Sectional Conference in October. Todd also recently presented at 96th Mississippi Valley Technology Teacher Education Conference a paper titled The Blurred Boundaries of STEM Education and was the keynote speaker at the Epsilon Pi Tau Honorary Society Breakfast and the ITEA conference in Louisville, KY presenting Defining the ‘T’ in STEM. He was awarded the Silvius-Wolansky Outstanding Scholarly Publication in Technology Education, March at the 2009 ITEA conference and his dissertation will be published in the Journal of Industrial Teacher Education in a three-part series. The first article is in the Spring 2009 issue.
Nathan Mentzer is an Assistant Professor at Purdue University in the College of Technology. His teaching responsibilities are focused on engineering/technology teacher education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He holds a joint appointment in the College of Education and was hired as part of a strategic P-12 STEM initiative. Nathan is engaged in research of design thinking of secondary education students as part of an NSF funded DR-K12 research grant in collaboration with Utah State University.
Michael Nehring is enjoying his new role as Assistant Professor in the Department of Technology at the State University of New York at Oswego. Michael’s primary teaching responsibilities include teaching the Master’s course sequence and the undergraduate methods of teaching course. It is an exciting time to be a new faculty member at SUNY Oswego, with multi-million dollar renovations beginning this summer to the Science and the Technology buildings, providing the perfect opportunity for collaboration between the STEM disciplines.
July 2009
Doctoral fellows participated in the NCETE Fellows Leadership Seminar in Washington, DC, on July 12-14, 2009. Gerhard Salinger, Program Director at the National Science Foundation, provided a historical perspective of the National Science Foundation’s interest in engineering and technology education. Greg Pearson, Program Director at the National Academy of Engineering, hosted the fellows at the NAE Keck Center. He introduced the fellows to the National Academies and their goal to address critical national issues and to give advice to the federal government and to the public. He also reviewed current projects within the NAE that focus on engineering education, both K-12 and higher education. Patti Curtis, Managing Director for the Museum of Science, provided the fellows with an overview of the legislative appropriations process and the importance of advocating for engineering and technology education with legislators. Julia Ross, PI of the INSPIRES Curriculum project at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, led the fellows in a lively discussion about the current research with high school technology education teachers, professional development models, and engineering design. The fellows also had an opportunity to meet with NSF program officers to learn more about the funding opportunities. David Ucko, Elizabeth VanderPutten, Sylvia James, and Susan Kemnitzer provided overviews of programs for which they are responsible and gave advice to the fellows about successful grantmanship. The detailed agenda and list of participants can be found by clicking this link: Fellows Leadership Seminar.
March 2009
NCETE hosted a research seminar for Center faculty and doctoral students on May 25, 2009 prior to the ITEA conference. The morning session focused on findings from the variety of professional development programs conducted by the Center over the past five years. Cameron Denson and Nathan Mentzer presented a synthesis of published reports of NCETE professional development in years one and two. Vincent Childress, Ethan Lipton, Kurt Becker, and Sonya Draper participated in a panel discussion describing the features and observations of the spring and summer 2008 professional develpment. Evaluator's Findings and Participant Reactions was the title of Jim Dorward, Kezia Lee and Peter Deeble's presentation. Jim Dorward serves as the internal evaluator for NCETE, Kezia and Peter are high school teachers who participated in the spring and summer 2008 professional development. Jenny Daugherty concluded the morning session by presenting findings from her dissertation study entitled Engineering-Oriented Professional Development: A Multiple Case Study Analysis.
The afternoon session focused on progress on research funded by an internal grant process. Todd Kelley, David Stricker, Bob Wicklein, Oenardi Lawanto, Steve Shumway and Rod Custer presented preliminary findings from their research studies. At the conclusion of the morning and afternoon sessions, the recently graduated doctoral fellows participated in a panel where they were asked to synthesize the day’s presentations and then discuss implications for the future. Jenny Daugherty, Cameron Denson, Todd Kelley, Nathan Mentzer, and David Stricker provided a lively discussion moderated by Daniel Householder.
