Important Updates about EETI Communications!

Starting this semester, EETI is changing how its communications work.  Only a select few communications will be sent to the entire CENGR and EETI member base: The initial announcement of programs, forum announcements, and announcements about funding opportunities.  For other EETI events (EETIncubator, FLCs, peer mentoring, book clubs, etc.), we will only send communications to those who opt in.  You can opt in one of two ways:

1. Sign up to be an EETI member, which includes the ability to select which communications you wish to receive.  To learn more about EETI membership and how to apply, please follow this link: https://eeti.uga.edu/eeti-membership/
2. Email the contact for the event and let them know you wish to receive communications.  The appropriate contact is specified in the event description on this page.

These changes have been made to reduce email clutter for EETI non-members, and as part of an effort to make the benefits of EETI membership more clear and transparent.  Please email John Morelock (John.Morelock@uga.edu) if you have any questions about these changes!

About EETI

The Engineering Education Transformations Institute (EETI) in the College of Engineering provides a home for the excitement, diverse discussions, and ongoing initiatives in the area of Engineering Education. We focus on building community and shared capacity around the scholarship of teaching and learning that will allow us to improve our own teaching, innovate in our courses and curricula, and conduct empirical investigations to better understand our students’ experiences.

Participants in institute programming include faculty, staff, and students from all schools in the College. We leverage the expertise of our engineering education research faculty to contribute to the shared capacity of the group. Participation in institute activities is open and flexible – everybody is welcome to participate by just being part of the conversation or by getting involved in shared initiatives.

EETI welcomes the School of Computing to the College of Engineering, and encourages School of Computing faculty, staff, and graduate students to take advantage of our events and opportunities!

EETI is currently offering the following programming.

Events and Activities

This Semester’s Programming Format

EETI’s goal is to provide a safe space where faculty, staff, and students across the College and University can continue to engage in community discussions around engineering education regardless of where they are situated.  Accordingly, EETI will be offering a mix of in-person and hybrid programming.

• Our forums will be held in-person and streamed via Zoom for those attending from a distance.
• Our EETIncubator will be held simultaneously in-person and on Zoom, using the hybrid meeting technology in Driftmier 1215.
• Our peer mentoring meals and dossier reflection & writing group will be held in-person.

Engineering Education Forums

These interactive meetings bring together faculty, staff, and students across the College and University to share ideas, hear from external presenters, and participate in capacity development activities. Lunch is provided for those attending these events in-person.

The table below details the five forums that are planned for this semester.

*Dates may be subject to change. RSVP links will be sent one week prior to each forum to the entire College of Engineering and EETI partners across campus who have requested to receive notifications.

EETIncubator

This semester, Dr. John Morelock will host a weekly engineering education research incubator to provide an opportunity for EETI members who are working on a specific idea in engineering education to develop their projects as part of a supportive cohort. EETIncubator sessions will be scheduled based on participants’ availability.  Additionally, EETI faculty will continue working one-on-one with faculty members selected for research initiation and virtual laboratory grants.

If you are interested in conducting research in engineering education, or attending the EETIncubator, please either (1) apply to be an EETI member and indicate you would like to receive communications about the EETIncubator, or (2) contact Dr. John Morelock (john.morelock@uga.edu).

Peer Mentoring Meals

This semester, peer mentoring meals will be held weekly on suitable mornings or afternoons, depending on faculty schedules and weather conditions. Peer mentoring meals will be hosted in person at local restaurants, occasionally taking the form of an outdoor picnic instead.

If you are interested in being added to the peer mentoring email list, please either (1) apply to be an EETI member and indicate you would like to receive communications about the peer mentoring meetings, or (2) email Dr. Siddharth Savadatti (sidsavad@uga.edu).

Dossier Reflection & Writing Group (Pilot)

This semester, EETI is piloting a new initiative to help provide faculty structured time and support for reflecting on and writing about each semester’s achievements in a way that aligns with promotion criteria.  This “reflection and writing group” would take place once per semester and is intended to create a running record of achievements that faculty can reference when writing their promotion dossiers.  The pilot is being led jointly by Drs. Eliza Banu and John Morelock, and will be catered toward Lecturers and Senior Lecturers.  If the pilot is successful, we may expand to cater to other kinds of faculty in future semesters.

Dr. Morelock will reach out to CENGR lecturers with more information.  If you not a lecturers but are still interested to attend, please email Dr. Morelock at John.Morelock@uga.edu.

EETI Library Program

The EETI Library Program is a new addition to EETI’s lineup!  On the north wing of Driftmier’s second floor, we have a shelf filled with books related to engineering education, and College of Engineering faculty, staff, and students are free to check them out (using the check-out form on the shelf) or, for specific books, take a copy to keep.  EETI is interested to continue building this library—if there is an engineering-education-related book you would like us to add, please email Dr. John Morelock (john.morelock@uga.edu) to request it!

Funding Opportunities

2024-25 Dean’s Engineering Education Fellowship for Ph.D. Students

The Dean’s Engineering Education Fellowship is an annual award sponsored by the Engineering Education Transformations Institute (EETI) that fully funds up to 3 College of Engineering Ph.D. students to engage with engineering education research and/or practice for one year.  The purpose of the fellowship is to provide an avenue for engineering graduate students who want to cultivate and maintain a focus on education as part of their future careers to develop as teachers and educational scholars.

This year, the Dean’s Fellowship has two tracks to which students can apply:

1. The Traditional Track – Fellows will spend Fall 2024 doing engineering education research alongside an engineering faculty member, and then spend Spring 2025 teaching as an instructor of record.  This track is intended for students who want a strong grounding in both the practice and scholarship of teaching and learning.  If a fellow has not yet taken ENED 7010 (Preparing to Be an Effective Engineering Educator, a prerequisite for teaching as an instructor of record), they may do so alongside their educational research work during Fall 2024.
2. The Teaching-Focused Track – Fellows will spend both Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 teaching as an instructor of record.  This track is intended for students who want to focus on the practice of teaching and learning, and who would like a chance to apply learning from their first teaching experience to grow through a second teaching experience.  Because ENED 7010 is required to teach as an instructor of record and is only taught in the Fall, fellows must have taken the course during or prior to Fall 2023 to be eligible for this track.

To apply for an award, please fill out the application form linked below by 5 PM, Friday, October 13.  Award decisions will be announced in late October or early November.  Please direct any questions to Dr. John Morelock at John.Morelock@uga.edu.

Link to application: https://ugeorgia.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d6EPFKxXRbfnd66

Research and Innovation Grants

Applications for the EETI 2023-24 Research and Innovation Grants are open now! The purpose of these grants is to promote a thriving ecosystem of engineering education at UGA. This program is intended to support a diversity of research, instructional approaches, and other innovations that have the potential to improve the experience of teaching and learning engineering in our College.

All College of Engineering faculty are welcome to apply. For more details regarding the grants and how to apply, please follow the link below. The application deadline is Friday, September 15. Please direct any questions to Dr. John Morelock at john.morelock@uga.edu.

Solicitation: Research-initiation-and-innovation-solicitation.pdf

If you would like to become a member of EETI to be featured on EETI’s website and receive notifications about events and opportunities, please apply here: https://eeti.uga.edu/eeti-membership/