Engineering Education Research Working Group

This Research Working Group will focus on developing a community of researchers to conduct engineering education and workforce development research to meet the College of Engineering’s Vision 2035 goals and to support the engineering workforce needs of Arkansas and the nation. The RWG will have three primary goals:
Foster cross-campus and industry collaborations to enhance student and faculty experiences and research opportunities.
Expand the community of faculty conducting rigorous, interdisciplinary engineering education research (EER).
Increase awareness of funding opportunities & support proposal development in EER.
Jenn Campbell, PI, jennc@uark.edu
Richard Cassady, Co-PI, cassady@uark.edu
Heather Walker, Co-PI, hlw@uark.edu
David Achukwu, dachukwu@uark.edu 
Dylan Berthold, db126@uark.edu 
Stephen Burgin, srburgin@uark.edu 
Ed Clausen, eclause@uark.edu 
"Brandon Crisel, bcrisel@uark.edu 
Eric Fernstrom, efernstr@uark.edu 
Aysa Galbraith, agalbrai@uark.edu 
Dylan Graves, dagraves@uark.edu 
Anthony Gunderman, algunder@uark.edu 
Kevin Hall, kdhall@uark.edu 
Bryan Hill, bwhill@uark.edu
David Jensen, dcjensen@uark.edu 
Neelakshi Majumdar, neelm@uark.edu 
Terry Martin, tmartin@uark.edu 
Jay McAllister, jtmcalli@uark.edu 
Matthew McVey, mm255@uark.edu 
Yuanlu Niu, yn005@uark.edu 
David Paulus, dpaulus@uark.edu 
Erik Pollock, epolloc@uark.edu 
Shakil Rafi, sarafi@uark.edu 
Abhi Rajagopala, abhi@uark.edu 
Lekshmi Sasidharan, lekshmis@uark.edu 
Karl Schubert, schubert@uark.edu 
Silke Spiesshoefer, sspiessh@uark.edu 
Sam Sorvoja, ssorvoja@uark.edu 
Jeffrey Wolchok, jwolchok@uark.edu
We are actively seeking industry partners who share our commitment to shaping the future of the engineering workforce. Our engineering education and workforce development group brings together faculty, researchers, students, and industry to explore real-world challenges, design meaningful learning experiences, and strengthen the talent pipeline across engineering fields.

By collaborating with us, industry partners can help guide our priorities, collaborate on research proposals, and provide essential insight into the most pressing workforce needs. These collaborations ensure that the next generation of engineers is prepared with the skills, mindsets, and practical experiences needed to thrive in rapidly evolving industries.

Partnership offers a number of benefits, including:
  • Strengthening ties with the University of Arkansas and gaining visibility across engineering programs.
  • Access to a diverse pipeline of emerging engineering talent, including opportunities for internships, capstone projects, co-ops, and early recruitment.
  • Influence in shaping educational programs and curricula, ensuring alignment between industry needs and the training students receive.
  • Participation in collaborative research initiatives, from applied engineering projects to studies on workforce development, human-centered design, and emerging technology skills.
  • Opportunities to test ideas, pilot innovations, or host design challenges with motivated student teams and interdisciplinary faculty.

We welcome partnerships of all scales—from informal conversations and one-time engagements to long-term collaborations and sponsored research. Together, we can build a stronger, more agile engineering workforce prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.

*Parnership Sign-up form coming soon

Recently submitted a propasal to the National Science Foundation Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) Program to develop and evaluate a hands-on, design-oriented track within mechanical engineering, specifically with regional and national industry partners from outdoor industries.
Upcoming workshop with Matthew Verleger, NSF Engineering Education and Ceners Program Officer, to learn about funding opportunities and best practices for engineering education proposal submission.
Upcoming meeting topics:
  • Introduction to Engineering Education Research (Guest Speaker)
  • Writing Engineering Education Manuscripts and Proposals
  • Workshop to develop topic area working groups and draft research ideas
  • Additional topics and workshops driven by the interest of RWG members and opportunities in this research space

Faculty interested in joining can connect with us through our dedicated Teams chat.