October 2008
Jenny Daugherty successfully defended her dissertation, Engineering-Oriented Professional Development for Secondary Level Teachers: A Multiple Case Study Analysis and accepted the position of Managing Director of the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (CeMaST) at Illinois State University for 2008-2009. CeMaST is an important and reputable center for curriculum innovation and grants productivity. This represents a great opportunity for Jenny and her leadership will assist the Center to move to the next level.
August 2008
David Stricker was the first NCETE Fellow to defend his dissertation, Perceptions of Creativity in Art, Music and Technology Education. He received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Minnesota in June 2008 and accepted a position at the University of Wisconsin-Stout as a Graduate School Program Director for the Technology Education Department. In addition, David will be teaching three courses and supervising student teachers. Dr. Stricker has 10 years of teaching experience in grades 7-12 and served as a teaching specialist with pre-service technology educators.
Todd Kelley successfully defended his dissertation, Examination of Engineering Design in Curriculum Content and Assessment Practices of Secondary Technology Education in June 2008 and will receive his Ph.D. degree from The University of Georgia in August 2008. He accepted a position as assistant professor in the College of Technology at Purdue University, in August 2008, with responsibilities for STEM-focused research and teaching in the technology teacher education program. He is one of five professors hired by the Colleges of Education, Engineering and Technology at Purdue as part of its new P-12 STEM initiative. Dr. Kelley has ten years of teaching experience in public schools in Indiana and New York and a graduate teaching appointment at Ball State University.
Douglas Walrath successfully defended his dissertation, Complex Systems in Engineering and Technology Education: A Mixed Methods Study Investigating the Role Computer Simulations Serve in Student Learning in July 2008 and will receive his Ph.D. degree from Utah State University in December 2008. His research entailed four months of personal observations in a Wisconsin high school that is infusing engineering into its technology education program. Dr. Walrath has 9 years of teaching experience in Idaho.
Nathan Mentzer successfully defended his dissertation, Academic Performance as a Predictor of Student Growth in Achievement and Mental Motivation During an Engineering Design Challenge in Engineering and Technology Education in July 2008 and will receive his PhD degree from Utah State University in December 2008. He accepted a position with the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education as a post doctoral research associate at Utah State University in August 2008. Dr. Mentzer has 5 years of teaching experience in Montana.
Jenny Daugherty has accepted the position of Managing Director of the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (CeMaST) at Illinois State University for 2008-2009. CeMaST is an important and reputable center for curriculum innovation and grants productivity. This represents a great opportunity for Jenny and her leadership will assist the Center to move to the next level. She is in the data collection phase of her dissertation, so a defense announcement is anticipated sometime during the next year.
Cameron Denson successfully defended his dissertation Impact of Mentorship Programs on African-American Male High School Students’ Perceptions of Engineering in July 2008. Cameron graduated from the University of Georgia in August 2008 and accepted a position with the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education as a post doctoral research associate at Utah State University. Dr. Denson has two years teaching experience at a middle school in North Carolina.
May 2008
2008 NCETE Summer Workshop to be held at University of Minnesota
The NCETE Summer Workshop was held at the University of Minnesota May 22-23, 2008. Ted Lewis, NCETE PI at the University of Minnesota site, hosted this event. Research in the field of engineering and technology education was the focus of the meeting. The first day’s theme was Doctoral Research in Engineering and Technology Education. NCETE fellows were joined by doctoral students from Tufts University, Virginia Tech, Colorado State University, Purdue University, and Ohio State University and shared research interests and built professional networks.
The second day’s theme was What Research is Needed on the Infusion of Engineering Design into the High School Curriculum? Individuals were invited to discuss various topics pertaining to this theme.
March 2008
Research in Professional Development
In March, North Carolina A&T State University and California State University, Los Angeles began a pilot study of the research oriented, NCETE developed professional development program. This collaborative effort, lead by Vincent Childress at NC A&T and Don Maurizio at CSULA, is an exemplary professional development program based on the experiences in professional development within the Center and the current body of research on professional development. Technology, science and math teachers from Virginia, North Carolina and California are participating.
