Symposium Schedule

Join us in San Diego for engaging breakout sessions, discussion dens and town halls!
Below is the full schedule for the 2025 ABET Symposium. All times are Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).
Date
Tracks
Location
Wednesday, April 2
8:30 a.m.

Fundamentals of Program Assessment Workshop

Wednesday, April 2 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Workshops

The Fundamentals of Program Assessment Workshop is an in-person workshop designed with a focus on small group interaction and individual assignments to introduce the context for program assessment, examine assessment processes, develop measurable outcomes and apply data collection and reporting methods. The exercises and examples are from associate’s, bachelor’s and/or tech-focused programs. These can be applied to other program types and/or timeframes.

This workshop will allow you to work in teams and ask questions of experienced facilitators.

The workshop prepares you to:

  • Identify key elements of a functional assessment process.
  • Clarify the similarities and differences between course and program assessment.
  • Make student outcomes measurable with the development of performance indicators.
  • Understand the methods to assess student outcomes.
  • Develop rubrics as one method to score student performance in achieving student outcomes.
  • Identify the pros and cons of various data collection methods.
  • Decipher and report results.

Please check the 2025 ABET Symposium mobile app for your workshop location.

The Fundamentals of Program Assessment Workshop is an in-person workshop designed with a focus on small group interaction and individual assignments to introduce the context for program assessment, examine assessment processes, develop measurable outcomes and apply data collection and reporting methods. The exercises and examples...

8:30 a.m.

Advanced Program Assessment Workshop

Wednesday, April 2 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Aqua 310 | Workshops

Prerequisites

  • Fundamentals of Program Assessment Workshop
    or
  • Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL)

If you have already attended an ABET Fundamentals of Assessment Workshop and are confident in your assessment knowledge, but looking for a highly focused, hands-on group session to hone and refine your current process, this is your next step.

Developing sustainable assessment processes that lead to quality improvement of educational programs is an iterative process. Most experts would agree that the first few cycles of an assessment process lead to more improvements in the actual assessment processes than they do in improvements of student learning. This workshop is designed to help you take a critical look at your current assessment processes and take them to the next level of quality. Time is spent on critiquing processes and developing ways to ensure consistency in the assessment of student learning across multiple faculty evaluators. In this workshop, you build on the principles taught in ABET Fundamentals to develop more efficient and effective processes.

During the Advanced Program Assessment workshop, you work in a small group to critique performance indicators, undergo rubric calibration training, critique assessment processes, and engage in exercises centered on data visualization and evaluation. You leave the workshop with the ability to apply what you learned to improve your own assessment program.

The workshop prepares you to:

  • Create a sustainable assessment process.
  • Assure consistency in multi-faculty evaluations.
  • Identify ways to improve your current assessment processes.

Prerequisites Fundamentals of Program Assessment Workshop or Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL) If you have already attended an ABET Fundamentals of Assessment Workshop and are confident in your assessment knowledge, but looking for a highly focused, hands-on group session to...

9:00 a.m.

Self-Study Development Workshop

Wednesday, April 2 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Workshops

In this interactive seminar, individuals receive a step-by-step look at the accreditation process according to the most recent accreditation criteria and the Accreditation Policy and Procedure Manual (APPM). Sessions include a thorough look at each criterion and an inside view at what the review teams look for during their visit.

Through group activities, senior ABET volunteer leadership will lead participants through the stages of developing a clear, concise and targeted Self-Study report. Priority registration is for those attendees anticipating an accreditation review in the 2025-26 review cycle.

Participation in this accreditation workshop is limited to two people per institution. We will only honor the first two registrations from each institution.

Tables will be grouped by commission and you will not be able to switch tables if you register incorrectly. There will not be a waitlist and we will not accept walk-ins on the day of the workshop. Registration will be first come, first served.

Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ANSAC)
Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC)
Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC)
Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC)

Please check the 2025 ABET Symposium mobile app for your workshop location.

In this interactive seminar, individuals receive a step-by-step look at the accreditation process according to the most recent accreditation criteria and the Accreditation Policy and Procedure Manual (APPM). Sessions include a thorough look at each criterion and an inside view at what the review teams...

Thursday, April 3
9:45 a.m.

ABET Accreditation Options for 2-year Programs

Thursday, April 3 | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Aqua C | Accreditation

This presentation will outline ABET accreditation requirements for two-year programs, focusing on equipping faculty and administrators to prepare effectively. ABET accreditation enhances the quality and credibility of two-year programs, helping graduates become industry-ready and competitive. Attendees will gain insights into the self-study process, program eligibility, and the institutional and workforce benefits of accreditation. The session will explore ABET’s commitment to inclusive education and how accredited programs support lifelong learning and career development. With practical handouts and a Q&A session, participants will leave ready to navigate the accreditation process confidently.

Learning Objectives

  • Identifying the appropriate ABET commission for 2 year programs.
  • Discussing the resource requirements for programs.
  • Highlighting what Program evaluators look for in the accreditation process.

This presentation will outline ABET accreditation requirements for two-year programs, focusing on equipping faculty and administrators to prepare effectively. ABET accreditation enhances the quality and credibility of two-year programs, helping graduates become industry-ready and competitive. Attendees will gain insights into the self-study process, program eligibility,...

  • Richard Olawoyin
    ANSAC Vice Chair Operations, IDEA Council Chair, ABET

    Dr. Richard Olawoyin, P.E., is a professor of engineering at Oakland University. He is a US Fulbright Scholar (alumnus), and has engaged students globally through teaching and research, particularly in four countries: China, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and the United States. He has served ABET in various roles including serving as the current chair of the ABET Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Advisory Council, incoming chair-elect of ABET ANSAC, Team Chair, Training Support Facilitator for PEV candidates, and a PEV mentor. He was awarded the ASSP Charles V. Culbertson Outstanding Award in 2019 and 2022 for his professional contributions.

9:45 a.m.

Lifelong Learning – Is Academia Ready for Workforce Evolution?

Thursday, April 3 | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Aqua D | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

Continual transformation requires agility in a rapidly changing word. Industry transformation is driven by technological advancements and evolving customer needs fueling workforce evolution. Academia transformation is rooted in its ability to support this evolving workforce needs. Lifelong learning is a continuous and collaborative process between the academia and industry to foster continuous growth in an ever-evolving world. By adopting diverse learning strategies such as formal education, self-directed learning, and experiential learning, individuals can stay relevant.

Learning Objectives

Explore what lifelong learning should include for engineers and related professions, focusing on both the process and content of continuous education. Panel will provide an overview of the available tools and resources that support lifelong learning, including a landscape overview of current technologies and platforms.

Continual transformation requires agility in a rapidly changing word. Industry transformation is driven by technological advancements and evolving customer needs fueling workforce evolution. Academia transformation is rooted in its ability to support this evolving workforce needs. Lifelong learning is a continuous and collaborative process between...

  • Richard Hope
    Chief Technical Officer, Americas, AECOM

    Richard Hope is the Chief Technical Officer, Americas, AECOM and ABET Industry Advisory Council Chair. AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management on projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector client.

    Hope holds a degree in Civil Engineering from Teesside University, Middlesbrough, Tees Valley, UK.

  • Anita Yadav
    Director Engineering, Integrated Components and Solutions, Caterpillar Inc.

    Anita Yadav is a visionary leader with over 25 years of experience in systems and software engineering and has held diverse roles both within and outside Caterpillar.

    She is deeply involved in training, mentoring, and coaching initiatives. She has been a driving force behind programs such as “PLATFORM of Success” and “ABCDs of Road to Progress,” designed to support Women in Engineering initiatives within Caterpillar.

    Anita holds a master’s degree in computer science from the University of South Florida, Tampa and Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur. Her leadership and commitment to professional development continue to make a significant impact in the engineering community.

  • Janelle Simmonds
    Global Enablement Lead, Siemens Digital Industries Software

    Janelle Simmonds is passionate about advancing education at the intersection of academia and industry. She has used her expertise in university/industry partnerships, organizational strategy and online learning to positively impact institutions and individuals throughout the course of her career in both higher education and the corporate sector.

    Simmonds is the Global Enablement Lead for the Academic and Future Workforce Strategy team at Siemens Digital Industries Software. She is responsible for content and credential strategy, enabling learners and educators with resources to prepare the future workforce with the skills needed to succeed in industry.

    Before joining Siemens, she led the Partnership Development team at the University of Michigan’s Center for Academic Innovation and previously served as chief of staff to the Office of the Provost at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

    Before joining U-M, she spent 12 years overseas, working in international pathways education in the UK and Europe. During that time, she leveraged her former career in PR and public affairs to teach PR, marketing, advertising, writing and business development to students from across the world. At Kaplan International Pathways, she served as a lecturer and curriculum consultant, then as a program leader, college director, and associate director of the Center for Learning Innovation and Quality.

    Simmonds holds a BA in Communications and International Studies, and an MA in Communication from Wayne State University. She also completed an executive coaching certification from the University of Michigan and provides coaching and consulting to empower leaders and teams in moving toward their goals.

  • Howard Appelman
    Adjunct Associate Professor , Missouri University of Science and Technology

    Howard Appelman is an adjunct associate professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology (MS&T) and a member of the ABET Industry Advisory Council (IAC).

    Appelman shares his knowledge of manufacturing and product and process design with mechanical and aerospace engineering undergraduate and graduate students in his courses each semester, with students participating both in-class and remotely in a hybrid format. Appelman is also an active member of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) where he previously served on the Corporate Member Council (chair), ASEE Nominating Committee for Society Elections, ASEE Board of Directors, Long Range Planning, Isadore T. Davis Award Committee, and Constitution and Bylaws Committee. Appelman also chaired ASEE’s International Forum, where he helped bring people from around the world to reaffirm ASEE's commitment to international engineering education.

    As a senior manufacturing engineer at Boeing (retired), Appelman provided leadership and support to teams and stakeholders executing operations internal application development projects. He also conducted assessments of manufacturing readiness and worked with program leadership, affordability focals and production engineers to overcome operational constraints.

    Raised in St. Louis, Appelman returned to his hometown after graduating from MIT with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering. He joined McDonnell Douglas (which later merged with Boeing) and earned a master’s in electrical engineering and an M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. Appelman began teaching in 1995 at the Boeing/St. Louis Community College Center for Business, Industry and Labor before joining Missouri University of Science and Technology in 2004.

  • Nelson Baker
    Inaugural Interim Dean, Lifetime Learning Division & Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

    Nelson C. Baker, Ph.D., is the inaugural interim dean of the Lifetime Learning Division and professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. As dean, Dr. Baker leads a multifaceted enterprise that interacts with Georgia Tech faculty to create and deploy Georgia Tech's research, educational programs, activities and services for the on-going learning needs for both individuals and employer workforce demands throughout a lifetime. This new division, formed in 2023 under Dr. Baker’s leadership, touches more than 250,000 K-12 teachers, students and working professionals last year from nearly half the world’s countries, providing them new knowledge and skills for tomorrow’s world. Prior to this role, Dr. Baker served as the dean of professional education for the last decade.

