Engineering Education Symposium
Tentatively save the date for next year's symposium on January 8th, 2027
In Celebration of Research and Innovation
The Engineering Education group at NC State would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to all who attended our first annual symposium on January 9th, 2026. The event welcomed over 120 attendees and included 42 presenters from across the university.
A special thanks to Dr. Adam Carberry and Dr. Idalis Villanueva Alarcón, our keynote speakers and recipients of the Richard Felder Award for Excellence in Engineering Education!
What is Engineering Education? Remarks from Speaker Dr. Adam Carberry
Our Commitment to Advancement and Excellence
The NC State College of Engineering is nationally recognized for its dedication to advancing engineering education alongside research and innovation. The college prioritizes high-quality teaching, continual faculty development, and the integration of educational methods that prepare graduates to lead in a rapidly changing technical world.
Across the college, the College Teaching Council plays a vital role in strengthening instruction and promoting a culture of teaching excellence. This group of faculty representatives fosters collaboration, advances course innovation, and supports effective assessment practices that elevate the quality of learning across departments. Their leadership keeps NC State’s engineering education community connected, reflective, and continually improving.
Building on this foundation, the 2026 NC State Engineering Education Symposium marks the next evolution of this legacy. Designed to kick off the spring semester, the symposium will bring together faculty, staff, graduate students, and partners from across the College of Engineering, the Engineering Education Program, Wolfpack Engineering Unleashed (WEU), and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).
This gathering serves as both a celebration of NC State’s enduring commitment to teaching excellence and a launchpad for the next generation of innovation in engineering education.
Reflecting on Five Decades of Innovation in Teaching and Learning
For more than fifty years, NC State University has been a national leader in shaping engineering education. From foundational research to innovative outreach, the university’s impact has helped define how engineering is taught, learned, and experienced.
Dr. Richard Felder, Hoechst Celanese Professor Emeritus, pioneered research on learning and teaching styles in engineering, sparking a national shift toward evidence-based instruction. His scholarship laid the groundwork for active learning, formative assessment, and continuous instructional improvement, principles that remain central to engineering classrooms today.
Dr. Christine Grant built upon that foundation by establishing the university’s first engineering faculty development structure in 2008. Her vision created new pathways for faculty mentorship, teaching effectiveness, and professional growth, setting the standard for how engineering colleges can support educators in advancing both technical and instructional excellence.
Dr. Laura Bottomley, Founder of The Engineering Place and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, expanded NC State’s influence into K-20 education through hands-on engagement and teacher development programs. Her outreach has inspired thousands of students across North Carolina and strengthened the state’s engineering education pipeline.
Together, these innovators established a foundation that continues to shape NC State’s culture of teaching excellence. Their legacy endures through ongoing collaborations across the College of Engineering and the College of Education that advance how engineering is taught and experienced today.
Presentation Proposal Details
We will begin accepting proposals for 2027 in the fall of 2026. Faculty, staff, and graduate students are invited to submit proposals. The posters, talks and workshops can be work published elsewhere, such as at ASEE or at ASEE Southeastern Section Conference. This symposium is for sharing these materials with the NC State community to foster connection.
Proposal Requirements
- Posters: Title and a brief description (2-3 sentences)
- Lightning talks (8 minutes): ~200 words with a clear statement of the objectives, relevance to engineering education, assessment methods (if relevant) and results
- Workshops (75 minutes): ~500 words about the activities attendees will participate in and the takeaways
Areas of Interest for Proposals
- Innovative teaching methods and course design
- Assessment of teaching and learning
- Integration of emerging topics and technologies
- Teaching with the 6Cs (Wolfpack Engineering Unleashed)
- Mentorship and faculty learning communities
- Projects, laboratories, and demonstrations
- K-12 engineering outreach (poster session only)