Andrew's Portfolio.

ENE 501

Biographical Sketch

Andrew is a Ph.D. student studying Engineering Education at Purdue University. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Purdue in Industrial Engineering. Andrew chose to stay at Purdue for grad school to continue pursuing interests in teaching and leadership.

In his free time, Andrew enjoys swimming, board games, card games, and hiking with friends. He is skilled in photography, graphic design, website design, and Photoshop. He is very passionate about teaching, and enjoys teaching and serving as a TA in undergraduate engineering courses. Andrew was awarded the Purdue University Teaching Academy Graduate Teaching Award in Spring 2023.


Research Interests

I am very interested in teaming in undergraduate engineering, as well as retention and student success. When I was a freshman in undergraduate First-Year Engineering, I had a very difficult experience. This failure (or, almost) inspires my teaching style in engineering classes, as well as my teaching philosophy and research interests. I have had the opportunity to try diverse teaming schemes in my FYE class, and analyzing data related to this and designing a study would be very exciting to me and benefit future FYE students.

I have research experience in pre-college engineering and first-year engineering. I recently worked on a research project with Dr. Justin Hess regarding first year experiences in an engineering design class to analyze what learning community students are learning in relation to learning objectives and course structure.


Career Goals

I want to be a teaching college professor. I enjoy working with first-year students and I think freshmen are in a very vulnerable state in their first semesters of college, so shaping new students to have successful careers is extremely rewarding as an instructor and mentor. I have been at Purdue for more than four years and am very familiar with the FYE program and curriculum. I look forward to continuing to use my skillset and knowledge to improve Purdue and impact programs and students around the world.

Competencies

1. Synthesize Knowledge


Definition:

Synthesizing knowledge includes researching existing data and integrating findings into a concise and comprehensive account. Examples include synthesizing educational literature, theories of learning, and teaching practices through advancement of JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) principles.

I do not have a lot of experience with synthesizing knowledge or writing synthesis papers, so this is a skill I look forward to developing during my time in this program.

Prior and current work:

I completed a systematized literature review as part of the ENE 503 curriculum. In other classes, including EDCI 615 and ENE 505, I wrote literature reviews related to teaming in engineering.

Future Activities:

This summer for my ENE 699 research credits, I will create an annotated bibliography with 20 references to articles related to team assignment, specifically in an engineering context.

Timeline:

  • Finish ENE 503 Literature Review project by Fall 2021 (completed)
  • Complete ENE 699 Research Credits project by Summer 2023


2. Create Knowledge


Definition:

Creating knowledge involves conducting research projects and the components of research. The first stage of research (or the engineering design process) is evaluating existing work in a relevant field. Conducting research projects and developing ideas based on research will satisfy this competency.

Prior and current work:

I have experience working with others on their research projects, but I have not conducted research on my own. In Summer 2023, I am working with Drs. Hess, Brightman, and Fila on a research project with Biomedical Engineering.

Future Activities:

My dissertation is a key opportunity to conduct my own research study. I will look for opportunities to strengthen my research skills through coursework and working with lots of different researchers.

Timeline:

  • Take and pass my readiness examination in Fall 2023
  • Take and pass my preliminary examination in Spring 2025
  • Defend my dissertation in May 2026


3. Communicate Knowledge


Definition:

Communicating knowledge involves clearly communicating and sharing ideas through multiple formats, including written and oral. Vigorous communication skills are evident through publishing findings using clear methods that consider diversity of perspectives in potential audiences.

I am a strong public speaker and I have a lot of experience providing others with feedback on their work. Communication is extremely important in education and leadership. Strong leaders and teachers have strong written and oral communication skills.

Prior and current work:

Past work includes publications from undergraduate research, such as the Olympics on the Moon activity published on teachengineering.org. I also have a lot of leadership and teaching experience from my Eagle Scout award, tutoring, and teaching freshman classes. These activities have also given me a lot of public speaking experience, and public speaking is one of my top strengths. I have and am contributing to multiple research projects as a research assistant.

Future Activities:

Future work includes future publications and teaching experiences. Other ENE classes beyond the first-year curriculum will contribute to skills related to communicating knowledge related to engineering education.

Timeline:

  • Publish papers as a co-author in 2023 and 2024
  • Attend IEEE Ethics 2023 conference and future conferences, including ASEE


4. Think Critically and Reflectively


Definition:

Reflecting on personal beliefs and ideas is a critical step of an individual’s growth. By thinking critically and reflectively, engineers will improve their own ideas. To promote equity, diversity, and inclusion, one must be reflective of their own biases and learn from others.

Creating a safe and welcoming environment for all students is critical to retention, safety, and mental health. I am aware that I can sometimes see things from different perspectives than my students or research team members. This is something I want to be reflective about in my future as I think about some of the privileges I carry and how training can help me acknowledge biases and improve myself. In my desire to be an ally for my students, I also must be reflexive. Through training, I can be a better asset to my students and future colleagues.

Prior and current work:

I always share with my students that my classroom is a safe space and everyone is welcomed and encouraged to be their best self and respect others. In a recent class, I reminded my students that they are encouraged to share their ideas and respect opinions from others in a kind way.

Future Activities:

After each semester, I will update the portfolio section of my website and reevaluate my learning plan and personal statements. I would like to be involved with various types of inclusion training initiatives such as SafeZone.

Timeline:

  • Review portfolio and personal statements after each academic semester


5. Apply Engineering Education Principles to the Solution of Instructional or Curricular Problems


Definition:

We are here to improve the way engineering is taught to others. To apply engineering education principles to existing problems, engineers can make changes to help future students and educators. This competency is demonstrated by identifying areas for improvement then designing and developing plans or studies to make real changes. Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are specific areas that can be addressed.