  • Louis Gritzo
    Chief Science Officer, FM Global

    Dr. Louis "Lou" Gritzo is chief science officer and staff senior vice president for commercial property insurer FM Global, a leader in property loss prevention and business continuity. Gritzo is responsible for leading the strategic advancement of science and research at FM Global. He oversees a worldwide team of scientists with expertise in fire, explosions, natural hazards (windstorms, floods, freeze, hail and earthquakes), equipment risk and reliability, and cyber hazards. Prior to joining FM Global in 2006, Gritzo was manager of fire science and technology at Sandia National

    He has served as chair of the board of directors of the Innovation Research Interchange (formerly the Industrial Research Institute), chair of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Heat Transfer Division Executive Committee, and on the governing board of the Global Earthquake Model, on the ABET Industrial Advisory Committee, on the Research Foundation Board of Trustees and Research Advisory Committee for the National Fire Protection Association, and on advisory committees for several universities. In 2015, he was an invited panelist for two sessions at the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Management in Sendai, Japan. He is also a contributing author to Forbes.com. Gritzo has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, with a minor in applied mathematics, from Texas Tech University, USA.

9:45 a.m.

How to Change the World – An Interactive Workshop on Real-world Experiential Learning “at Scale”

Thursday, April 3 | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Aqua EF | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

Evidence shows that real-world experiential learning is highly effective at developing the practical knowledge, skills and mindsets required by students and practitioners of any discipline to effectively tackle complex challenges; especially complex social, economic and environmental challenges. Unfortunately, traditional approaches to experiential learning require significant staff resources and time, ultimately making them costly and largely unscalable.

During this highly interactive workshop, the co-founders of the How to Change the World social enterprise – Alana Heath and Jason Blackstock – will introduce the award-winning experiential learning “at scale” pedagogies that Dr. Blackstock first pioneered at University College London (UCL) and then scaled into a globally accessible and affordable online program since spinning out from UCL. The aim of the workshop is to empower participants with the core concepts of experiential learning at scale & online; and provide an opportunity for them to explore how these concepts can engage both current students and lifelong learners within their educational contexts.

Learning Objectives

  • Define the core concepts underpinning experiential learning at scale; including differentiating between in-person and online modalities.
  • Evaluate "How to Change the World" as a case example of experiential learning at scale (in-person & online), identifying the key design elements that underpin the program's effectiveness.
  • Develop a preliminary plan (sketch or outline) for developing experiential learning at scale within their own educational program or context.
  • Articulate the potential benefits and challenges of implementing experiential learning at scale within their own educational program or context.

Evidence shows that real-world experiential learning is highly effective at developing the practical knowledge, skills and mindsets required by students and practitioners of any discipline to effectively tackle complex challenges; especially complex social, economic and environmental challenges. Unfortunately, traditional approaches to experiential learning require significant...

  • Jason Blackstock
    Founder & CEO, How to Change the World

    Dr Jason Blackstock is the founder and CEO of How to Change the World – a social enterprise that he spun out from University College London (UCL). How to Change the World is a social enterprise transforming careers to create a sustainable future through online experiential learning programs – while building the tech to revolutionise online experiential learning at scale.

    Blackstock's previous experience spans quantum physics research; silicon valley tech development; sustainability, technology & innovation policy; and higher education innovation & leadership. Since the mid-2000s, he has taught, provided policy advice and led research from universities and think tanks such as Harvard, Oxford, the Centre for International Governance Innovation, and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. Jason was the Founding Head of UCL STEaPP (2013-18), and currently serves as a director or advisory board member for numerous organisations, including MIT IDSS and We Make Change.

  • Alana Heath
    Co-founder & COO, How to Change the World

    Alana Heath is the co-founder and COO of How to Change the World. How to Change the World is a social enterprise transforming careers to create a sustainable future through online experiential learning programs – while building the tech to revolutionise online experiential learning at scale.

    Prior to her current role, Heath spent over a decade mobilising business and technology as forces for good in sectors such as financial inclusion, energy access and sustainability. She has worked across the U.S., Europe, India and East Africa with social enterprises, non-profits and impact investing funds such as Grassroots Capital Management, the Microfinance Information Exchange and SunFunder, and as a consultant on World Bank projects. In 2012 Heath co-founded Alta Solar, a non-profit introducing solar technology to villages in the Himalayan mountain range in Ladakh (northern India), and in 2016 she co-founded Ara Energy, a venture researching access to energy in East Africa in partnership with Factore[e] Ventures.

9:45 a.m.

Effectively Tell Your Story: Avoid the Top Pitfalls of Self-Study Reports

Thursday, April 3 | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Indigo E | Accreditation

The Self-Study Report (SSR) is the first impression a program makes on a program evaluator. A well written SSR is the fundamental building block in ensuring an effective and successful ABET visit. This panel presentation will focus on common mistakes in preparing a SSR for ANSAC, CAC, EAC, and ETAC reviews. It will be based on our collective experience in reading SSRs over the past 25 years and those of other experienced ABET volunteers within our community.

Learning Objectives

  1. Identify common mistakes made in preparing SSRs.
  2. Learn how to avoid common SSR mistakes.
  3. How to tell the story of how your program satisfies the ABET criteria while saving your program significant time and effort in crafting the SSR.

The Self-Study Report (SSR) is the first impression a program makes on a program evaluator. A well written SSR is the fundamental building block in ensuring an effective and successful ABET visit. This panel presentation will focus on common mistakes in preparing a SSR for...

  • Susan Schall
    Founder and Lead Consultant, SOS Consulting

    Susan O. Schall, Founder of SOS Consulting, has 35 years’ experience with manufacturing, non-profit and higher education clients using engineering, statistical and quality improvement methods. Prior to consulting she held engineering and leadership roles at RR Donnelley, GE Lighting, DuPont and Kodak.

    Susan is a Fellow of ABET and IISE. She served on the ABET Board and the EAC. As first ABET Adjunct Training Director, she transformed volunteer training.

    Susan received BS in Mathematics from SUNY College at Fredonia, and BS, MS, and PhD in industrial engineering from Penn State University.

  • Jean Blair
    Vice Dean, United States Military Academy

    Jean Blair previously held positions as deputy to the Chief Academic Officer, director of the Computer Science Program and director of the Information Systems Engineering Program. An ABET volunteer since the Computer Science Accreditation Commission (CSAC) merged with ABET, she has served as a program evaluator, team chair, commissioner, and on the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) executive committee, where she currently serves as the past chair. She is a senior member of IEEE, a senior member of the Association for Computing Machinery, and a member of both the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics and the American Society of Engineering Education. Jean was named both an ABET Fellow and a CSAB Fellow in 2023.

  • Mohsin Siddiqui
    Associate Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware

    Mohsin K. Siddiqui is an Associate Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Delaware, where he leads a study abroad program in Dubai. Previously, he held faculty roles in the Middle East, focusing on program assessment and accreditation. A member of ASCE and CMAA, Dr. Siddiqui became an ABET PEV in 2013 and currently chairs the Training Committee for ANSAC. An ASCE ExCEEd Scholar (2019), he emphasizes student-centered learning. He holds a PMP certification, is a licensed PE in Wyoming, and completed a certificate in Instructional Design (2024) from the University of Delaware. He is the Training Committee Chair and a member at large of the 2024-25 ABET ANSAC.

  • Bopaya Bidanda
    Ernest Roth Professor, former Department Chair at the Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

    Bopaya Bidanda is the Ernest E. Roth Professor, and former Department Chair at the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. He is Past President of the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers (IISE). He has served ABET as a PEV, Commissioner and on the Board of Delegates. He serves as a Mentor for Team Chairs on International visits. He has served as Fulbright Senior Specialist (Uruguay), and Fulbright-Nehru Scholar (India). His awards include the Lilian Gilbreth Award by the Indian Institution of Industrial Engineering the Frank & Lilian Gilbreth award from IISE, the IFEES Award for Global Excellence in Engineering Education, and the John Imhoff Award for Global Excellence in IE Education, (ASEE).

9:45 a.m.

Streamlining Data Collection and Evaluation – Best Practices for Program Assessment

Thursday, April 3 | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Indigo A | Assessment

Prior sessions on Getting Started with Program Assessment highlighted faculty's common data collection and evaluation challenges. Are you grappling with your data collection methods? Are you looking for strategies to engage more faculty in evaluating program learning outcomes assessment results? Join us in this session as we dive into innovative approaches for enhancing the data collection, display of data and evaluation stages of your program’s continuous improvement process. Our speakers will share their firsthand experiences in designing and refining these critical components, offering practical insights and best practices that improve efficiency and ensure the relevance of the data collected. Discover how to transform your assessment processes into a collaborative effort that fosters meaningful faculty involvement and drives program success!

Learning Objectives

  1.  Evaluate current data collection, data display, and evaluation processes to determine if improvements can be made.
  2.  Base their adjustments on known best practices that apply to their program's specific context.
  3.  Implement effective processes that promote faculty collaboration.

Prior sessions on Getting Started with Program Assessment highlighted faculty’s common data collection and evaluation challenges. Are you grappling with your data collection methods? Are you looking for strategies to engage more faculty in evaluating program learning outcomes assessment results? Join us in this session...

  • Ben Juliano
    Professor, Computer Science, California State University - Chico

    Ben Juliano is a professor of computer science and director of Assessment and Program Review at California State University, Chico. He served as the campus interim chief institutional research officer and WASC accreditation liaison officer and has served the College of Engineering, Computer Science and Construction Management as associate dean in 2016, interim associate dean in 2015-2016, interim dean in 2013-2015 and associate dean in 2010-2013. He also served as chair of the department of electrical and computer engineering in 2011-2013. In 2007-2013, serving as the College’s assessment coordinator, he managed and facilitated all assessment, accreditation and academic program review efforts for all 11 undergraduate programs (nine accredited) and two graduate programs offered in his College.

    Juliano was the director of the Institute for Research in Intelligent Systems (IRIS) and co-director of the Intelligent Systems Lab (ISL) in his College. His research interests are in data visualization and predictive analysis, intelligent systems, data mining and computational intelligence algorithms. He received his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of the Philippines in Los Baños and his M.S. and Ph.D. in computer science and a certificate in cognitive science from Florida State University. He is an ABET Senior IDEAL Scholar and a WASC Assessment Leadership Academy alumnus.

  • Jenny Amos
    Teaching Professor, Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    Jennifer “Jenny” Amos, Ph.D., joined the bioengineering department at the University of Illinois in 2009 and is currently a teaching professor in bioengineering with affiliations in educational psychology, healthcare systems engineering and medicine. She received her bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering at Texas Tech and doctorate in chemical engineering from University of South Carolina. She is an American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Fellow, Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Board of Director Member, two-time Fulbright Specialist in engineering education and has won multiple awards and recognitions for her teaching and scholarship of teaching.

    Outside of BMES, she has also worked to revolutionize the future of graduate medical education serving as a founding member of the new Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, a first-of-its-kind engineering-driven college of medicine. Amos is part of the Illinois NSF RED (Revolutionizing Engineering & Computer Science Departments) research team leading efforts to innovate assessment practices for engineering toward producing more holistic engineers. Amos has a decade’s worth of experience leading curriculum reform implementing robust assessment strategies at multiple institutions. Amos has served as an ABET program evaluator for BMES since 2012 and a commissioner for the Engineering Accreditation Commission at ABET from 2018 until 2021. She is a 2011 IDEAL Scholar graduate and has been leading program assessment workshops since 2012.

9:45 a.m.

Discussion Den: Ask Me Anything – Assessment

Thursday, April 3 | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Discussion Dens | Discussion Den/Town Hall

In this Ask Me Anything Discussion Den about Assessment, attendees are invited to ask any and all assessment-related questions and our experts will answer them.

Each Discussion Den brings ABET thought leaders together with Symposium attendees for an informal and enlightening discussion on a specific topic. These are organic conversations. There is no agenda or PowerPoint presentation. The audience’s questions and experiences build an inquisitive conversation that the group leaders guide with their insight and expertise.

