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1. Work in Progress: Development of UAS Module in Laboratory Class for a Senior Engineering Core Course.

   Ahad, M. T.; Siddique, Z.; Sun, W.; Gao, J. (June 2022, 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition)

   Designing a senior-level course that involves problem-based learning, including project completion task, is laborious and challenging. A well-designed project motivates the students to be self-learners and prepares them for future industrial or academic endeavors. The COVID-19 pandemic brought many challenges when instructions were forced to move either online or to a remote teaching/learning environment. Due to this rapid transition, delivery modes in teaching and learning modalities faced disruption making course design more difficult. The senior level Flight Controls course AME - 4513 is designed with Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) related projects for the students to have a better understanding of UAS usage on various applications in support of Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program. The purpose of this paper is to present the UAS lab modules in a junior level robotics lab, AME - 4802, which preceded the Flight Controls course in the school of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. Successfully completing the course project requires independent research and involves numerical simulations of UAS. The Robotics Lab course focuses on hands-on projects of robotic systems with an emphasis on semi-autonomous mobile robots, including an UAS introduction module. - The UAS module in the Robotics Lab class is introduced in Spring 2020. Therefore, most of the students enrolled in the Spring 2020 Robotics Lab course have introductory knowledge about the UAS system when taking the Fall 2020 Flight Control course. In addition, Spring 2020 Robotics Lab was affected due to COVID-19. - The UAS module was not introduced in 2019 Spring Robotics lab. Thus, the students enrolled in Fall 2019 Flight Controls course did not have prior knowledge on the UAS system. - We thus present the implementation of UAS module in a junior level robotics lab which preceded the senior level Flight Controls course in following Fall semester, when the same instructor taught the course. 

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2. Board 240: Developing Critically Conscious Aerospace Engineers through Macroethics Curricula: Year 1

   Johnson, Aaron W; Bowen, Corin L; Strehl, Elizabeth A; Olson, Sabrina; Elias, Ricardo (June 2024, American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) PEER)

   Absent from the undergraduate aerospace curricula at many universities is any acknowledgement of macroethics, the ways in which engineering impacts society positively and negatively. Without putting aerospace engineering in its social context, students are left ill-prepared to recognize and address challenging ethical questions and issues they will encounter in their future engineering careers. Alternatively, aerospace engineering curricula should support the development of the critical consciousness required to reflect on the social impact of the field and students’ present and future roles within it. We are addressing this pressing need with integrated research and curriculum development. Our multi-institutional team is composed of aerospace and engineering education research faculty, graduate students in engineering education, undergraduate students in engineering, and practitioners in the aerospace industry. The overarching objective of our design-based research project is to investigate how a macroethical curriculum can be effectively integrated into aerospace engineering science courses. To do this, we ask two research questions to inform the curriculum: RQ1) What are undergraduate students’ current awareness and perceptions of macroethical issues in aerospace engineering?, and RQ2) In what ways do students feel their education is or is not preparing them to address macroethical issues? We also pose a question to assess our curriculum: RQ3) How does the macroethical curriculum impact students’ perceptions and awareness of macroethical issues and their desire to engage with the macroethical implications of their future work? In this poster, we will describe the development and iteration of macroethics lessons in multiple aerospace engineering courses, along with an assessment of the lessons through instructor reflections and quantitative student feedback. We will also describe the development of a survey to conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses of students’ awareness and perception of macroethical issues in aerospace engineering. We will also present preliminary results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. 

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3. Undergraduate Hypersonics Research: The Second Year of the REU Site HYPER

   https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2022-0932  

   Gordon, Ali; Kauffman, Jeffrey L.; Burke, Robert F. (January 2022, AIAA SciTech 2022 Forum)

   Training future engineers and scientists for the research-oriented careers necessary to deliver solutions to the challenges of hypersonic flight is important task for the aerospace community at-large. A number of programs and initiatives at the University of Central Florida (UCF) contribute to this need. Among them is the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site framed on HYpersonic, Propulsive, Energetic, and Reusable Platforms (HYPER) an program housed withing the Center for Advanced Turbomachinery Energy Research (CATER). This residential summer program convening on the UCF main campus prepares a group of undergraduate students to pursue doctoral-level degree programs in aerospace engineering and related disciplines. During the Summer 2021, the second term of the program, HYPER hosted fourteen students. Students conducted intensive research under the guidance of faculty mentors and their graduate student assistants. To support their complete development, HYPER students participated in industry tours, software training, technical seminars, and more. This paper reports the impact of the program in its second year. Data are derived from pre- and post-experience surveys, study groups, and technical assessment activities. Feedback from the first year were implemented in the second year. 