The PD is divided into spring and summer sessions. The focus of the spring sessions is to increase the teacher’s subject matter knowledge in engineering design and strengthen their mastery of pedagogical content knowledge. The summer sessions will focus on incorporating engineering content into the curriculum and activities the teachers are already conducting in their classes.
Two qualitative researchers are observing each of the workshop sessions. As the sessions continue in the summer, there will be more opportunities to study the unique aspects of this professional development. Three of these unique aspects include
1) professional development of teams of teachers from science, technology, and mathematics, 2) professional development teams including engineers, technology educators, and mathematics educators, 3) and teachers incorporating engineering design into their existing curricula.
February 2008
Graduate Fellows and New Faculty Leadership Development Seminar
On February 20, 2008, the NCETE Leadership Development Team, lead by Maurice Thomas, sponsored a graduate fellows and new faculty leadership development seminar in conjunction with the NCETE spring meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. NCETE graduate fellows cohorts one and two, and CTTE 21st Century Leaders Associates cohorts one and two participated. The purpose of the seminar was to promote networking and collaboration, share research, and explore international opportunities in technology education.
The morning session presentations were given by NCETE fellows David Stricker, Doug Walrath, Cameron Denson, Nathan Mentzer, and Todd Kelly. Each fellow discussed his dissertation research.
The afternoon session began with a presentation by Gene Martin of Texas State University. He discussed international opportunities in technology education. Following Dr. Martin, an expert panel consisting of Ed Reeve of USU, Kurt Becker of USU, Brian McAlister of UW-Stout and Scott Johnson of UIUC addressed such international topics as Fulbright Fellowships, skills development, foreign teaching opportunities, and coordinating and teaching graduate programs abroad.
Spring meeting at ITEA
NCETE once again held its annual spring meeting in conjunction with ITEA. The partners met in Salt Lake City, Utah on February 19, 2008. Chris Hailey, NCETE PI, opened the meeting with a welcome and overview of the day’s plans. Dan Householder followed with reflections on center work. He displayed a “mind map” that effectively portrayed the Center goals and related activities. Following Dan, Maurice Thomas discussed the accomplishments in the area of leadership development and Kurt Becker shared updates of the fellows. After a short break, Vincent Childress discussed the professional development research efforts and Roger Hill addressed Center communication.
The afternoon began with a discussion of the professional development landscape study being conducted by Rod Custer, Brian McAlister and Jenny Daugherty. He was followed by Ken Welty who shared information regarding the curriculum landscape study. The meeting concluded with a presentation by Inverness Research, Inc., Center external evaluator, and a roundtable discussion of Center next steps.
January 2008
USU Announces New NCETE Fellow
Matthew Lammi is the newest NCETE fellow. He joined the NCETE cohort two in January. Matthew graduated from BYU with a degree in electronics engineering technology. He worked for eight years in the aerospace and cellular phone industries. Matthew also enjoyed teaching information technology and electronics at ITT for a year before beginning his graduate studies. Matthew is working on his Master’s degree and PhD concurrently at Utah State University.
December 2007
Professional Development Planning Session
Professional Development Team members from North Carolina A&T State University and California State University, Los Angeles met Monday, December 17 and Tuesday, December 18 in Salt Lake City. They made significant progress in planning the sequence of activities to be included in the pilot study of the NCETE professional development approach during the year ahead. Vince Childress led the group discussions, which focused on the refinement of the planned sequence of activities and developed clear links from goals to objectives, activities, outcomes, and indicators of success. Monday's working session included Vince Childress, Don Maurizio, Ali Abul-Fadl, and Mark Tufenkjian. At the Tuesday session, Jim Dorward and Jodi Cullum, Internal Evaluators, worked with the group on the development of a plan for evaluating the pilot test. Kurt Becker and Dan Householder also participated in the sessions.