Discussion Dens allow attendees to learn from the group leaders as well as from the questions and experiences of their peers.

In this Ask Me Anything Discussion Den about Assessment, attendees are invited to ask any and all assessment-related questions and our experts will answer them. Each Discussion Den brings ABET thought leaders together with Symposium attendees for an informal and enlightening discussion on a specific...

  • Daina Briedis
    Adjunct Director, Professional Programs, ABET

    Daina Briedis is Adjunct and Associate Professor Emerita of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at Michigan State University. She served as her program’s and college’s assessment coordinator for over twenty years across the span of four accreditation reviews including an early EC2000 visit. Dr. Briedis has been a Lead Facilitator for ABET Program Evaluator training for eight years and was involved in the early design of the training program. Over the past 36 years, Daina has served ABET as a program evaluator for AIChE, a team chair and member of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC), the first chair of the EAC Training and Materials Development Committee, an EAC Executive Committee member, and a member of the ABET Board of Directors. She was a program evaluator on one of the very first EC2000 visits and subsequently chaired several new-criteria visits.  She is currently an Adjunct Director of Professional Programs at ABET, Inc. wherein she facilitates and helps design ABET's assessment workshops. Dr. Briedis is active nationally and internationally as a consultant in engineering accreditation and is a Fellow of ABET, ASEE and the AIChE.

  • Gloria Rogers
    Senior Adjunct Director, Professional Offerings, ABET

    Dr. Gloria Rogers is currently serving as senior adjunct director for professional offerings at ABET where she facilitates ABET professional offerings and developed the Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL).

    Curricular areas of expertise and interest include program assessment, strategic planning, assessment and evaluation of externally funded projects, institutional research, curriculum development and administrative leadership.

    Rogers has given invited presentations at national and international conferences and has facilitated workshops and seminars on over 150 campuses and in 33 countries including a Fulbright Senior Scholar assignment in Lima, Peru. She is a Fellow of ASEE.

9:45 a.m.

We Are Interested in Seeking ABET Accreditation: Are We Ready?

Thursday, April 3 | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Indigo 204 | Accreditation

This session is for anyone considering ABET accreditation for the first time. Participants will gain a firm understanding of the foundational processes and procedures of the ABET accreditation process, what is needed to prepare for the initial accreditation of a program and where to turn for additional information. We will go over the entire process of ABET accreditation — from how to apply, to the purpose of the Self-Study Report, to what to expect during the on-site visit. You will also understand what a due process response entails and when to expect the final decision.

Learning Objectives

After this presentation, you should understand:

  • The prerequisites to apply for ABET accreditation.
  • The timeline associated with the ABET accreditation.
  • The general topics covered with the Accreditation Criteria.

This session is for anyone considering ABET accreditation for the first time. Participants will gain a firm understanding of the foundational processes and procedures of the ABET accreditation process, what is needed to prepare for the initial accreditation of a program and where to turn...

  • Douglas Bowman
    EAC Accreditation Adjunct, ABET

    Douglas Bowman, Ph.D., entered the engineering profession in 1978 after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy with a degree in general engineering. He attended Stanford University as a Hertz Fellow, receiving MSEE and doctorate degrees in 1983 and 1986, respectively. During a multifaceted career, he held a wide variety of engineering and leadership positions in the military, academia and the aerospace industry until retiring from Lockheed Martin.

    A senior member of IEEE and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. (AAIA), Bowman is also a registered professional engineer and an ABET Fellow. Included among his activities are stints on the National Society of Professional Engineers Industry Advisory Group and the AIAA Systems Engineering Technical Committee. Other accomplishments include service on the Research Advisory Committee of the Institute for Systems Research at the University of Maryland and the Board of Directors of the Microelectronics and Computer Technologies Corporation. He currently serves as an adjunct accreditation director for the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

  • Philip Schenewerk
    Accreditation Adjunct, Engineering, ABET

    Dr. Philip Schenewerk is a retired geological and petroleum engineer whose career has spanned government, the academy, and the private sector. Schenewerk has served as an ABET volunteer throughout his working career as a program evaluator, team chair and as a member of the EAC and its ExCom. He currently serves as an Accreditation Adjunct for Engineering.

11:15 a.m.

Student Outcome-Based Curricula: A Transformation Catalyst for Engineering Programs in Colombia

Thursday, April 3 | 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Aqua C | Assessment

One of the biggest transformations among engineering programs in Colombia was promoted by changes in the student outcome-based curriculum requirements implemented by the Ministry of Education in 2019, and the subsequent adoption of these as part of the accreditation criteria (factors) by the National Accreditation Council (CNA). The alignment of the national education high-quality framework with global graduate competency models was a catapult to promote the advancement of the student outcome model for the country, especially in engineering curricula which were immediately supported by the assessment, evaluation, and continuous improvement experience of ABET accredited programs. The implementation of a program student outcome model brought multiple challenges, including the differentiation of program student outcomes from course learning outcomes, the development, adoption, or adaptation of program student outcomes, the integration of these outcomes to program curricula across all disciplines, the assessment of these student outcomes and how to use the results as a source of continuous improvement for the program, etc. The support of the Colombian Association of Schools of Engineering (ACOFI) by multiple initiatives and the collegiate collaboration with ABET accredited programs were pivotal to advance the model in the country, which currently has 55 programs accredited by ABET.

Learning Objectives

Implementing program student outcome models, assessing course learning and integrating outcomes to program curricula across all disciplines.

One of the biggest transformations among engineering programs in Colombia was promoted by changes in the student outcome-based curriculum requirements implemented by the Ministry of Education in 2019, and the subsequent adoption of these as part of the accreditation criteria (factors) by the National Accreditation...

  • Humberto Gómez
    Professor, Universidad del Norte

    Dr. Humberto Gómez is associate professor of the mechanical engineering department and graduate school director at Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla- Colombia. He is also the executive director of the Materials and Manufacturing Center (CIMM) of Uninorte. Gomez holds a Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of South Florida, Tampa, and his M.Sc and B.S in mechanical engineering from Universidad del Norte. Gomez provides permanent contributions in international engineering education topics and volunteers as an ASME program evaluator for ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission in addition to his work with ASME CEA, ASME Scholarship Committee, international liaison for ACOFI (the Colombian Association of Engineering Colleges) and president of the Educational Committee of UPADI (The Pan American Federation of Engineering Societies).

11:15 a.m.

Proposed Changes to the Accreditation Criteria for Computing Programs

Thursday, April 3 | 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Aqua D | Accreditation

In July 2024, ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) approved, for a year of public review and comment, several proposed revisions to the program criteria for computer science (CS) and similarly named programs. The proposed revisions are extensive, and both ABET and CSAB strongly encourage computing professionals to review them and provide feedback. The revisions to the CS Program Criteria include: new requirements for substantial coverage of “software engineering; and artificial intelligence” and for exposure to “specialized platforms; graphics and interactive techniques; human computer interaction; and sustainable computing.” In addition, there are also several proposed additions to the general criteria (for computing programs), several of which are related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEI-A), while also including a major project component to the general criteria. CSAB and the CAC will review all of the feedback, and make adjustments accordingly, prior to any final approvals in the fall of 2025. This “engaged discussion session” is one (and perhaps the best) way to provide that feedback directly to those responsible for collecting and analyzing the feedback. You can find all of the details regarding the proposed changes at here.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will:

  • Gain familiarity with the proposed changes to the general criteria (for computing programs) and the proposed changes to both the CS and IS Program Criteria.
  • Be asked to provide feedback, both for and against, each of the proposed changes.

 

In July 2024, ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) approved, for a year of public review and comment, several proposed revisions to the program criteria for computer science (CS) and similarly named programs. The proposed revisions are extensive, and both ABET and CSAB strongly encourage computing...

  • Andrew Phillips
    Executive Director, CSAB Inc.

    Andrew "Andy" Phillips is the executive director for CSAB, the lead ABET member society for accreditation of programs in computer science, cybersecurity, data science, information systems, information technology and software engineering. Previously, he served from 2009-2023 as academic dean and provost at the U.S. Naval Academy.

    Phillips has been a program evaluator for ABET since 1997 and a member of its Computing Accreditation Commission from 2004-2009. He was also the computing area director and member of the ABET Board of Directors from 2018-2022. He is a past President of CSAB, a CSAB Fellow, an ABET Fellow and continues to be a team chair/program evaluator for both ABET and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

  • Donna Reese
    Professor Emerita, Mississippi State University

    Donna Reese is professor emerita of Computer Science at Mississippi State University where she retired as head of computer science and engineering in 2017. She is a former president of CSAB, the professional society for all computing accreditation, in addition to her service on ABET's Computing Area Delegation. Reese also serves as a lead facilitator for ABET’s Program Evaluator Training. She began her ABET service in 2005 as a program evaluator and was elected to the Computing Accreditation Commission in 2009. After serving on the ExCom of CAC from 2014-2017, she served as the chair of the Computing Accreditation Commission in 2017-18. Reese was named an ABET Fellow in 2020 and a CSAB Fellow in 2023.

  • Paul Leidig
    Professor and Director (Retired), Grand Valley State University

    Dr. Paul Leidig recently retired from Grand Valley State University (GVSU) where he served as professor and director of the School of Computing. During his 33 years at GVSU, he helped launch the school of computing and several new computing programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Leidig also led several curricular task forces for the ACM and other computing organizations that helped to create BoKs in Information Systems and Data Science. He is a member of the ABET Board of Directors and the chair of the Computing Area Delegation. Leidig currently serves as CSAB President and was previously the CSAB Criteria Committee Chair when the ANSAC and CAC data science accreditation criteria were created.

  • Scott Murray
    Data Engineering Manager, Procore Technologies

    Scott Murray is a senior data engineering director at Procore, a SaaS developer of software for the construction industry. Murray is currently chair of the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) and an ACM Member Representative at CSAB, the professional society for all computing accreditation; he most recently chaired the committee which established the Data Science program criteria. His passion for computing education is planted in his passion for establishing data related computing solutions. Murray is an adjunct instructor at Kennesaw State University.

11:15 a.m.

Working with Student Changemakers to Address the Green Skills Gaps in Engineering

Thursday, April 3 | 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Aqua EF | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

Curricular change is generally considered the domain of faculty and campus administrators. However, this perspective overlooks the significant advantages of involving students and recent graduates in the curricular change process. Engaging students and recent graduates can lead to the integration of new and varied viewpoints, innovative ideas, and a sense of enthusiasm, ensuring that the student experience is crafted with their input.

In this panel discussion, we will hear from recent engineering graduates and a community college instructor about their experiences and aspirations for sustainability within engineering education, as lifelong learners in their careers, as well as their ability to advocate for the changes they wish to see in the engineering education landscape. We will discuss the need and mechanisms to prepare future students for the growing green skills demand in the workforce.

The session will be moderated by the Engineering for One Planet (EOP) strategy consultant and lead facilitator of EOP’s community co-created and vetted resources. Audience engagement through Q&A will be a priority in this session.

Learning Objectives

Learn from engineering graduates and instructors who are bringing sustainability into their careers and courses. As engaged Engineering for One Planet (EOP) community members, contributors to EOP teaching resources and/or EOP Network members, these panelists will share their insights and efforts.

Curricular change is generally considered the domain of faculty and campus administrators. However, this perspective overlooks the significant advantages of involving students and recent graduates in the curricular change process. Engaging students and recent graduates can lead to the integration of new and varied viewpoints,...