I am interested in making changes to individual courses and using various research methods to collect data. Diversity and inclusion are critically important in my freshman engineering course, and I will focus on incorporating those elements in future studies.

Prior and current work:

I have created, modified, and updated learning objectives and course content for ENGR 103 at Purdue over the past four years with the purpose of creating a better first-year experience for my students.

For more information about ENGR 103, please click here.
To see the ENGR 103 learning objectives or syllabus, please click here.

Future Activities:

Specifically focusing on teaming, I would like to improve course curriculum in ENGR 103 to benefit first-year students. I would also like to work with the first-year engineering department at Purdue to make changes and improvements for freshmen in general FYE classes.

Timeline:

  • Redesign the ENGR 103 course as part of my ENE 506 CAP curriculum design project in Spring 2022 (completed)
  • Teach ENGR 103 again in the future
  • Hold a GTA role in ENGR 131 or 132 in Spring 2023 or future semester


6. Demonstrate Engineering Skills


Definition:

Demonstrating engineering skills involves establishing knowledge in fundamental engineering fields beyond professional engineering education. Skillsets in non-education engineering fields are advanced and well defined. Engineering skills are exhibited in examination and/or coursework.

I will strengthen my engineering skillset by earning a master’s degree in IE and by taking graduate classes in Mechanical and Civil Engineering. A durable skillset covering fundamentals of engineering practice and design will improve my strength as an instructor working with students in general (first-year) and specific (technical) engineering classes.

Prior and current work:

My foundation in Industrial Engineering (IE) provides a pathway to demonstrate engineering skills from my strengths in various engineering disciplines. During undergraduate studies, I took courses offered by many different engineering schools to diversify my skillset. I have very strong foundational skillsets in computer coding and engineering design.

Future Activities:

In the future, I will continue to demonstrate engineering skills through successfully completing coursework in masters level IE courses, Mechanical Engineering courses, and Civil Engineering courses.

Timeline:

  • Earn a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering in Spring 2024
  • Finish my 7th IE class in Fall 2023


7. Engage in Professional Development


Definition:

The concept of life-long learning is a foundational aspect of Purdue education. Like the unfinished Block P statue signifies, we are never done developing ourselves. Our learning, personal, and professional development will continue well beyond our time at Purdue.

Professional development is very important to me. Experience outside of the classroom are the most important to me and my development as an engineer. Meeting and interacting with so many diverse people improves my professional development and expands my skillset.

Prior and current work:

I attended the ASEE conference online in 2021 and look forward to attending future conferences in person.

Future Activities:

I will attend future ASEE conferences and other professional conferences and workshops to network with other professionals and share ideas.

Timeline:

  • Attend IEEE Ethics 2023
  • Attend ASEE 2024
  • Get involved with at least one ASEE division (completed)


8. Participate Actively in Professional Community


Definition:

Engineers can further expand upon their professional development by participating actively in communities to promote consideration and awareness of JEDI principles. Outreach to local communities can include education workshops and volunteer service.

Along with competency #7, I can build professional development skills while participating actively in the professional community.

Prior and current work:

This year, I served on the conference committee for the IEEE Ethics 2023 conference. I also served as a reviewer for ASEE.

Future Activities:

I want to impact the engineering education community in meaningful ways by publishing manuscripts in journals, volunteering in my community, and being involved with more professional organizations.

Timeline:

  • Participate actively in professional organizations over the next 4 years
  • Serve on at least one conference committee (completed)
  • Serve as a reviewer for at least one conference or journal (completed)


9. Explain and Critique Education Policy


Definition:

Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion can be related to current education policy. Research of historic policy and how policy has changed recently is critical to understanding current policies. To complete this competency, knowledge of JEDI principles will be applied to educational policy through serving on an educational committee, attending meetings based on policy, or writing a critique of policy.

I do not have much experience in critiquing education policy, but an important part of my engineering mindset involves improving existing systems, especially in education.

Prior and current work:

N/A

Future Activities:

I do not have much experience in critiquing education policy, but an important part of my engineering mindset involves improving existing systems, especially in education.

Timeline:

  • Complete ENE 504 in Spring 2024


10. Teach Engineering


Definition:

Teaching Engineering includes experiences instructing students in a classroom setting, including pre-college education or a teaching assistant/instructor role in undergraduate college classes. Lesson plans or content for multiple classes are created and implemented in the classroom. Feedback from students and peers is considered and used to improve curriculum.

My background includes teaching experiences that inspired me to pursue a degree in Engineering Education. I have had the opportunity to teach engineering to children and college freshmen which has developed and inspired my career goals of being a college professor. I want to continue to develop and improve my own teaching methods/strategies and curriculum to help students succeed and learn.

Prior and current work:

Prior work related to teaching engineering includes my four semesters of experience as an instructor for ENGR 103, a freshman design class and learning community. In addition, I was an undergraduate member of Dr. Hynes’s FACElab team and had opportunities to teach engineering to children at PALS summer camp during summers 2018-2021.

Future Activities:

I will improve the ENGR 103 class through feedback and research data, and the ENE 506 curriculum design project. I will improve my own teaching methods through evaluating performance and learning from others. I will assist Dr. Hynes in teaching Multidisciplinary Engineering Capstone. I will serve as a GTA for ENGR 131 in Fall 2023.

Timeline:

  • GTA role in IDE 485 Capstone in Spring 2022 (completed)
  • GTA role in IDE 485 Capstone in Spring 2023 (completed)
  • GTA role in IDE 495 Ethics in Spring 2023 (completed)
  • Implement ENGR 103 course improvements by Fall 2022 (completed)
  • Re-evaluate class and performance in the future
  • GTA role ENGR 131 in Fall 2023