October 2007
CASEE Workshop in Milwaukee, WI
NCETE is one of 27 research community affiliates of the Center for the Advancement of Scholarship on Engineering Education (CASEE). CASEE, an initiative of the National Academy of Engineering, seeks to build a more supportive environment for educational scholarship within the engineering community. CASEE holds a one-day conference in conjunction with the Frontiers in Education Conference each year. Dan Householder represented NCETE at the 2007 Conference held October 9 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Kamyan Haghighi of Purdue University, Rohan Abeyaratne of MIT, Cindy Atman of the University of Washington, and John Dickens of Loughborough University were the keynote speakers.
Their presentations are available at:
http://www.nae.edu/nae/caseecomnew.nsf/weblinks/NFOY-77U4FV?OpenDocument.
September 2007
2007 NCETE Fall Workshop at NCA&TSU
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Barbie at NCAT |
The National Center for Engineering and Technology Education held its 2007 fall workshop September 24, 25 at North Carolina A&T State University. The workshop was hosted by Vincent Childress, principal investigator for the NCA&T site, with the assistance of Craig Rhodes. The meeting’s main topics were professional development, research, and legacy.
The workshop opened with a professional development demonstration by Carolyn DeCristofano from the Boston Museum of Science. As part of her demonstration, Carolyn presented a design challenge. The challenge was to create a bungee cord for the Olympic Bungee Jumping team. The dolls used to simulate contestants, and bungee making materials were given to the bungee cord design teams and they went to work. Rarely do you see college professors playing with Barbie dolls with so much enthusiasm. After the design period, the bungee cords were tested. The dolls did not fare as well as the contestants hoped, and it was clear that helmet design would be very important for the Olympic Bungee Jumping team. After the design challenge, Carolyn led a discussion about the engineering design process and effective professional development.
The research session began with presentations by three former journal editors. Mark Sanders founding editor of Journal of Technology Education, Janet Burns past editor of Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, and Marie Hoepfl past editor of Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, each addressed the question “What must NCETE do to meet the challenge of leading the research effort in engineering and technology education?” Their ideas included changing the culture to a research paradigm, mentoring students and young faculty, taking cues from other fields, and promoting research interests.
The other main issue for the conference was creating a plan to help develop a legacy for the Center once NSF funding ends. The participants produced a “To Do List” for establishing this legacy. Items on the list included: positioning the Center in a leadership role that is respected by the engineering and technology education spectrum, expanding the role and membership of the Center in other programs with similar goals, and increasing research and other scholarly activities between faculty and fellows.
CTTE / NCETE Career Leadership and Professional Development Initiative
The first CTTE / NCETE sponsored Career Leadership and Professional Development Initiative was held September 11-13, in Washington, D.C. According to the initiative proposal, the program focused on enriching, “early-career faculty members and … assist[ing] them with their professional advancement.”
The initiative began with a group dinner to help foster a sense of community among the early-career faculty. Many of the participants enjoyed the inclusion of outside activities. They felt it was a chance to build camaraderie and professional relationships.
The program opened the next morning with breakfast followed by a presentation on professional association leadership. The presentation was lead by Kendall Starkweather, Executive Director of the ITEA, and Bill Kelly, head of ASEE’s Public Affairs Department. The presentation focused on how to gain leadership roles in professional organizations. Following a short break, the group reconvened for a presentation on leadership in engineering education by Greg Pearson, author of Tech Tally and program officer for the NAE. Lunch was followed by a trip to the offices of the National Science Foundation. There the attendees heard from Karen Zuga, professor at Ohio State University and program officer for the NSF. Zuga outlined current NSF projects, as well as other opportunities available to the attendees. The group assembled in the evening for another group dinner.