  • Cindy Anderson
    Engineering for One Planet Strategy Consultant, The Lemelson Foundation

    Cindy Anderson (she/her/hers) is a sustainability consultant with Alula Consulting and an Engineering for One Planet (EOP) strategy consultant with The Lemelson Foundation. Anderson specializes in innovative sustainability-focused research and curriculum projects for academic institutions, non-profits, government and corporations. Anderson has taught thousands of people through courses and workshops, around the world and online, in the fields of biology, sustainability and biomimicry. She is honored to be a collaborative partner on the Engineering for One Planet initiative since its inception, co-author of the EOP Framework and companion teaching guides, and active EOP Network Member.

  • Jieon Choi
    Industrial Designer, Sustainable Curriculum Project (SCP) at ArtCenter College of Design

    Jieon Choi is an industrial designer dedicated to advancing sustainability through innovative design and systems thinking. Having grown up in Seoul, Seattle and Los Angeles and later served as an army engineer with the 2nd Infantry, Choi brings a multicultural and multidisciplinary perspective to the teams he works with.

    As a contributor to the Sustainable Curriculum Project (SCP) at ArtCenter College of Design, funded by the Lemelson Foundation, he worked to integrate sustainable design practices into core product courses, preparing future designers to tackle environmental challenges. His portfolio spans repair-friendly consumer electronics, modular systems and combining creativity with cutting edge technology.

  • Hadley Willman
    Assistant Director at the Initiative for Climate Leadership and Resilience and Conference Manager, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Engineers for a Sustainable World

    Hadley Willman (she/her) is the assistant director at the Initiative for Climate Leadership and Resilience at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and Conference Manager at Engineers for a Sustainable World. Her academic background is in environmental management and protection, while her professional background is in sustainability literacy, engagement, partnerships and events. She is the creator and former director of the University Climate Ambassador (UCA) program at the U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce, which she started as a college junior to connect and activate students within and between campuses to advocate for sustainability progress in areas of impact like curriculum development. She spearheaded the launch of Cal Poly’s third sustainability literacy assessment (which was delivered to over 1,000 students) and subsequent research to determine trends in students’ sustainability knowledge and literacy needs over time. At Cal Poly, and over a dozen campuses via the UCA program, she has pursued standardized sustainability curriculum in the form of university-wide sustainability learning outcomes, general education course requirements, and more. She has led five climate conferences and over a dozen other gatherings that have amplified sustainability learning, engagement and collaboration for over 3,000 climate leaders.

  • Holly Rudel
    Senior Sustainable Chemistry Analyst, Gap, Inc

    Holly Rudel is a senior sustainable chemistry analyst for Gap Inc. in San Francisco, Calif. She graduated with a B.A. in chemical physics from Bowdoin College in 2017 and a Ph.D. in environmental engineering from Yale University in 2023. While working on her Ph.D. she spent a summer as an environmental technologies intern at Apple in Cupertino, Calif. After receiving her doctorate she worked as a consultant for the California State Senate Environmental Quality Committee as a California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) Science Policy Fellow, and has been at Gap Inc. since October 2024.

     

11:15 a.m.

Lifelong Learning in Action: Strategies for Sustainable Development in AV

Thursday, April 3 | 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Indigo 204 | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a blueprint for action: Learning strategies on how stakeholders in the AV industry can align with the SDGs. SAVe’s education campaign about the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the role of the AV industry. The importance of lifelong learning for leaders in the AV industry who are committed to advancing the SDGs. SAVe’s educational programs on controlling AV electronic waste and the AV industry’s role in altering an unsustainable trajectory. The critical role of partnerships for the goals – The collaboration between SAVe and HETMA (Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance) and how this partnership leverages lifelong learning to advance sustainability initiatives in the AV field. Achieving a sustainable future: Learning strategies for companies in the AV industry to make progress in areas related to waste management, life cycle carbon emission reduction, and reduced energy usage. How SAVe Certification leverages lifelong learning in providing ongoing education and resources for companies in the AV field to develop actionable SDG plans.

Learning Objectives

Examine the role of lifelong learning in addressing sustainability challenges within the AV industry Identify innovative learning strategies that promote sustainability and continuous improvement among AV professionals. Projects that leverage lifelong learning to advance sustainability in AV.

 

The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a blueprint for action: Learning strategies on how stakeholders in the AV industry can align with the SDGs. SAVe’s education campaign about the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the role of the AV industry. The importance of lifelong...

  • Christina De Bono
    Founder and President, SAVe

    Christina De Bono is the founder and president of SAVe, Sustainability in AV, an independent 501 (c) non-profit organization bringing stakeholders in the AV industry together to take concerted action in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. De Bono has 30 years of experience in the AV industry holding key leadership roles including president and founder of ClearTech, a leading commercial AV systems integration company headquartered in Altadena, Calif. De Bono serves as vice-president on the Board of Directors of NSCA (National Systems Contractors Association).

  • Joe Perez
    Vice President, SAVe

    With over 25 years of experience in the AV industry, Joe is the CTO of ClearTech, a leading commercial AV systems integration company headquartered in Altadena, California. Joe is very active with NSCA (National Systems Contractor Association) serving on the DEI Action Council and the Emerging Technologies Committee. Joe is an ambassador of the NSCA Foundation IGNITE program, whose mission is to attract the next generation to our industry.

11:15 a.m.

Tips for Writing Good Self-Study Reports

Thursday, April 3 | 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Indigo E | Accreditation

Executive committee members from each commission will discuss the various elements of Self-Study Reports (SSRs), important content areas and frequently asked questions about the preparation and review processes for the SSRs. The discussion will also include recommendations for the SSR format and content from the lens of the reviewer.

Learning Objectives

Participants will gain an increased understanding of best practices for drafting their Self-Study Reports including suggested elements for content, style and format.

Executive committee members from each commission will discuss the various elements of Self-Study Reports (SSRs), important content areas and frequently asked questions about the preparation and review processes for the SSRs. The discussion will also include recommendations for the SSR format and content from the...

  • Bruce McMillin
    Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, Missouri University of Science and Technology

    Dr.  Bruce McMillin is professor emeritus of computer science at the Missouri University of Science and Technology where he worked for 34 years in cybersecurity research and teaching.  For the last 14 years he has been an ABET volunteer and currently serves on the Executive Committee for the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC), co-chair of the CAC documents and procedures committee, and co-chair of the program evaluator candidate training subcommittee.

  • Russ Meier
    EAC ExCom Member-at-large, ABET

    Dr. Russ Meier is the program director of the undergraduate Computer Engineering program and a professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). He received B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Iowa State University, each with a major in Computer Engineering. Meier is a Fellow of the IEEE and represented that society within ABET as a PEV and commissioner. After 19 visits for ABET as PEV, team co-chair and team chair, he is continuing his ABET service this year as a member of the EAC Executive Committee where he enjoys editing statements and serving on the Materials Committee.

  • Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar
    ANSAC ExCom Member-at-large, ABET

    Dr. Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar is a professor of Nuclear Engineering and Associate Dean of the College of Science and Engineering at Idaho State University. She holds a doctorate in nuclear engineering and a master’s in environmental engineering from Penn State University, as well as a bachelor’s in chemistry from Cedar Crest College.

    With over 25 years in the nuclear field, Dunzik-Gougar has conducted research across various aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, including waste form development, spent fuel processing, material characterization, and fuel cycle modeling. Her work has fostered national and international collaborations, including positions with PBMR Ltd in South Africa and EDF Energy in France, and consulting roles for the European Commission and International Atomic Energy Agency. She has led multi-institutional research teams at Idaho State University and Idaho National Laboratory.

    Dedicated to education, Dunzik-Gougar has developed and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on nuclear physics, fuel cycles, and radioactive waste management. Before graduate school, she taught high school science and mathematics for seven years in the U.S. and the U.K.

    An active member of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) for three decades, Dunzik-Gougar served as ANS president from 2020 to 2021. In 2022, she joined the advisory committee for the Nuclear Fuels and Materials Complex at Idaho National Laboratory and was recognized as an Outstanding Engineering Alumna by Penn State College of Engineering.

  • Raju Dandu
    ETAC Past Chair, ABET

    Raju Dandu is the past chair of the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) of ABET and a former member of ABET Governance's Board of Delegates. With 25 years of experience as an ABET volunteer, he has served as an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Engineering Technology program evaluator (PEV), ETAC Commissioner, and member of the ETAC Executive Committee. Dandu has conducted numerous ABET accreditation visits both in the U.S. and internationally. He is also a professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology and the former director of the Kansas State University Bulk Solids Innovation Center.

11:15 a.m.

Maximizing the Benefits of Rubrics in Program Assessment

Thursday, April 3 | 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Indigo A | Assessment

Many programs utilize rubrics in their assessment processes. However, not all rubrics are equally clear or useful for every purpose. This session will explore the development and use rubrics to efficiently engage faculty, aid in selecting the best type of rubric for a given purpose and best inform meaningful improvement. Topics to be explored include characteristics of rubrics, types of rubrics, scoring variations and faculty engagement. Examples of different types of rubrics will be reviewed and experiences engaging faculty will be shared.

Learning Objectives

  • Explain the relationship between performance indicators and rubrics.
  • Define the structure of a rubric.
  • Identify different types of rubrics and understand the utility of each for different purposes.
  • Describe how rubrics can be used for the program, faculty and student improvement.

Many programs utilize rubrics in their assessment processes. However, not all rubrics are equally clear or useful for every purpose. This session will explore the development and use rubrics to efficiently engage faculty, aid in selecting the best type of rubric for a given purpose...

  • Gloria Rogers
    Senior Adjunct Director, Professional Offerings, ABET

    Dr. Gloria Rogers is currently serving as senior adjunct director for professional offerings at ABET where she facilitates ABET professional offerings and developed the Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL).

    Curricular areas of expertise and interest include program assessment, strategic planning, assessment and evaluation of externally funded projects, institutional research, curriculum development and administrative leadership.

    Rogers has given invited presentations at national and international conferences and has facilitated workshops and seminars on over 150 campuses and in 33 countries including a Fulbright Senior Scholar assignment in Lima, Peru. She is a Fellow of ASEE.

  • Karen Tarnoff
    Associate Dean for Assessment and Assurance of Learning, East Tennessee State University

    Karen serves the College of Business and Technology at ETSU as the Associate Dean for Assessment. She coordinates assessment for four accreditors across eight diverse departments: Accountancy, Computer and Information Sciences, Economics and Finance, Management and Supply Chain, Marketing, Media and Communications, and Sport and Recreation Management which offer seven undergraduate programs, eight master’s programs and one doctoral program. She has given many presentations on assessment and has consulted with many schools helping them refine their assessment systems. Karen is an AACSB Global Lead Facilitator having created content for its AOL seminars and offerings also serving ABET as a content creator and FPAWs facilitator.

11:15 a.m.

Discussion Den: Ask Me Anything – Accreditation

Thursday, April 3 | 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Discussion Dens | Discussion Den/Town Hall

In this Ask Me Anything Discussion Den about Accreditation, attendees are invited to ask any and all accreditation-related questions and our experts will answer them.

Each Discussion Den brings ABET thought leaders together with Symposium attendees for an informal and enlightening discussion on a specific topic. These are organic conversations. There is no agenda or PowerPoint presentation. The audience’s questions and experiences build an inquisitive conversation that the group leaders guide with their insight and expertise.

Discussion Dens allow attendees to learn from the group leaders as well as from the questions and experiences of their peers.

