Professors  Stacy Bamberg, Debra Mascaro, and  Robert Roemer, were honored at the 117th Annual Conference for the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) in Louisville, KY for papers they presented.  The awards were:

  • Best Paper, First-Year Programs Division, for Interactive Learning Using a SPIRAL Approach in a Large Required First-Year Mechanical Engineering Class
  • Engineering Class Honorable Mention, Mechanical Engineering Division, for Integration and Reinforcement of Engineering Skills Beginning in the First-Year Design Experience.

“It is nice to be recognized by our peers from other universities for the cutting edge curriculum we continually provide our students” said Dr. Tim Ameel, Professor and Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah.  “It has always been our goal to insure that our students receive an education that prepares them to solve the unique and diverse problems that tomorrow will bring.”

In an effort to keep up a strong tradition of both high quality and innovative education, the Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed a new first and second -year course sequence, funded by a Grant from the National Science Foundation, titled “Design-Based SPIRAL Learning Curriculum.”  The new curriculum integrates a variety of engineering topics in an effort to introduce students to important science and math concepts in an engineering context, and introduces them to the complexity and multifaceted nature of professional engineering practice.

“Our research suggests that an integrated approach to engineering education will produce students who are more confident in their engineering abilities,” said Dr. Ameel.  “Our program allows students to have multiple innovative, hands-on experiences, combined with consistently reinforced training in the basic theories of the engineering sciences that gives them the combination of skills they need to productively contribute to the workforce upon completion of their degree.”

Students are also exposed to a strong teamwork environment combined with the opportunity to work on solving real world design problems, experiences that reinforce what they learn in the classroom.  The latest engineering, computational and professional engineering tools also play a key role.

About ASEE

The ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition is the only conference dedicated to all disciplines of engineering education.  It is committed to fostering the exchange of ideas, enhancing teaching methods and curriculum, and providing prime networking opportunities for engineering and technology education stakeholders such as deans, faculty members and industry and government representatives.