The third day began with a presentation on federal policy and funding by Patti Curtis, managing director of the Washington office of the Museum of Science, Boston. This presentation focused on sources of funding and current advances in STEM. The initiative closed with a wrap up and discussion
August 2007
New Fellows Orientation at USU
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Joseph Meyer, Leah Roue, Michael Nehring, Chandra Austin, Benjamin Franske, Edward Locke, Daniel Wixted, Raymond Dixon, Deborah Williams. |
On Thursday and Friday, August 9 and 10, NCETE hosted the new fellows at an orientation / leadership meeting at Utah State University. On Thursday morning, USU College of Engineering Dean, Scott Hinton, welcomed the second cohort of doctoral fellows, after which Chris Hailey, Dan Householder and Tom Erekson shared with the fellows the vision, purpose and objectives of NCETE. Bob Wicklein of UGA and Ted Lewis of UMN demonstrated the distance education delivery of the core courses and discussed the forthcoming role of research.
A significant aspect of the orientation was the earthquake engineering design activity presented by Mark Tufenkjian, professor of civil engineering at California State University, Los Angeles. Doctoral fellows worked in teams to determine optimal building heights based upon the natural frequency of model buildings and their displacement given several magnitudes of earthquakes simulated on a shake table. This approach to engineering design as a process of analysis and synthesis provided a foundation for analytic engineering approaches to technology education activities.
On Friday morning, Kendall Starkweather, Executive Director of the International Technology Education Association (ITEA) welcomed each of the fellows and spoke about leadership. Following his presentation, the group toured the Utah Water Research Lab. This state of the art lab demonstrated engineering in action as it applied to water research with dams, erosion, and hydroelectric power generation.
Throughout the two day orientation, the new fellows were given the opportunity to meet and talk with cohort one fellows Cameron Denson, Jenny Daugherty, Dave Stricker, Nathan Mentzer and Doug Walrath. In addition, an evening at the Celebration Centre provided countless opportunities for all the fellows to develop personal and professional ties through activities such as go-cart racing, bungee jumping, and the world’s tallest free fall tower.
All fellows succeeded in making it through the orientation in one piece and NCETE warmly welcomes each of the new doctoral fellows.
July 2007
Professional Development Model Workshops
The NCETE Professional Development Model Workshop was held at Illinois State University, July 30 through August 3, 2007. NCETE partners and evaluators were joined by classroom teachers during the five day event.
Doctoral Program Planning Meeting
NCETE partners from USU, UIUC, UMN and UGA met in Chicago, Illinois on July 10th to refine the core courses and other aspects of the fellows’ doctoral program.
PD Model Planning Meeting
NCETE partners from USU, BYU, NCAT, ISU and CSULA met in Chicago, Illinois on July 6th and 7th to finalize plans for the professional development model workshop scheduled for July 30th through August 3rd. The planning and development of the PD model workshop has been a major activity since the beginning of the Center. Two years of PD pilot studies conducted at five of the partner sites is now being brought together in the development of an NCETE Professional Development Model.
Dan Householder Joins NCETE Team
Dan Householder, former NSF Program Officer and NCETE consultant, has joined the NCETE team as Co-PI. His past contributions to the Center have been invaluable, and his expertise will benefit the ongoing Center research and activities.
June 2007
Maurice Thomas Retires
Maurice Thomas, Associate Dean of the College of Engineering, former ETE Department Head, and NCETE Co-PI, retired from Utah State University at the end of June. Maurice has worked in the field of Engineering and Technology Education for over 40 years and his expertise and influence will be missed.
Annual Report Submitted to NSF
The NCETE Year-Three Annual Report was submitted to NSF on June 15, 2007.
2007 ASEE Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii
Two papers by NCETE partners were presented at the 2007 ASEE conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. Kurt Becker, ETE department head at Utah State University and NCETE co-PI, presented a paper titled, The National Center for Engineering and Technology Education: Supporting Teacher Professional Development.
Center partners Steve Shumway, Brigham Young University; Jared Berrett, Brigham Young University; Andy Swapp, Milford High School; Ronald Terry, Brigham Young University; and Thomas Erekson, Western Illinois University, made a presentation titled A Successful Professional Development Activity to Infuse Engineering Content for Utah 9-12 Teachers.
Cohort 2 Fellows Selected
NCETE is pleased to announce the second cohort of nine doctoral fellows. They are Deborah Williams and Edward Locke at the University of Georgia; Raymond Dixon and Joseph Meyer at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign; Chandra Austin, Benjamin Franske, Leah Roue and Michael Nehring at the University of Minnesota ; and Daniel Wixted at Utah State University.