In this Ask Me Anything Discussion Den about Accreditation, attendees are invited to ask any and all accreditation-related questions and our experts will answer them. Each Discussion Den brings ABET thought leaders together with Symposium attendees for an informal and enlightening discussion on a specific...

  • Jane Emmet
    Senior Director, Accreditation Operations, ABET

    Jane Emmet has been responsible for the management and administration of ABET’s accreditation policies and procedures and the overall operations of ABET’s accreditation processes since November, 2015. She joined ABET in January 2014 as the training manager responsible for the training of the over 2,000 volunteer professionals who serve ABET. Today, Emmet is the senior director, accreditation operations.

    Emmet's background, prior to joining ABET, includes directing and managing training and leadership development programs at professional service organizations, energy companies and developing education programs for history museums. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College in history/education and a master’s degree in museum education from The George Washington University. She also holds a graduate certificate from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in instructional systems design.

  • Ann Kenimer
    Chief Accreditation Officer, ABET

    Dr. Ann Kenimer is the Chief Accreditation Officer at ABET, bringing over three decades of academic and leadership experience to her role. Prior to joining the ABET Headquarters staff in 2024, Kenimer spent over 20 years as an ABET volunteer serving as a program evaluator, team chair, executive committee member and officer in the Engineering Accreditation Commission. 

    Kenimer is also professor emerita and associate provost emerita at Texas A&M University, where she held various leadership positions before retiring. Over her 30-year career as a faculty member at Texas A&M, she held several college- and university-level positions including associate dean and interim executive associate dean in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, associate dean of faculties, interim dean and chief operating officer at Texas A&M University at Qatar, and associate provost for undergraduate studies. 

    In addition to her status as fellow of ABET and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and registered Professional Engineer in Texas, Kenimer has received numerous teaching awards, including the Minnie Stevens Piper Professor award. 

    Kenimer earned her Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1990, following her M.S. and B.S. degrees in agricultural engineering from Virginia Tech.

1:30 p.m.

Advancing Accreditation Compliance: Perspectives from ABET’s Four Commissions

Thursday, April 3 | 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Aqua D | Accreditation

This panel will bring together leadership from ABET’s four commissions to discuss key developments in accreditation compliance. The session will address evolving requirements, important considerations for institutions with programs across multiple commissions, and strategies for meeting accreditation standards.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will gain valuable insights into best practices, policy updates, and methods for continuous improvement in applied and natural sciences, computing, engineering, and engineering.

This panel will bring together leadership from ABET’s four commissions to discuss key developments in accreditation compliance. The session will address evolving requirements, important considerations for institutions with programs across multiple commissions, and strategies for meeting accreditation standards. Learning Objectives Attendees will gain valuable insights...

  • Richard Olawoyin
    ANSAC Vice Chair Operations, IDEA Council Chair, ABET

    Dr. Richard Olawoyin, P.E., is a professor of engineering at Oakland University. He is a US Fulbright Scholar (alumnus), and has engaged students globally through teaching and research, particularly in four countries: China, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and the United States. He has served ABET in various roles including serving as the current chair of the ABET Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Advisory Council, incoming chair-elect of ABET ANSAC, Team Chair, Training Support Facilitator for PEV candidates, and a PEV mentor. He was awarded the ASSP Charles V. Culbertson Outstanding Award in 2019 and 2022 for his professional contributions.

  • Carolyn Jacobson
    CAC Representative, ABET

    Carolyn Jacobson, Ph.D., has extensive experience in assessment and accreditation and has made invited presentations in Canada, South America and the U.S. She has served the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET nationally and internationally as an Executive Committee member, commissioner, team chair and program evaluator for over 20 years. Jacobson also served as president of the International Academy for Information Management (now AIS SIGED). In addition to having taught graduate and undergraduate courses in business and information systems for over 25 years, she has 16 years of higher education administrative experience in academic affairs and outreach.

  • Lizette Chevalier
    Dean, Dr. Robert A. Savoie College of Engineering, University of New Orleans

    Lizette Chevalier is currently serving as professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Freeport-McMoRan Chair in Environmental Modeling of the Dr. Robert A. Savoie College of Engineering at the University of New Orleans. Her B.S. degree is from Wayne State University and her M.S./Ph.D. degrees are from Michigan State University. She is a licensed professional engineer, a Fellow of ASCE and a Diplomat of Water Resources Engineering. She has held several academic administrative positions at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, all of which involved accreditation of programs as well as the institution. She has served as an ABET Program Evaluator, Team Chair, a member of the Executive Committee of the EAC and Chair of the EAC Continuous Improvement Committee.

  • Rebecca Popeck
    Survey Project Manager, SPACECO, Inc.

    Rebecca Popeck is a licensed Land Surveyor at Rosemont-based SPACECO, Inc., a civil engineering, land surveying and consulting firm. Popeck studied land survey engineering and civil engineering at Purdue University’s West Lafayette Campus, earning bachelor’s degrees in both disciplines. She has been a licensed Illinois Land Surveyor since 2005. Popeck has spent almost 20 years performing surveys and providing surveying services in the greater Chicagoland area. Her specialties include development work in residential, commercial and industrial sectors with an increased focus on projects within the limits of the City of Chicago.

    Popeck joined ABET in 2006 as a program evaluator, supporting her member society of National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). NSPS is a member of three accreditation commissions including Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ANSAC), Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) and Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC). She has had the pleasure of serving as a program evaluator for both ETAC and ANSAC visits early in her ABET career. In 2014, Popeck became a commissioner/team chair for the ANSAC, joining the commission's executive committee in 2017. She is currently the 2023-24 ANSAC chair.

    During the 2019-2020 accreditation cycle, Popeck was a team chair for her first international visit to Krishnan Kovil, Tamil Nadu, India.

  • Mark Lower
    ETAC Chair, ABET

    Mark Lower, Ph.D., P.E., is a program manager at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He has worked in operations and energy-related research and development for over 30 years including areas of neutron sciences, battery manufacturing and additive manufacturing. He has performed several accident investigations for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and authored several technical papers on pressure safety. Lower is currently the vice-chair of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Standards Committee, and past-chair of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pressure Safety Committee. He earned his doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and holds several certifications from American Welding Association and the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors in addition to being named an ASME fellow.

1:30 p.m.

Discussion Den: Ask Me Anything – Opening Keynote

Thursday, April 3 | 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Discussion Dens | Discussion Den/Town Hall

In this Ask Me Anything Discussion Den, attendees are invited to ask any and all questions about the Symposium Opening Keynote to discuss with our team of experts.

Each Discussion Den brings ABET thought leaders together with Symposium attendees for an informal and enlightening discussion on a specific topic. These are organic conversations. There is no agenda or PowerPoint presentation. The audience’s questions and experiences build an inquisitive conversation that the group leaders guide with their insight and expertise.

Discussion Dens allow attendees to learn from the group leaders as well as from the questions and experiences of their peers.

In this Ask Me Anything Discussion Den, attendees are invited to ask any and all questions about the Symposium Opening Keynote to discuss with our team of experts. Each Discussion Den brings ABET thought leaders together with Symposium attendees for an informal and enlightening discussion...

  • Rodney K. Rogers
    President, Bowling Green State University

    Rodney K. Rogers, Ph.D., is the 12th president of Bowling Green State University, leading its transformation with a focus on 21st-century education, particularly in healthcare and STEM fields. Under his leadership, BGSU has seen record enrollments, increased faculty research funding, and the establishment of several new schools and programs.

1:30 p.m.

Empathy: An Engineering Skill?

Thursday, April 3 | 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Aqua C | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

Engineers solve problems for the benefit of society. Evidence for this role is seen in the National Society of Professional Engineer’s code of ethics and ABET student learning outcomes. The problems engineers are called on to solve are intellectually rigorous and contextualized through a myriad of societal, ethical, and human elements; therefore, the practice of engineering requires social competencies to balance technical correctness with interpersonal, cultural, and environmental sensitivity. Empathy, an ability to understand others, experience their feelings, and behave responsively, is an essential skill and orientation for solving these complex engineering problems. An engineer may at times need to empathize with a single user, as may be the case in prostatic development, or an entire community group and the environment, as may be the case in development of a new hydroelectric dam facility. Due to the unique nature of empathy within engineering, empathetic experiences and scenarios pertaining specifically to engineering work can be used to enhance empathetic formation in engineering student and practitioners. Participants in this session will be informed of current research on empathy in engineering, hear insights from discussions with industry personnel regarding the role of empathy in their practice, discuss how empathy relates to ABET student learning outcomes, and collaboratively create institution specific plans for increasing empathy in engineering formation.

Learning Objectives

  1. Describe how empathy relates to engineering work.
  2. Outline how the inclusion of greater empathy in engineering training helps achieve ABET SLOs.
  3. Create an institution specific plan for increasing empathy in engineering formation.

Engineers solve problems for the benefit of society. Evidence for this role is seen in the National Society of Professional Engineer’s code of ethics and ABET student learning outcomes. The problems engineers are called on to solve are intellectually rigorous and contextualized through a myriad...

  • Emmabeth Vaughn
    Assistant Professor, Austin Peay State University

    Emmabeth Vaughn, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Physics, Engineering and Astronomy Department at Austin Peay State University. Before joining the faculty at Austin Peay, she worked in industry as a product development engineer for a commercial roofing manufacturer. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee in Materials Science and Engineering. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, where her thesis topic was Nanoparticle Diffusion in Polymer Networks. Her research interests include polymer physics, nanoparticle diffusion, and engineering and physics education.

     

  • Bobette Bouton
    Professor, Austin Peay State University

    Bobette Bouton, Ph.D.,  is a professor at Austin Peay State University. Her current area of research is socio-emotional development in the domain of empathy.  She is a Deweyan Pragmatist who focuses on student-centered teaching and reflection. She also is working toward making higher education a more socially just and safe space for all, and uses writing, speaking and research to address each of these important aspects of her academic career.

  • Lily Skau
    Student Researcher, Austin Peay State University

    Lily Skau is an undergraduate student at Austin Peay State University pursuing a bachelor's degree in Engineering Physics and a minor in Mathematics and Sociology. She plans to graduate in May 2026 and enter industry as a mechanical engineer.

  • Steven Warth
    Student Researcher, Austin Peay State University

    Steven Warth is an undergraduate researcher studying engineering physics at Austin Peay State University. Aiming to create a more sustainable world, Warth's research focuses on increasing empathy in engineering and studying the mechanical properties of additively manufactured material.

1:30 p.m.

Developing Lifelong Learning Programs: A Model for Education and Industry

Thursday, April 3 | 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Aqua EF | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

In 2013 SMU in partnership with Microsoft and DoD, launched the first IT transition program for active-duty service members, the MSSA. This initiative, inspired by the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, provided transitioning service members with IT training, certifications, and job opportunities, using competency-based learning, academic credits and career prep.

In 2020, the MSSA was taken in-house by MSFT. SMU developed the Washington Veterans to Technology (WaV2T) program; a 16-week certificate program offering three specialized IT tracks; Server & Cloud Application, Cloud Application Development, and Cybersecurity Administration. The credits count toward SMU’s ABET-accredited Bachelor of Science in computer science, information technology, and the new cybersecurity degree.

The paper details the WaVets2Tech credit-bearing certificate pathway model, how it facilitates students’ transition into degrees, and how it supports both traditional and non-traditional learners. We report that after 1000 graduates, SMU has a 98% graduation rate, and 74% IT career placement rates, with 24% of graduates pursuing education.