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4. Board 240: Developing Critically Conscious Aerospace Engineers through Macroethics Curricula: Year 1

   Johnson, Aaron W; Bowen, Corin L; Strehl, Elizabeth A; Olson, S; Elias, R (June 2024, American Society for Engineering Education)

   Absent from the undergraduate aerospace curricula at many universities is any acknowledgement of macroethics, the ways in which engineering impacts society positively and negatively. For example, aviation makes the world a smaller place, but aircraft emissions also contribute to climate change. Satellite internet megaconstallations provide internet access to places that were previously unconnected, but also contribute to light pollution that negatively impacts astronomy. And, many career pathways in the aerospace industry relate to military and weapons technology design, development, operations or maintenance, resulting in significant macroethical dilemmas regarding the interconnections between engineering and violence. Without putting aerospace engineering in its social context, students are left ill-prepared to recognize and address challenging ethical questions and issues they will encounter in their future engineering careers. Alternatively, aerospace engineering curricula should support the development of the critical consciousness required to reflect on the social impact of the field and students’ present and future roles within it. We are addressing this pressing need with integrated curriculum development research initiatives. Our multi-institutional team is composed of aerospace and engineering education research faculty, graduate students in engineering education, undergraduate students in engineering, and practitioners in the aerospace industry. This paper highlights the results thus far and describes the ongoing work of the project, one year into NSF IUSE grants DUE-2236148 and DUE-2236227. 

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5. NSF ATE: Improving Electrical Engineering Education Structure by Bridging CTE, Community College, and University Programs through Hands-on Skills Integration: Year 1

   Kamali-Sarvestani, Reza; Villa, Hector G; Nguyen, Khang; Mauro, Antony P (June 2025, ASEE Annual Conference)

   This project focuses on developing three technical courses for lower-division electrical engineering education to bridge the gap between Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in high schools, engineering programs at community colleges, and lower-division electrical engineering courses at four-year universities. The primary goal of the project is to create a seamless academic transition by providing electrical engineering students with the necessary foundational knowledge in analog and digital systems, as well as hands-on experience with laboratory measurement tools. The courses utilize industry-relevant technologies such as LabView, MATLAB, PLC programming, and ready-to-use microcontroller boards to facilitate experiential learning at lower division courses. Early exposure to these tools and systems equips students with practical skills that not only prepare them for further academic pursuits but also align them with workforce demands in industries that increasingly rely on automation, data acquisition, and real-time system controls. The success of this project is attributed to its emphasis on design and project-based learning, which fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for real-world applications. By integrating design principles early in students' educational experiences, they are better prepared to tackle complex engineering problems as they progress through their academic careers. The use of project-based learning allows students to apply theoretical knowledge to tangible, real-world projects, improving their engagement and deepening their understanding of electrical engineering concepts. Practical tools like MATLAB and microcontroller boards in entry-level courses not only motivates students to pursue engineering but also increases retention rates in STEM fields, a key metric for academic success. This project is also advocating for early exposure to hands-on technical skills as a way to better prepare students for the workforce. By focusing on skill development in both CTE programs and early college courses, students are equipped with a stronger foundation for electrical engineering careers and are more likely to succeed in upper-division coursework and beyond. The seamless integration of high school, community college, and university programs ensures that students acquire both the theoretical and practical skills necessary to be successful in an increasingly technology-driven economy. Moreover, the project's use of industry-standard tools, coupled with its focus on bridging academic gaps, provides a sustainable model for developing a skilled and versatile workforce, addressing the growing need for engineers proficient in both design and system implementation. 

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