May 2007
2007 NCETE Summer Workshop at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Illinois State University
The third annual NCETE summer workshop was hosted by UIUC and ISU on May 16 -18. Center faculty, doctoral students and an Advisory Board member attended the meeting. On May 16 and 18, the meeting was held on the UIUC campus and on May 17, the meeting was held on the ISU campus.
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NCETE Participants Australia
Ed Reeve, NCETE core course instructor, and Maurice Thomas, Center Co-PI, obtained funding from NSF for a workshop planning meeting with Griffith University in Australia. The workshop was held the first week of May 2007. Four NCETE fellows, Doug Walrath, Katrina Cox, Jenny Daugherty, and David Stricker, were selected to attend the meeting. During the trip, fellows had the opportunity to participate in all aspects of the planning meetings where they learned how technology education was practiced in Australia. They also had the opportunity to visit local schools to see technology education inaction. In addition, each fellow was required to prepare a presentation for the Australian faculty on an assigned topic related to technology and engineering education in the U.S. Fellows gave presentations on the following topics: Engineering and Technology Education as Practiced in the U.S.; Preparing Engineering and Technology Education Teachers in the U.S.; Current and Future Research and Educational Needs in Engineering and Technology Education in the U.S.; and Collaborating and Conducting Research and Education Activities via the Internet. Overall the trip was major success, especially for the fellows, as it provided them with an international experience early in their careers so that they can start to build an international research, teaching, and service agenda.
March 2007
2007 ITEA in San Antonio, Texas
After only two and a half years, NCETE is significantly influencing the field of engineering and technology education. The recent International Technology Education Association (ITEA) conference in San Antonio is an indicator of this influence. Fifteen presentations were given by Center partners. In addition, a team of NCETE researchers was recognized by the Council on Technology Teacher Education (CTTE) for their research on delivering core engineering concepts to secondary level students through the Council’s Outstanding Research Award. Research team members included Chris Merrill, Rodney Custer, Jenny Daugherty, Marty Westrick, and Yong Zeng.
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2007 NCETE Spring Meeting in San Antonio, Texas
The 2007 NCETE Spring Meeting was held in San Antonio, Texas, on March 13th and 14th just prior the ITEA Conference. The Center participants presented reports regarding the Center accomplishments, reorganization, research, leadership development, landscape studies, PD model development, and the PD Symposium. The external evaluators, Jen Helms and Michelle Phillips from Inverness Research Associates, presented their preliminary finding from surveys of the fellows and their Center evaluation. There are also breakout sessions for the doctoral program, leadership development, landscape studies, sustainability, and PD model development.
February 2007
CLT PI Meeting
On January 30, NCETE representatives met with the Center Advisory Board to share progress and to obtain insights from their perspectives. Representing the Advisory Board were Christine Cunningham (chair), Pat Wilson, Gene Martin and Mel Robinson. Norman Fortenberry and Janet Kolodner could not attend. The NCETE doctoral fellows also attended the meeting and gave five minute presentations on what they have learned during their experiences as doctoral students and where they see themselves after graduation. Karen Zuga and external evaluators Jen Helms and Michelle Phillips also observed the session.
Professional Development Symposium – Dallas Texas
A related professional development activity conducted by NCETE personnel was an NSF-funded project titled A National Symposium to Explore Effective Practices for the Professional Development of K-12 Engineering and Technology Education Teachers. The symposium was held in Dallas, TX in February 2007. Fifty-two individuals from across the STEM disciplines, consisting of professional developers, teacher educators, technology supervisors, curriculum specialists, and technology teachers participated in the symposium.
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January 2007
Advisory Board Meeting
The NCETE Advisory Board Meeting was held January 30, 2007 in Washington, D.C. Board members in attendance were Patricia Wilson from the University of Georgia, Norman Fortenberry from the National Academy of Engineering, Christine Cunningham from the Boston Museum of Science, Mel Robinson from the Utah State Office of Education, and Gene Martin from Texas State University. The Center was represented by Christine Hailey, Maurice Thomas, Rod Custer, and Scott Johnson. The NCETE fellows also attended the meeting.
