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1. Computer Science and Computational Thinking Across the Early Elementary Curriculum (Work in Progress)

   Berry, Kenneth (July 2021, ASEE annual conference)

   null (Ed.)

   This paper describes the process of preparing a proposal to the NSF CSforAll:RPP program and preliminary data gathered in the first year. The paper describes the four year process that lead to the acceptance of an early stage proposal to CSforAll:RPP. The first year involved working on a different Professional Development in CS/CT grant. The second year involved a pilot program with the targeted school district. The third year involved writing the first grant, and the fourth year involved rewriting and improving the grant for final approval. The next part of the paper describes the many challenges we have faced during the first year of the grant during a pandemic. We were successful identifying some interesting results and important research findings. 

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2. RECRUTING MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHERS: THE UTM NOYCE SCHOLARS PROGRAM

   Elliott S. Elliott (January 2023, Proceedings of the 121st annual convention of the School Scienceand Mathematics Association)

   Herron, Julie; Hammack, Rebekah (Ed.)

   This paper describes the first year of implementation of a Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program project designed to obtain, train, and retain mathematics and science teachers for rural schools. The project explores the effectiveness of financial incentives, teacher preparation and mentorship, and recruiting techniques 

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3. 2018 ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings

   Gupta, SK; Moon, JE; Melton, RE; Kuhl, ME; Johnson, DP; Dunn, T; Lee, JH; Foltz, FA; Garrick, RE (January 2018, 2018 ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings)

   This paper introduces two scholarship projects funded by the National Science Foundation that focus on students who transfer at the 3rd year level from 2-year schools to the engineering and engineering technology BS programs at our university. The objectives of both the projects are: (i) to expand and diversify the engineering/technology workforce of the future, (ii) to develop linkages and articulations with 2-year schools and their S-STEM programs, (iii) to provide increased career opportunities and job placement rates through mandatory paid co-op experiences, and (iv) to serve as a model for other universities to provide vertical transfer students access to the baccalaureate degree. The Transfer Pipeline (TiPi) project awarded 25 new scholarships per year from 2012 to 2014 to a total of 75 engineering and engineering technology transfer students. By the end of Fall 2017, 66 (88%) scholars have graduated, 5 (7%) are in process of completing their degrees, and only 4 (5%) left our university, for a 95% retention rate. The paper describes our successes and challenges. The Vertical Transfer Access to the Baccalaureate (VTAB) project recruited its first group of 25 students in Fall 2017 with the goal of recruiting a total of 78 vertical transfers over the next three years. An additional goal of the VTAB project is to conduct research and generate knowledge about the VTAB project elements that will be essential for the success of vertical transfer programs at other universities. The paper describes the research instruments, and the results from an online survey and a focus group interview of the first cohort of VTAB scholars. 

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4. Engineering Persistence: Assessing Initiatives for First-Year Engineering Students

   Currey, Matthew; Cruz, Juan M; Mallouk, Kaitlin; Farrell, S; Major, Justin C (June 2025, 2025 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition)

   This empirical research full paper describes a project aimed at increasing graduation rates among low-income, academically talented engineering students by implementing first-year student initiatives. The project, supported by an NSF-SSTEM (National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) grant at a Northeastern US institution, is in its second year of a four-year plan. Grounded in Tinto’s conceptual model of student motivation and persistence, the project emphasizes early interventions, which are critical for low-income students facing external challenges that may impact their decision to stay in college or enter the workforce. We developed and integrated the SSTEM project aiming to increase four key elements, which based on Tinto will also increase persistence. The SSTEM project includes scholarships, an Engineering Learning Community (ELC) that promotes cohort-based learning and living, mentorship, and participation in personal and professional development seminars. Additionally, inclusive practices have been integrated into first-year engineering lab courses to improve curriculum accessibility. This paper evaluates the validity of an instrument designed to assess the project's impact on students’ college experiences and persistence. It builds on prior exploratory factor analysis (EFA) research by presenting confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) findings to further validate the instrument. 

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5. Competing Ethical Frameworks Mediated by Moral Emotions in HRI: Motivations, Background, and Approach

   Arkin, R.C.; Borenstein, J.; Wagner, A. (July 2019, Proc. 2019 International Conference on Robot Ethics and Standards)

   This paper describes ongoing research for a three-year NSF-funded project on ethical architectures for robots; specifically striving to understand how robots can reconcile differing outcomes produced by alternative ethical frameworks (e.g., Kantianism, Utilitarianism, and Ross’s moral duties). The process of determining the correct action is mediated by context and the moral emotional state of the robot. This paper describes the motivation, background, and approach to the project. 

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