This paper outlines the model, partnerships with industry and integration of the KEEN Entrepreneurial Mindset framework in courses, fostering students' interest in emerging fields e.g. quantum computing. We discuss the importance of industry partnerships demonstrating how lifelong learning initiatives enhance workforce readiness, and educational pathways for diverse learners.

Learning Objectives

  • Applying the KEEN Entrepreneurial Mindset framework
  • Outlining Educational pathway model for diverse learners
  • Aligning learning outcomes to ABET standards
  • Aligning learning outcomes to industry standards and needs
  • Designing education pathways for diverse learners

In 2013 SMU in partnership with Microsoft and DoD, launched the first IT transition program for active-duty service members, the MSSA. This initiative, inspired by the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, provided transitioning service members with IT training, certifications, and job opportunities, using competency-based learning,...

  • Radana Dvorak
    Chair of CS Dept/Associate Professor, Saint Martin's University

    Radana Dvorak has worked as a researcher, professor, dean, consultant, and program architect. Her Ph.D. CS-AI and MSc-AI from the UK, and BA from the University of Michigan, has led her to the UK, US and the Cayman Islands. Radana spent time in the software industry, headed a VC funded company bringing her PhD work to market, served on government, university strategic planning committees, international fellowships; she was one of the key architects of the Microsoft Software System Academy - partnership between the DoD, Microsoft, and Universities. Radana is currently an associate professor and chair of computer science at Saint Martin’s University

1:30 p.m.

Use of Performance Indicators for Program Assessment

Thursday, April 3 | 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Indigo 204 | Assessment

Performance indicators are a critically important educational tool for programs, setting course objectives and helping students understand the expectations for their learning by the time they complete the program. As such, performance indicators should be developed carefully and through faculty consensus. Once assessed, performance indicator results should be reviewed to determine necessary actions for improving student learning. The assessment process itself should also be evaluated for potential enhancements. This session will highlight the experience of a mature program that engaged faculty in the development of performance indicators through the creation of student outcome “Champion Groups.” The session will explore how these indicators are monitored across the curriculum at various stages of student development, with further discussions covering faculty engagement in the assessment process, strategies for integrating indicators throughout the curriculum, and best practices for implementation.

Learning Objectives:

  1.  Develop effective performance indicators to assess and enhance educational outcomes in academic programs.
  2.  Establish a systematic monitoring process for performance indicators across stages of student development.

Performance indicators are a critically important educational tool for programs, setting course objectives and helping students understand the expectations for their learning by the time they complete the program. As such, performance indicators should be developed carefully and through faculty consensus. Once assessed, performance indicator...

  • Gloria Rogers
    Senior Adjunct Director, Professional Offerings, ABET

    Dr. Gloria Rogers is currently serving as senior adjunct director for professional offerings at ABET where she facilitates ABET professional offerings and developed the Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL).

    Curricular areas of expertise and interest include program assessment, strategic planning, assessment and evaluation of externally funded projects, institutional research, curriculum development and administrative leadership.

    Rogers has given invited presentations at national and international conferences and has facilitated workshops and seminars on over 150 campuses and in 33 countries including a Fulbright Senior Scholar assignment in Lima, Peru. She is a Fellow of ASEE.

  • Christina Haden
    Associate Teaching Professor, Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics, Lehigh University

    Dr. Christina Viau Haden is a faculty member in the mechanical engineering and mechanics department at Lehigh University. Her research involves the material property prediction of additively manufactured metals. Besides her research, a passion for teaching has lead her to co-develop of a new interdisciplinary course at Lehigh at the intersection of art and engineering on the topic of Leonardo da Vinci's life works. Haden also leads her department's ABET accreditation process, enjoys being an ABET facilitator and serves as the chair of her department's undergraduate curriculum committee. Haden is also deeply committed to improving the retention rates of women in STEM. She runs a yearly three-day welcome event for incoming engineering freshwomen at Lehigh University, offers a mentoring program for women in her department and advises the Society for Women Engineers (SWE) and Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) local chapter, among others.

1:30 p.m.

Leveraging Best Assessment Practices for Accreditation Review: Moving Beyond Compliance

Thursday, April 3 | 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Indigo A | Assessment

ABET criteria imply some manner of continuous activities in all the general criteria from students to institutional support. While some of these processes are institutionally and automatically continuous in any academic setting, demonstration of compliance around the Accreditation Policy and Procedure Manual, Criterion 2 (Program Educational Objectives), Criterion 4 (Continuous Improvement), and, by association, Criterion 3 (Student Outcomes) usually ramps up in preparation for an accreditation visit. While accreditation reviews occur periodically, assessment processes conducted continuously and resourcefully can make accreditation preparation easier. This session will explore how to effectively apply assessment practices to meet the evidence requirements for accreditation reviews across the four ABET commissions toward the goal of enhancing student learning. The speakers will provide practical guidance on how to exercise best practices while avoiding common pitfalls, offering a 'do this, not that' approach from the perspective of a program preparing for a review.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Identify specific evidence needed to help demonstrate compliance with ABET criteria and the Accreditation Policy and Procedures Manual (APPM).
  • Recognize aspects of their continuous improvement processes that will simplify the preparation for an accreditation visit.

ABET criteria imply some manner of continuous activities in all the general criteria from students to institutional support. While some of these processes are institutionally and automatically continuous in any academic setting, demonstration of compliance around the Accreditation Policy and Procedure Manual, Criterion 2 (Program...

  • Daina Briedis
    Adjunct Director, Professional Programs, ABET

    Daina Briedis is Adjunct and Associate Professor Emerita of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at Michigan State University. She served as her program’s and college’s assessment coordinator for over twenty years across the span of four accreditation reviews including an early EC2000 visit. Dr. Briedis has been a Lead Facilitator for ABET Program Evaluator training for eight years and was involved in the early design of the training program. Over the past 36 years, Daina has served ABET as a program evaluator for AIChE, a team chair and member of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC), the first chair of the EAC Training and Materials Development Committee, an EAC Executive Committee member, and a member of the ABET Board of Directors. She was a program evaluator on one of the very first EC2000 visits and subsequently chaired several new-criteria visits.  She is currently an Adjunct Director of Professional Programs at ABET, Inc. wherein she facilitates and helps design ABET's assessment workshops. Dr. Briedis is active nationally and internationally as a consultant in engineering accreditation and is a Fellow of ABET, ASEE and the AIChE.

  • Larraine Kapka
    Professor Emeritus, Sinclair College

    Larraine Kapka, an ABET Fellow, is a professor emeritus at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio. A licensed PE in Ohio, her disciplinary specialty is HVAC. She served in the Air Force and spent 20 years in industry before moving to academia full-time. She led several ABET-accredited programs at Sinclair College and is currently in her 8th year on the ABET Board of Directors as ABET Treasurer. She also helps design and deliver ABET Program Evaluator Training. As a practicing engineer, Kapka was named “Energy Manager of the Year” by the DOE and received a national Federal Energy Efficiency award. As an academic, she received the Rousche Excellence in Teaching award from the League for Innovation. She remains active in both ASHRAE and ASME.

1:30 p.m.

How to Prepare for Your ABET Site Visit

Thursday, April 3 | 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Indigo E | Accreditation

Preparing for your ABET site visit can be challenging. This presentation offers insight into the visit process, which is one of the most important events in the accreditation cycle. The presentation focuses on what an institution can do to prepare for the visit in order to make the process as smooth as possible. Both virtual and on-site visits are covered.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the ABET site visit process.
  • Plan and organize for a successful site visit.
  • Ensure compliance and facilitate logistics.

Preparing for your ABET site visit can be challenging. This presentation offers insight into the visit process, which is one of the most important events in the accreditation cycle. The presentation focuses on what an institution can do to prepare for the visit in order...

  • Michael Johnson
    Interim Associate Provost for Faculty Success and Professor of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution, Texas A&M University

    Dr. Michael D. Johnson is a professor in the department of engineering technology and industrial distribution (ETID) at Texas A&M University. He also serves as interim associate provost for faculty success. Prior to joining the Provost’s team, Johnson was associate dean for inclusion and faculty success in the College of Engineering. Before joining the faculty at Texas A&M, he was a senior product development engineer at the 3M Corporate Research Laboratory in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is also a member of the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET Executive Committee.

    Johnson received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University in addition to his S.M. and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Johnson’s research focuses on production economics, engineering education, and design tools. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and industry. Johnson has over 100 peer reviewed publications and several patents.

  • Walid Metwally
    EAC ExCom Member-at-large, ABET

    Walid A. Metwally is a Distinguished R&D Scientist and leads the Nuclear Criticality Safety Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He also worked at the Atomic Energy Authority in Egypt, NC State University, United Arab Emirates University and Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF) in Wilmington, NC. In 2012, Metwally joined the University of Sharjah, UAE, where he founded and chaired the Nuclear Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Programs and also served as the vice dean of the College of Engineering.

    Metwally obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Nuclear Engineering from Alexandria University, Egypt, in 1992 and 1997. In 1998, he joined the Department of Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University as a Ph.D. student. He remained there until completing his doctorate. After completing his doctorate, he served as a Research Associate until 2003. Metwally also holds a Master of Science in Operations Research and a Masters degree in Business Administration.

    Metwally serves as a member of the ABET EAC Executive Committee, ABET commissioner and program evaluator, chair of the ANS Accreditation Policy and Procedures Committee (APPC), past chair of the UAE ANS local section, past chair of Working Group 1 of the IAEA International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN), and technical expert on IAEA missions and assignment

  • Regina Ford Cahill
    ANSAC Commissoner, ABET

    Regina Ford Cahill holds a Master’s Degree in Facilities Management from Pratt Institute and a B. S. in Occupational Therapy from S.U.N.Y. at Downstate Medical Center. She has 25 years of professional experience as a manager of recreational, educational and economic development programs, with programming as well as facilities management responsibilities.

    From 2008-14, Ford Cahill was dean at Technical Career Institutes in New York City for an associate degree program in Facilities Management along with five other majors. While at TCI, the program received Accreditation from the IFMA Foundation.

    In 2014, Ford Cahill became the chair of the programs in Construction Management, Facilities Management and Real Estate Practice at Pratt Institute. Ford Cahill has a long history working in her Brooklyn community; serving on the local Community Board and as president of the North Flatbush Avenue Business Improvement District.

    In May 2022, Ford Cahill retired from Pratt but still maintains leadership roles in the North Flatbush Avenue Business Improvement District, ABET -ANSAC Commissioner for IFMA (International Facilities Management Association) and has been the Chair of the IFMA Foundation as of July 2023. As of July 2024, Ford Cahil moved to the ExCom for ANSAC.

  • Sherif Aly Ahmed
    CAC ExCom Member-at-large, ABET

    Sherif Aly Ahmed is the current chair of the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the American University in Cairo with a mandate of transformation. Above all, he is a professor of computer science and engineering with significant industrial and governmental consultation experience. At the American University in Cairo (AUC), Ahmed has served as vice-chair of the University Senate, member of the senate executive committee, member of its standing committees and senate chair nominee. He is the former associate dean of Graduate Studies and Research of the School of Sciences and Engineering, director of its doctorate program and head of the council of graduate program directors.

    Ahmed is a member of the Executive Committee of the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, where he also serves as a commissioner. He was also a steering member of the international Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), IEEE and Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) taskforce to define decennial worldwide guidelines for computer science education. Ahmed is also editor of the flagship communications of the ACM magazine.

