Center of Excellence in Engineering Education

Purpose

The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences has a strong and proud history of quality undergraduate education. The Center of Excellence in Engineering Education has been created to support the faculty's work in improving student learning and is a symbol of the college's commitment to excellence in teaching and learning.

Vision

Become a nationally and internationally known center in promoting, enhancing, and disseminating excellence in engineering education through research and collaboration with the public and private sectors, and with other institutions of higher education.

Mission

  • Identify, develop and apply effective learning methodologies for engineering education.
  • Identify, develop and apply assessment tools to measure the effectiveness of engineering learning, particularly in the context of ABET 2000 criteria.
  • Conduct research in engineering education and engineering practice in collaboration with other educational institutions, community resources, industrial partners and funding agencies.
  • Develop test sites which incorporate engineering education improvements, and disseminate effective teaching materials and practices developed through the ongoing work of the center.

Focus

There will be three focus areas of the center: Research, Development and Outreach. Outreach activities will include dissemination of the center's work, professional development and K-12 and public outreach.

Functions

Some of the functions of the center include:

  • Lend support to faculty seeking external funding for projects that support the mission of the college. This goal will be accomplished by making available expertise that the faculty can drawn upon and by providing feedback to the proposal's principal investigator and, when appropriate, a letter of support.
  • Provide opportunities for collaboration among faculty inside and outside of Western Michigan University.
  • Serve as a clearinghouse for resources such as workshops, journals, videos, etc. to enhance teaching and learning.
  • Recognize excellence in engineering education by coordinating the nomination and selection of an annual teaching award sponsored by the dean of the college.

 

Research associates

  • Dr. Betsy Aller, Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Engineering Design, Manufacturing and Management Systems
  • Dr. Massood Atashbar, Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Dr. Steven E. Butt, Dean, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
  • Dr. Alamgir Choudhury, Professor, Engineering Design, Manufacturing and Management Systems
  • Dr. Tycho K. Fredericks, Professor, Industrial and Entrepreneurial Engineering and Engineering Management
  • Dr. Tarun Gupta, Professor, Department of Industrial and Entrepreneurial Engineering and Engineering Management
  • Dr. Azim Houshyar, Professor, Department of Industrial and Entrepreneurial Engineering and Engineering Management
  • Dr. Damon Miller, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5314
Phone: (616) 387-4038
Fax: (616) 387-4024