Fellows’ Leadership Development Meeting – Washington, D.C.
On January 29, 2007, the NCETE fellows met in Washington, DC at the National Academy of Engineering for a special leadership development meeting. The event was coordinated by Maurice Thomas, Associate Dean of Engineering at Utah State University, and NCETE Co-PI. The meeting began with a presentation by Patty Curtis, Managing Director of the Boston Museum of Science in the Washington Office. Her topic was Influencing Federal Policies. She was followed by Kendall Starkweather, Executive Director of the International Technology Education Association (ITEA). His topic was Leadership through Professional Organizations.
In the afternoon the fellows were given a special tour of NSF by NCETE program officer Karen Zuga. They then participated in a discussion of NSF programs, proposals and funds.
October 2006
NCETE Fellows Participate in ASEE Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
NCETE Research Director, Scott Johnson of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and four NCETE fellows, Yong Zeng of UIUC, Jenny Daugherty of UIUC, Cameron Denson of UGA, and Doug Walrath of USU, traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in October and attended the first annual Student Forum for the Global Colloquium on Engineering Education.
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2006 NCETE Fall Meeting at University of Wisconsin-Stout
The 2006 NCETE Fall Meeting was held at the University of Wisconsin–Stout on October 12-14, 2006.
AUGUST 2006
NCETE team member to start an pre-engineering program at a Utah high school
Dr. Jared Berrett, professor in the School of Technology at Brigham Young University and NCETE contributor, is taking a one-year leave of absence from BYU beginning in the fall of 2006 in order to focus on research in engineering education in high school. Dr. Berrett will be teaching full time at San Juan High School in Blanding, Utah, where he will start a pre-engineering program. During his absence, Dr. Berrett will continue as a member of the NCETE team.
JULY 2006
NCETE Management Team Meets in Chicago
The NCETE Management Team met in Chicago, Illinois, on July 7, 2006 , to discuss the future course and to refocus the goals of the Center. This meeting came in response to feedback and suggestions from NSF at the Reverse Site Visit which was held in May.
NCETE Partner Named ISU Associate Vice President
Dr. Rodney Custer, chair of the Department of Technology at Illinois State University, has been named the new Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies, Research, and International Education. Dr. Custer will provide leadership in each of these areas and lead ISU's involvement at the Federal and State level in pursuing funding for projects and other initiatives. In addition to his new responsibilities, Dr. Custer will continue his role with NCETE.
Restructure at BYU
Dr. Ronald Terry, professor of Chemical Engineering at Brigham Young University, will replace Dr. Thomas Erekson as NCETE site director at BYU.
JUNE 2006
Year Two Annual Report
NCETE's Year Two Annual Report was completed and submitted to the National Science Foundation on June 15, 2006.
Year Two Research Grant
The 2006 NCETE Research Grants have been awarded. Of the six RFP's that were submitted, four received funding. The research grants offer NCETE fellows the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the RFP process, which will greatly contribute to their future success as engineering and technology education researchers.
NCETE Co-Director Named Dean at WIU
Dr. Thomas Erekson, director of the School of Technology at Brigham Young University and NCETE co-director, has been named dean of the College of Business and Technology at Western Illinois University . Dr. Erekson served on the NCETE Management Team and was the NCETE site director at BYU. Dr. Erekson was first to explore the idea of a Center for Learning and Teaching for engineering and technology. His contributions to NCETE will be greatly missed.
MAY 2006
2006 NCETE Summer Workshop Held at the University of Georgia
The NCETE Summer Workshop was held May 17-20, 2006 at the University of Georgia at Athens. The three and a half day workshop, which was lead by NCETE Co-PI, Dr. Kurt Becker , began with welcomes from Dr. Bob Wicklein, NCETE UGA site director and Graduate Program director, Dr. Louis Castenell, Jr., dean of the College of Education, and Dr. Dale Threadgill, professor and department head of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.