    For his work amongst these associations, Ahmed has received numerous recognitions for outstanding performance including the AUC President’s Catalyst for Change Award, Google faculty research award and the Egypt National Prize for Scientific Research.

2:45 p.m.

Preparing Engineers for Success in Wide-Ranging Contexts

Thursday, April 3 | 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Indigo A | Accreditation

For engineers to be successful they need to be able to apply design solutions in a wide variety of contexts.  The different contexts could be based on the different needs, desires or preferences of the user.  Context also depends on the different circumstances in which the solution is applied, such as available infrastructure, the environmental conditions or societal norms.  Each individual engineer has a particular background and set of experiences, which provides perspectives related to some of these potential applications of a solution, but that engineer may have limited perspective to appreciate needs or constraints outside of those experiences.  Engineering programs need to prepare students to develop engineering solutions for the full range of users and situations, including those that are similar and different from their own.  In this session, approaches for helping students consider the broad range of contexts in which engineering solutions can be applied.  This includes ensuring that the perspectives of all team members are leveraged in generating solutions as well as strategies for considering perspectives that are not present among the team members.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to identify approaches to comply with the recent changes to:

  1. Recognize the value of engineering designs that address a wide variety of needs.
  2. Identify approaches to help students design solutions for a wide variety of users and contexts.
  3. Incorporate varied perspectives to enhance engineering design effectiveness.

For engineers to be successful they need to be able to apply design solutions in a wide variety of contexts.  The different contexts could be based on the different needs, desires or preferences of the user.  Context also depends on the different circumstances in which...

  • Jeff Fergus
    EAC Accreditation Adjunct and Professor and Dean, Batten College of Engineering and Technology, Old Dominion University, ABET

    Jeff Fergus is dean of the Batten College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University. He previously served as a professor and associate dean in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn University. He received a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990. Fergus has been a program evaluator, team chair and commissioner, and served as chair of the EAC in 2019-20. He also served as a facilitator for PEVC training and as chair of the Accreditation Council Training Committee. He is currently serving as an adjunct accreditation director for the EAC.

  • Chris Taylor
    EAC Vice Chair and Professor and CSSE Interim Chair, Milwaukee School of Engineering, ABET

    Chris Taylor is professor and interim chair of the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. He received a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Purdue University in 1998. Taylor is a member of the CSAB board and is the CSAB liaison to the IEEE CEAA. He is the chair-elect of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET and a program evaluator for CSAB and IEEE. He is a lead facilitator for PEVC training and served on the Accreditation Council Training Committee.

2:45 p.m.

ABET Certificate Recognition Pilots, Round 2: An Update

Thursday, April 3 | 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Aqua D | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

Certificates and other micro-credentials are rapidly evolving to meet learner and employer needs. These provide opportunities for learners to gain up-to-date skills to stay current or to move into emerging areas. Additionally, more learners are entering certificate programs in lieu of traditional higher ed programs. Both employers and learners struggle to be confident of the value added by the myriad of credentials being offered across a broad spectrum of providers.

An ABET committee conducted a 2nd round of pilots to explore recognizing certificate programs using updated standards and procedures, building upon the first round of pilots. This session provides an update on that pilot process and presents some lessons learned. In addition, session participants be engaged in discussions about the effort, and the plans for next steps will be announced.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will gain familiarity with:

  • Motivation, recognition standards and pilot process for certificate quality assurance.
  • Update on lessons learned through pilot process.
  • Planned next steps.

Certificates and other micro-credentials are rapidly evolving to meet learner and employer needs. These provide opportunities for learners to gain up-to-date skills to stay current or to move into emerging areas. Additionally, more learners are entering certificate programs in lieu of traditional higher ed programs....

  • Lawrence Jones
    Past President, 2015-16, ABET

    Lawrence G. Jones’ 35+ years of ABET service includes: 2015-16 president, accreditation council chair and computing accreditation commission chair. More recently, he has led projects to accredit associate programs in cybersecurity and bachelor degree programs in data science and helped investigate piloting ABET recognition of certificates.

    Jones' U.S. Air Force (USAF) career includes chair of computer science at the USAF Academy. He retired from Carnegie-Mellon’s Software Engineering Institute as Distinguished Principal Researcher.

    His B.S and M.S. in industrial engineering are from the University of Arkansas, and Ph.D. in computer science is from Vanderbilt. He is a Fellow of ABET and CSAB and recipient of ABET’s Grinter Award for Distinguished Service.

  • Donna Reese
    Professor Emerita, Mississippi State University

    Donna Reese is professor emerita of Computer Science at Mississippi State University where she retired as head of computer science and engineering in 2017. She is a former president of CSAB, the professional society for all computing accreditation, in addition to her service on ABET's Computing Area Delegation. Reese also serves as a lead facilitator for ABET’s Program Evaluator Training. She began her ABET service in 2005 as a program evaluator and was elected to the Computing Accreditation Commission in 2009. After serving on the ExCom of CAC from 2014-2017, she served as the chair of the Computing Accreditation Commission in 2017-18. Reese was named an ABET Fellow in 2020 and a CSAB Fellow in 2023.

  • Jean Blair
    Vice Dean, United States Military Academy

    Jean Blair previously held positions as deputy to the Chief Academic Officer, director of the Computer Science Program and director of the Information Systems Engineering Program. An ABET volunteer since the Computer Science Accreditation Commission (CSAC) merged with ABET, she has served as a program evaluator, team chair, commissioner, and on the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) executive committee, where she currently serves as the past chair. She is a senior member of IEEE, a senior member of the Association for Computing Machinery, and a member of both the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics and the American Society of Engineering Education. Jean was named both an ABET Fellow and a CSAB Fellow in 2023.

  • Paul Leidig
    Professor and Director (Retired), Grand Valley State University

    Dr. Paul Leidig recently retired from Grand Valley State University (GVSU) where he served as professor and director of the School of Computing. During his 33 years at GVSU, he helped launch the school of computing and several new computing programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Leidig also led several curricular task forces for the ACM and other computing organizations that helped to create BoKs in Information Systems and Data Science. He is a member of the ABET Board of Directors and the chair of the Computing Area Delegation. Leidig currently serves as CSAB President and was previously the CSAB Criteria Committee Chair when the ANSAC and CAC data science accreditation criteria were created.

  • Jessica Silwick
    Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, ABET

    Jessica Silwick is ABET’s chief financial officer and chief operating officer (CFO/COO). She is responsible for developing ABET’s financial management strategy and the integrity of the financial information. She leads communications and marketing, professional offerings, operations, human resources, and lead internal auditor. She previously worked for large organizations in manufacturing, pharmaceutical and energy fields. Her bachelor’s in accounting is from University of Notre Dame of Maryland, and an MBA from University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler School of Business. She is an active Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Association Executive, and has professional certificates from Yale and Cornell. She was recognized as a 2022 top 50 CFOs by OnCon ICON Awards, and won the AICPA’s, Emerging Leader Award in 2015.

2:45 p.m.

ABET-aligned Resources to Infuse Sustainability into Engineering Courses

Thursday, April 3 | 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Aqua EF | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

Are you looking for ways to integrate sustainability into existing engineering courses or programs while adhering to ABET Accreditation Criteria? Are you in search of resources and activities centered on sustainability? Do you want to learn about freely available online teaching materials that have been vetted by hundreds of engineering faculty?

You’re invited to participate in this interactive session where you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of community co-created and tested Engineering for One Planet (EOP) teaching materials. We will demonstrate the application of the EOP Framework along with “how to” companion teaching guides, aimed at integrating environmental and social sustainability into engineering curricula. Integration examples will be shared from across engineering disciplines.

During this session, we will:

  • Acquaint participants with the EOP Framework and guides.
  • Illustrate how to fulfill all seven ABET student outcomes within coursework to align with ABET accreditation requirements.
  • Share examples of course modifications from across engineering disciplines.
  • Provide a wealth of freely accessible teaching and learning resources focused on sustainability.
  • Engage with audience members to work through live examples.

*Please note: Participants are encouraged to bring laptops, tablets or smartphones to access online resources throughout the workshop.

Learning Objectives

Learn about the Engineering for One Planet (EOP) Framework and companion teaching guides. Understand how engineering faculty and administrators can address the seven ABET Student Outcomes while infusing sustainability-focused learning activities into existing engineering courses.

Are you looking for ways to integrate sustainability into existing engineering courses or programs while adhering to ABET Accreditation Criteria? Are you in search of resources and activities centered on sustainability? Do you want to learn about freely available online teaching materials that have been...

  • Cindy Anderson
    Engineering for One Planet Strategy Consultant, The Lemelson Foundation

    Cindy Anderson (she/her/hers) is a sustainability consultant with Alula Consulting and an Engineering for One Planet (EOP) strategy consultant with The Lemelson Foundation. Anderson specializes in innovative sustainability-focused research and curriculum projects for academic institutions, non-profits, government and corporations. Anderson has taught thousands of people through courses and workshops, around the world and online, in the fields of biology, sustainability and biomimicry. She is honored to be a collaborative partner on the Engineering for One Planet initiative since its inception, co-author of the EOP Framework and companion teaching guides, and active EOP Network Member.

2:45 p.m.

Learn How Effective Industrial Advisory Boards Improve Programs and Benefit Graduates: Connecting Your Program to Industry

Thursday, April 3 | 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Indigo 204 | Accreditation

Industrial advisory boards (IABs) for programs are not explicitly specified in ABET criteria, however, the ABET Industrial Advisory Council (ABET IAC), comprising of technical and business leaders in industry, has observed that close ties benefit both academic programs and industry constituents. This panel session is organized by the ABET IAC and panel members and includes both academic program leaders and members of IABs. The panel will discuss the benefits of the IAB connections. The panel will also discuss structure, charter and operation of IABs that aid in focusing the IABs and make them more effective. The benefits are mutual, not only at institutional levels, but also to the academic and industry leaders who participate. The ABET IAC is a standing council which provides advice to the ABET board of directors. Graduates from programs accredited by all four ABET commissions enter employment in the companies represented on the IAC.

Learning Objectives

Participants will understand how to strengthen connections between their programs and industry. Participants will learn practices that not only benefit graduates who can accelerate their professional growth in industry, but also promote greater agility in programs.

Industrial advisory boards (IABs) for programs are not explicitly specified in ABET criteria, however, the ABET Industrial Advisory Council (ABET IAC), comprising of technical and business leaders in industry, has observed that close ties benefit both academic programs and industry constituents. This panel session is...

  • Hy Tran
    Senior Scientist and Engineer, Sandia National Laboratories

    Hy Tran has served the on the ABET Industrial Advisory Council (IAC) since October 2021. The IAC advises the ABET Board of Directors on industry concerns and future industry needs. Tran has been a volunteer with ABET since 2010, including service as a PEV and on the ETAC. His work experience includes small startups, large high tech companies, higher education, and currently works in government R&D. He is a fellow of ASME and a senior member of IEEE. His undergraduate degrees are in life sciences and in mechanical engineering; his Ph.D. is in mechanical engineering with an electrical engineering minor. Tran is a registered professional engineer.

2:45 p.m.

Discussion Den: Ask Me Anything – International Accreditation

Thursday, April 3 | 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Discussion Dens | Discussion Den/Town Hall

In this Ask Me Anything Discussion Den about International Accreditation, attendees are invited to ask any and all international accreditation-related questions and our experts will answer them.

Each Discussion Den brings ABET thought leaders together with Symposium attendees for an informal and enlightening discussion on a specific topic. These are organic conversations. There is no agenda or PowerPoint presentation. The audience’s questions and experiences build an inquisitive conversation that the group leaders guide with their insight and expertise.

