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This paper details a poster presented in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Grantees Poster Session for the 2022 ASEE Annual Conference. The study, aptly titled, aims to examine the 'Long-Term Effect of Involvement in Humanitarian Engineering Projects on Student Professional Formation and Views of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).' As part of the larger study, this poster details the results from alumni (n=19) of the Lipscomb University engineering program collected through an open-ended questionnaire. The research team performed an inductive coding analysis of the qualitative data to understand the connections between humanitarian engineering projects, professional formation, and views of DEI. Quantitative results as well as data from other participant groups, including current students and non-alumni engineering professionals, will be presented elsewhere. Emergent codes showed that participants found both outward and inward value in serving others. Outward value reflected a better quality of life for the person benefiting from service while inward value provided personal satisfaction, learning, or growth for the participant. This inward value was also evident with respect to views of DEI where participants mentioned learning or growing from past events. Two participants directly mentioned a connection between their experiences with humanitarian engineering projects and their views of DEI. Additionally, the codes connected to existing literature in engineering education as well as theories like empathy, identity development, and emotional intelligence. These results are promising for this study and will be expanded upon through interviews where these connections will be examined at a deeper level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of a larger project examining the role of humanitarian service learning in engineering (NSF project number EEC-1540301), we conducted an investigation of first-year engineering students' perceptions of humanitarian service learning projects, social responsibility in their discipline, and ethics in STEM. Students (n=231) taking a required freshmen level engineering course were surveyed with a pre- and post-instrument, and provided with these working definitions: Community Service is voluntary work intended to help people in a particular community. Social Responsibility is an obligation that an individual (or company) has to act with concern and sensitivity, aware of the impacts of their own action on others, particularly the disadvantaged. Social Justice relates to the distribution of the advantages and disadvantages in society, including the way in which they are allocated. Pro bono- work done without compensation (pay) for the public good. This course specifically addresses the issues described above with the goal of providing early exposure to topics that will be reinforced in non-major coursework, such as general education elective courses. Results showed that there was little change in student perceptions before and after completion of the course in terms of their perceptions of ethics, social responsibility, and social justice. In the areas in which there were statistically significant changes, students were, on average, slightly less sure the engineering profession can help people or solve social issues and slightly less interested in a job that involves helping people. On the other hand, students were slightly more aware, after the course, of the need to include social aspects in engineering practice and rated technical and professional skills as slightly less important after the class. It was also found that some groups in the class (women, minority students, first-generation students, and student less focused on salary in thinking about their future jobs) entered the class with different attitudes and changed in different ways by the end of the course. Overall, the results of this survey support other findings in engineering ethics which suggests that one course is insufficient to make significant impacts on the ways engineering students think about the societal implications of their work. However, these declines in student confidence, while small, are important to take seriously and this paper will draw out potential implications of this finding. Finally, we will discuss the implications of the differences within the class in terms of effective teaching of these topics and retention of underrepresented students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service learning, and specifically the work of organizations such as Engineers Without Borders USA, have become popular with universities looking to provide their students with applied educational opportunities which blend technical skills with a broader social mission and help the institution demonstrate its global impact. However, questions remain regarding the truly realized outcomes for students, as well as the unintended consequences that may be experienced by the partnering communities. This paper describes early results results from a four-year, mixed-method study which collected data through a combination of interviews and focus groups with members of the Engineers Without Borders USA organization, analysis and coding of completed project documentation, and observations and notes collected during a field visit to a project site. We conclude from our early data that students who are able (given sufficient resources) to fully participate in these type of projects do see positive benefits. However, barriers may prevent all students from having this opportunity. Further, the nature of student service learning projects inherently creates challenges for the communities that partner on these projects. Ongoing revisions to the Engineers Without Borders USA operating procedures may remedy some of the deficiencies, while researchers, participants, and institutions should continue to critically evaluate the impacts and outcomes of their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring, Documenting, and Improving Humanitarian Service Learning through Engineers without Borders-USA is a four-year project exploring a variety of challenges and opportunities in university-based service learning programs. Specifically, this project looks holistically at the inception and evolution of a new Engineers Without Borders USA chapter, while analyzing characteristics, values, and demographics of individuals involved in EWB community-based humanitarian projects in multiple chapters. Further, it examines the social, cultural, and professional interactions and exchanges between and among EWB members and community stakeholders in EWB projects, examining several projects from a variety of chapters across the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]