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NCETE Reverse Site Visit at NSF
The NCETE 18-month Reverse Site Visit with NSF to review and report Center progress was held May 1, 2006 in Washington DC. The Center was represented by Dr. Christine Hailey of USU, Dr. Scott Johnson of UIUC, Dr. Ted Lewis of UMN, Dr. Rod Custer of ISU, Dr. Tom Erekson of BYU, Dr. David Gattie of UGA, and Jenny Daugherty, NCETE fellow at UIUC.
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MARCH 2006
NCETE Faculty and Fellows Participate in ITEA Conference
The NCETE faculty and fellows participated in the 68th annual International Technology Education Association Conference that was held March 23-25, 2006 in Baltimore, Maryland. During the three day conference, the Center had an information booth where the fellows were able to talk to many technology education professionals about NCETE's work. The Center also sponsored a Sweet Treats Afternoon Break that allowed the faculty and fellows to share more information about the Center.
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2006 NCETE Spring Meeting held in Baltimore, Maryland
The 2006 NCETE Spring Meeting was held March 21-22 at the Wyndham Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. The meeting which was held just prior to the International Technology Education Association Conference (ITEA) was an opportunity for the NCETE faculty and fellows to meet together and discuss progress, successes and concerns.
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FEBRUARY 2006
CLT PI Meeting
On February 2-3, 2006, NCETE participated in the 5th annual Centers for Learning and Teaching Principal Investigators meeting in Washington, D.C. The Center was represented by Christine Hailey from USU, Tom Erekson from BYU, Roger Hill from UGA, as well as three fellows, Randy Knapp from UMN, Jenny Daugherty from UIUC, and Todd Kelley from UGA.
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JANUARY 2006
Advisory Board Meeting
The NCETE Advisory Board Meeting was held January 5, 2006 at the National Academy of Science in Washington, D.C. Board members in attendance were Pat Wilson from the University of Georgia, Norman Fortenberry from the National Academy of Engineering, Janet Kolodner from Georgia Institute of Technology, Christine Cunningham from the Boston Museum of Science, and Mel Robinson from the Utah State Office of Education. Gene Martin from Texas State University was unable to attend. The Center was represented by Christine Hailey, Kurt Becker , Maurice Thomas, Rod Custer, Scott Johnson and Tom Erekson. Center personnel updated the advisory board in the progress of the Center, including an introduction of the fellows, an overview of Core Course 1, future core courses, the Engineering Design Challenges, funded research projects, professional development, and a discussion regarding what the Center wants to be know for in five years. After the presentation, the board members met together to formulate their observations, suggestions, and concerns. The meeting concluded with final comments from the advisory board.
OCTOBER 2005
NCETE Fall Meeting at Cal State LA
NCETE leadership team meetings were held at Cal State LA on October 27 & 28, 2005. Participants from all nine NCETE universities gathered and discussed NCETE progress, plans and issues.
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TTE team member leaves NCETE
Dr. Michael Daugherty accepted a position at the University of Arkansas in Fayette. His new position is an exciting opportunity for him to provide leadership to the development of a new technology education program. While working with NCETE, he made significant contributions to Illinois State University's professional development workshop. Dr. Daugherty will be missed as an active contributor to the NCETE TTE team.
AUGUST 2005
Doctoral Fellows meet in Washington DC
NCETE's first cohort of doctoral fellows attended introductory meetings in Washington DC on August 19 & 20, 2005.
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JUNE 2005
Annual report submitted
NCETE's First Year Annual Report was completed and submitted to the National Science Foundation.
MAY 2005
NCETE Summer workshop
The 2005 NCETE Summer Workshop was held at Utah State University May 23-26, 2005.
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APRIL 2005
NCETE accepts first cohort of fellows
NCETE accepted a total of 13 doctoral fellows into graduate programs at the following universities: The University of Georgia, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, The University of Minnesota, and Utah State University.
| This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation Under Grant No. ESI-0426421 |
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