This brief paper summarizes our major research activities and outcomes in relation to an investigation of shame in the engineering context, a study that was funded through the NSF EEC RFE program (1752897). Based on suggestive evidence from prior engineering education research, we maintain that shame is likely a key mechanism that undergirds socialization processes related to inclusion and exclusion within engineering programs. Therefore, we have organized this study to unpack both the individual, psychological experience of shame in the context of engineering education as well as the socio-cultural landscape in which these experiences occur. The paper summarizes the preliminary findings of our study of psychological patterns of shame in engineering and describes the next steps of the overall investigation.
Dr. James Huff is an Assistant Professor of Engineering Education and teaches courses in design thinking and ethics. In the context of his research lab Beyond Professional Identity (BPI), he mentors undergraduate students, doctoral students, and academic professionals in using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) as a qualitative research method to conduct psychological investigations on identity as experienced in and out of professional domains. He received his Ph.D. in Engineering Education and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University. Dr. Huff also received his B.S. in Computer Engineering from Harding University
Dr. Benjamin Okai is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds specializations in supervision and technology assisted counseling/supervision. He received his MSc.MFT from Harding University and completed his PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision at Regent University VA. He is a member of the American Counseling Association and a reviewer of conference papers for the American Society for Engineering Education. He has worked in a variety of professional clinical settings including outpatient, inpatient, residential facilities, church-based, and private practice. Dr. Okai has strong motivation and active engagement in scholarship and research in psychosocial studies that spans from the phenomenon of Shame, to Advocacy, Diversity, Marital relationships, and Severe Mental Illness. He presents on topics related to marriage and mental health challenges among children and adolescents in developing countries. He and his wife, Olivia, and their three children have been involved in foster care system since 2012. Dr. Okai’s family reside in Searcy Arkansas and are members of the Cloverdale Church of Christ where he serves as one of the elders.
Fourth-year doctoral student at Pennsylvania State University in the mechanical engineering department. Member of the Engineering Cognitive Research Laboratory (ECRL). Current research topics include graduate student well-being and socialization.
Dr. Nicola Sochacka is the Associate Director for Research Initiation and Enablement in the Engineering Education Transformations Institute (EETI) in the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia. Her research interests include interpretive research quality, systems thinking, diversity, STEAM (STEM + Art) education, and the role of empathy in engineering education and practice. Her work has been recognized through multiple best paper awards and keynote presentations at international and national conferences and workshops.
Dr. Joachim Walther is a Professor of engineering education research at the University of Georgia and the Founding Director of the Engineering Education Transformations Institute (EETI) in the College of Engineering. He is dedicated to lowering the barriers for STEM faculty and students to conduct high-quality, interpretive, educational research. He co-developed the ProQual approach, a method that is designed to demystify interpretive research for faculty and students from technical backgrounds.
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3149-2306
Florida International University
[biography]
Dr. Stephen Secules is an Assistant Professor in the School of Universal Computing, Construction, and Engineering Education at Florida International University. Secules holds a joint appointment in the STEM Transformation Institute and a secondary appointment in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. He has bachelor degrees in engineering from Dartmouth College, a master’s in Architectural Acoustics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a PhD in Education (Curriculum and Instruction) from the University of Maryland. Prior to his academic career, Stephen was an acoustical consultant for 5 years in both London, UK and Silicon Valley, CA. His research has focused on culture and equity in engineering education, particularly undergraduate contexts, pedagogy, and student support. Through his work he aims to use critical qualitative, video-based, participatory, and ethnographic methods to look at everyday educational settings in engineering and shift them towards equity and inclusion. He also leads the Equity Research Group where he mentors graduate and undergraduate students in pursuing critical and action-oriented research.
I graduated with my B.S. in Psychology in 2019 and am currently working as a Post-Baccalaureate Research Associate on an NSF grant. I am a member of the Beyond Professional Identity research group based in Harding University located in
Searcy, Arkansas. I plan to further my studies in psychology through attending a graduate program for school or child psychology. It is my hope that these processes can lead to a career as both a researcher and practitioner.
Dr. Jeremiah Sullins is an Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Harding University. As a cognitive psychologist his primary interests are in the learning sciences. His research focus is on learning/educational technologies, with branches extending into emotions, pedagogical strategies, tutorial dialogue/interaction, mechanisms of feedback, and question asking.
Shari E. Miller is an Associate Professor and the Associate Dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Georgia. Her research focuses broadly on social work education and the social work profession with specific areas ranging from educational innovation, thinking in and for social work, development of theory, inter- and trans-disciplinary and inter-professional education and practice, and professional socialization. She has experience teaching across the social work education continuum, with an emphasis on theory, practice, and the relationship between theory, research, and practice. She is engaged in an ongoing collaborative research program with colleagues from engineering to develop inter-disciplinary approaches to education for reflective inter-professional practice in a global society. She also collaborates with colleagues from multiple disciplines on community engaged projects focused on sustainability.
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