OHIO STATE’S INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP COURSE FOR ENGINEERING STUDENTS IS A HIT

Can a one-credit-hour course change the culture of engineering? Ohio State University hopes so. Since 2016, the College of Engineering has offered an Inclusive Leadership Practice for Emerging Professionals course. Lisa Abrams, professor of engineering education, designed and now leads the elective, which is open to any undergraduate engineering student. The idea is to help build a more inclusive academic community, with the long-term goal of creating a more equitable engineering workforce. Explains Abrams: “Engineering employers are increasingly looking for new hires with a demonstrated ability to work with diverse teams. This often includes a focus on gender and gender equity, as well as [diversity in] race, religion, ability, sexual orientation, and other social identities.” Students who take a course in intercultural leadership and engagement should have an advantage in a competitive job market, she adds.

The course has become popular, and has evolved into two separate sections: one with men and one with women. The idea behind the split, Abrams explains, is to give students a safe environment to discuss topics related to race, gender, sexual identity, and ethnicity, and touch on issues like privilege, microaggressions, and empathy. The division also recognizes that engineering is currently dominated by White males. “In order to change the climate you need the majority group, which in this case is White men, to participate and engage and become allies for those marginalized groups,” says Adithya Jayakumar, a senior lecturer in engineering education. The two cohorts are combined at the end of the semester to discuss what they’ve learned.

The course was so successful that Abrams and Jayakumar expanded it in the fall of 2019, when they piloted another cohort for first-year students. They hope to have an impact on students early in their studies so they might influence the campus engineering culture over their next four to five years. Early data from the first-year pilot are encouraging, they say. Underrepresented students who took the class felt more included, valued, and respected among their peers compared with those in the general first-year population. The pilot course wasn’t offered last year because of COVID-19 restrictions, but Abrams hopes it will be revived this fall if normal campus operations resume.

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UK ENGINEERS INVENT NEW WAY TO MAKE LIGHTWEIGHT STEEL

Materials engineers at Britain’s University of Sheffield invented a new method for producing steel. It results in a new type that is lightweight, high-strength, and easily mass manufactured. If widely implemented, it could help lower carbon dioxide emissions in automobiles. Lighter steel in vehicles would reduce their weight, improve engine efficiency, and thereby help the environment. The team’s secret is the inclusion of copper. Historically, steel manufacturers didn’t want copper in the mix because it can weaken some types of steel. But the Sheffield engineers came up with a new technique that uses copper’s positive properties, like malleability, in a way that adds strength. The result, says Mark Rainforth, professor of materials science and engineering, is “a truly world-leading quality of steel.” Rainforth points out that copper is increasingly found in recycled steels, including cars and items containing electrical wiring. Accordingly, as steelmakers use more recycled materials to green the industry, avoiding copper is no longer an option.

NSTA UNVEILS NEW SET OF SCIENCE EDUCATION RESOURCES

In an effort to help K–12 students learn fundamental science principles, the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) is rolling out a weekly series of Daily Do Playlists that help children understand science ideas over time. The playlists come in four categories: elementary, middle school, high school, and families. Each “Daily Do” consists of a fun task that guides students to either figure out the science behind how things work or to design solutions to problems (basic engineering). For example, one elementary school playlist is called “How Do Kites Fly?” It teaches students how to build and fly a basic kite and requires them to ask and answer questions about how kites work.

The lesson plans, grounded in research-based best practices, are available to both teachers and parents. “Now, more than ever, it is important for students to have access to high-quality experiences—whether they are learning in the classroom or at home in a virtual learning environment—that expand their perspective about science and help them make sense of the world around them,” explains NSTA President Elizabeth Allan. The Daily Do Playlists are free, but users must register to access them (unless they are already NSTA members). The NSTA—a community of 40,000 science educators and professionals—is the world’s largest organization dedicated to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching.

Images courtesy of Darin Gray/USC Viterbi School of Engineering

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