Electrical Engineering Planning Grant

Eastern Washington University, Cheney WA

Investigators

Abstract

The planning grant is to develop an Electrical Engineering degree program that engages students typically underserved in the engineering sciences and help students develop the skills they need to become effective electrical engineers. The project has the following elements: 1.Improve the curriculum to include effective, research-based pedagogies for teaching electrical engineering, particularly extensive experiential learning; 2. Offer a dual-site EE program at both the EWU's Cheney campus and at North Seattle Community College (NSCC), a community college that serves a diverse, place-bound student body; and 3. Design methods to recruit and retain underrepresented students into EE at EWU and NSCC adapted from strategies that have been proven effective at other universities. This project provides a model for broadening the workforce for technological industries. It specifically addresses a critical shortage of electrical engineers in Washington State. However, the model for educating place-bound and underrepresented students can be replicated in other regions and technological disciplines, thus providing a large benefit to our technologically driven economy. This project also broadly impacts SMET education. By demonstrating and evaluating experiential and service learning, this project will advance the SMET communities' knowledge and understanding of these practices. The project will also advance knowledge and understanding of models that are effective in recruiting and retaining women and minorities into electrical engineering and a model that promotes efficient, cost-saving transfer education in engineering.