The Ph.D. in Engineering Education offers a robust learning and research environment. Our students are dedicated to their becoming subject matter experts in their respective fields of study. Their dedication to their fields of study push themselves as pioneers in the engineering community and are very passionate about developing and becoming the next generation of scholars, leaders, students and professionals.
2025 Cohort
Mikayla Friday
Advisor: Desen Özkan
2024 Cohort
Landon Bassett
Advisor: Daniel Burkey
Chiamaka Nwabanne
Advisor: Desen Özkan
Michael Elder
Advisor: Arash Zaghi
Research Area: Artificial intelligence implementation in informal learning environments such as libraries, after-school programs, and community centers; Personalized learning, enhanced engagement, and empowering learners outside traditional classroom settings.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Libraries, Personalized Learning, after-school programs, innovative learning
Sakshi Solanki
Advisor: Desen Özkan
Research Area:
Understanding cross-disciplinary student language in shaping energy discourses through computational text analysis.
Keywords: Energy Literacy, NLP Techniques, Social Media Analytics, Topic Modeling and Latent Dirichlet Allocation
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sakshisolanki/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&authuser=1&user=ge_0U-YAAAAJ
Connie Syharat
Advisor: Arash Zaghi
Research Area: The experiences of neurodiverse students in undergraduate engineering and graduate STEM programs.
Keywords: AI in higher education, neuroinclusive pedagogy, faculty perceptions of neurodiversity, organizational change.
Tori Wagner
Advisor: Daniel Burkey
Research Area: Natural Language Processing for evaluation of student ethical reasoning and game-based education
Keywords: Natural Language Processing, Large Language Models, Ethical Reasoning, Game-Based Learning, Situated Cognition