Discussion Dens allow attendees to learn from the group leaders as well as from the questions and experiences of their peers.

In this Ask Me Anything Discussion Den about International Accreditation, attendees are invited to ask any and all international accreditation-related questions and our experts will answer them. Each Discussion Den brings ABET thought leaders together with Symposium attendees for an informal and enlightening discussion on...

  • Jane Emmet
    Senior Director, Accreditation Operations, ABET

    Jane Emmet has been responsible for the management and administration of ABET’s accreditation policies and procedures and the overall operations of ABET’s accreditation processes since November, 2015. She joined ABET in January 2014 as the training manager responsible for the training of the over 2,000 volunteer professionals who serve ABET. Today, Emmet is the senior director, accreditation operations.

    Emmet's background, prior to joining ABET, includes directing and managing training and leadership development programs at professional service organizations, energy companies and developing education programs for history museums. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College in history/education and a master’s degree in museum education from The George Washington University. She also holds a graduate certificate from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in instructional systems design.

  • Sherri Hersh
    Senior Manager, International Accreditation, ABET

    Sherri Hersh has been with ABET for over 15 years. Originally a member of the Engineering Credentials Evaluation International (ECEI) team, she joined the accreditation department in late 2006 when ABET decided to undertake accreditation activities for programs outside the U.S. During her time at ABET, Hersh has seen the organization's international market grow to accredit programs in 41 countries around the world.

    Hersh holds a master’s degree in management from New York University.

  • Daniela Iacona
    Director for International Engagement and Governance, ABET

    Daniela Iacona is the director for international engagement and governance at ABET, a non-profit, non-governmental organization that accredits college and university-level programs in the disciplines of applied & natural sciences, computing, engineering, and engineering technology worldwide. Iacona has supported ABET’s mission for over 15 years and has played a key role in the development and implementation of its global operations plan. Iacona currently oversees all of ABET’s international initiatives, including its engagement in mutual recognition agreements, memoranda of understanding, and global outreach and collaboration activities.

    In her dual role, Iacona is also responsible for managing all operational activities related to the governance of ABET. In this capacity, she is responsible for leading all Board of Directors, Board of Delegates, four Area Delegations and affiliated Council and Committees operational functions.

    Iacona earned her master of global management degree from Thunderbird School of Global Management and baccalaureate in international studies from Old Dominion University. She has also earned American Society of Association Executives' (ASAE) Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation.

2:45 p.m.

Using the FE Exam for Effective Outcomes Assessment and Course Improvement

Thursday, April 3 | 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Aqua C | Assessment

This session highlights best practices in outcomes assessment using the NCEES Subject Matter Reports to provide you with information about the strengths and weaknesses of students in your program. The FE Exam provides valuable, nationally normed data that allows you to understand how your students compare to those across the nation. The presentation will specifically focus on using the FE results as one of your program’s direct measures in assessing the ABET student outcomes. The same results can be used to help you improve your individual classes. Information packets will be provided.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the session, you will be able to understand:

  1.  The type of data available in the FE Subject Matter Report.
  2.  How to apply this information to assess ABET's student outcomes of your program.
  3.  How to apply this information to improve individual courses.

This session highlights best practices in outcomes assessment using the NCEES Subject Matter Reports to provide you with information about the strengths and weaknesses of students in your program. The FE Exam provides valuable, nationally normed data that allows you to understand how your students...

  • David Whitman
    Professor Emeritus, University of Wyoming

    David L. Whitman, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASEE, is professor emeritus at the University of Wyoming. He is a past president of the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCEES) and an emeritus member of the Wyoming State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors. He has been involved with various NCEES committees and has been part of the FE exam preparation since 2001.

  • John Steadman
    Dean Emeritus, University of South Alabama

    John W. Steadman, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASEE, is professor and dean emeritus at the University of South Alabama. He has held faculty positions at the University of Wyoming and the United States Air Force Academy. He is a past president of the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCEES) and serves on the FE Exam Committee. He is a past team chair and current program evaluator for ABET. Steadman is also a past president of IEEE-USA and serves on the Licensure and Registration Committee.

2:45 p.m.

Criterion 4: Continuous Improvement Best Practices

Thursday, April 3 | 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Indigo E | Assessment

ABET Criterion 4 focuses on Continuous Improvement and serves to guide educational institutions toward greater efficacy and quality. This session seeks to empower educators, administrators and evaluators to navigate Criterion 4 by discussing best practices that support the assessment and evaluation processes and drive meaningful change. Case studies involving common Criterion 4 misconceptions will be discussed, and previously developed materials on this topic will be made available. The ABET Experts hosting this session are also interested in hearing your Criterion 4 related questions, issues, and concerns for use as feedback to help improve our training materials.

Learning Objectives

Define the assessment, evaluation, and continuous improvement actions that make up criterion 4; address the best practices regarding each of these steps; and capture audience questions regarding criterion 4 for inclusion in future training materials and sessions.

ABET Criterion 4 focuses on Continuous Improvement and serves to guide educational institutions toward greater efficacy and quality. This session seeks to empower educators, administrators and evaluators to navigate Criterion 4 by discussing best practices that support the assessment and evaluation processes and drive meaningful...

  • Jenny Amos
    Teaching Professor, Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    Jennifer “Jenny” Amos, Ph.D., joined the bioengineering department at the University of Illinois in 2009 and is currently a teaching professor in bioengineering with affiliations in educational psychology, healthcare systems engineering and medicine. She received her bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering at Texas Tech and doctorate in chemical engineering from University of South Carolina. She is an American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Fellow, Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Board of Director Member, two-time Fulbright Specialist in engineering education and has won multiple awards and recognitions for her teaching and scholarship of teaching.

    Outside of BMES, she has also worked to revolutionize the future of graduate medical education serving as a founding member of the new Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, a first-of-its-kind engineering-driven college of medicine. Amos is part of the Illinois NSF RED (Revolutionizing Engineering & Computer Science Departments) research team leading efforts to innovate assessment practices for engineering toward producing more holistic engineers. Amos has a decade’s worth of experience leading curriculum reform implementing robust assessment strategies at multiple institutions. Amos has served as an ABET program evaluator for BMES since 2012 and a commissioner for the Engineering Accreditation Commission at ABET from 2018 until 2021. She is a 2011 IDEAL Scholar graduate and has been leading program assessment workshops since 2012.

  • John Estell
    Professor, Ohio Northern University

    John K. Estell is the Reichelderfer Endowed Chair and Professor of Computer Engineering and Computer Science at Ohio Northern University. He is an ABET Fellow, a 12-year ABET Commissioner and an Accreditation Council Training Committee member; he previously was an CAC Executive Committee Member, a CAC Editor and CAC Training Committee Co-Chair. He is also an ASEE Fellow and former ASEE Vice President. Estell has received multiple ASEE awards for both his scholarship on engineering education pedagogy and his service to the Society. His research includes streamlining program outcomes assessment processes, including developing the well-known FCAR methodology, and applying entrepreneurial mindset approaches to engineering design pedagogy.

4:15 p.m.

Project-Based Learning and Lifelong Learning: Drama in Real Life

Thursday, April 3 | 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. | Aqua EF | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

Project-Based Learning (PBL) methods can cultivate lifelong learning skills in engineering students, particularly within capstone projects. Lifelong learning is essential yet challenging to assess within ABET standards, as it requires students to develop adaptability in social, cultural, economic, and environmental contexts. By integrating PBL approaches, educators can provide opportunities for students to engage in real-world, self-directed projects that require independent decision-making and component selection. Capstone PBL experiences allow students to practice continuous learning in ways that extend beyond traditional curriculum norms. We will share practical examples and offer strategies for embedding PBL approaches that nurture lifelong learning mindsets and skills. Additionally, participants will receive guidance on assessment techniques, including sample rubrics, to make lifelong learning outcomes more measurable within their programs. This session equips attendees with actionable tools to enhance both the delivery and assessment of lifelong learning competencies aligned with ABET standards.

Learning Objectives

Develop strategies for incorporating Project-Based Learning (PBL) approaches into engineering capstone projects to promote lifelong learning skills. Apply assessment techniques to evaluate lifelong learning outcomes in engineering students, making these competencies aligned with ABET standards.

Project-Based Learning (PBL) methods can cultivate lifelong learning skills in engineering students, particularly within capstone projects. Lifelong learning is essential yet challenging to assess within ABET standards, as it requires students to develop adaptability in social, cultural, economic, and environmental contexts. By integrating PBL approaches,...

  • Brock Craft
    Teaching Professor, University of Washington

    Brock Craft is a Teaching Professor in the department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) in the College of Engineering at the University of Washington and Director of the BS in HCDE. His areas of expertise include educational technology, data visualization, and embedded systems.

  • Micah Lande
    Assistant Professor and Department Chair, South Dakota Mines

    Micah Lande, PhD is an Assistant Professor and E.R. Stensaas Chair for Engineering Education in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at South Dakota Mines. Dr. Lande directs the Holistic Engineering Lab & Observatory. He teaches human-centered engineering design, design thinking, and design innovation courses. Dr. Lande researches how technical and non-technical people learn and apply design thinking and making processes to their work. He is interested in the intersection of designedly epistemic identities and vocational pathways. Dr. Lande received his B.S. in Engineering (Product Design), M.A. in Education (Learning, Design and Technology) and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (Design Education) from Stanford University.

4:15 p.m.

Empowering Diversity in Computer Science: Active Learning Perspectives from Faculty of Color

Thursday, April 3 | 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. | Indigo 204 | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

This panel of diverse computer science faculty will share their experiences and insights based on their personal lifelong learning journey on how active learning methods can engage and retain students from underrepresented backgrounds in computer science (CS). Through strategies such as collaborative problem-solving, peer instruction, creative hands-on project development and hands-on coding activities, panelists will demonstrate how active learning could foster inclusive classrooms that address a variety of learning styles and cultural perspectives. Although these approaches are especially impactful for underrepresented students, helping to break down barriers like feelings of isolation or lack of belonging, they can also be beneficial to all students, enhancing their overall learning experience. The faculty will discuss how diverse viewpoints in course content highlight the real-world relevance of CS education, building students confidence and fostering a sense of belonging and community. Active learning also cultivates critical thinking and resilience, key skills that support retention and success in CS. By sharing their unique cultural life experiences, successes, and challenges, this panel will equip ABET attendees with practical tools and perspectives for bridging representation gaps, enhancing inclusivity, fostering a diverse, vibrant culture in higher education.

Learning Objectives

  1. Identify and implement active learning strategies to engage underrepresented students, address the challenges faced by them, and create an inclusive culture in computing classrooms.
  2. Learn how to leverage lifelong experiences to improve a sense of belonging and community among students.

This panel of diverse computer science faculty will share their experiences and insights based on their personal lifelong learning journey on how active learning methods can engage and retain students from underrepresented backgrounds in computer science (CS). Through strategies such as collaborative problem-solving, peer instruction,...

  • Jomara Sandbulte
    Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Duluth

    Dr. Jomara Sandbulte is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Her research centers on Human-Computer Interaction(HCI) with a specialization in Health Informatics. Sandbulte’s work explores how technology can be used to support individuals’ health and wellbeing. Identifying as a Latina woman in STEM, Dr. Sandbulte is committed to connect her research with diversity initiatives. As an educator, she strives to create an engaging classroom environment with meaningful learning experiences that supports students from diverse backgrounds which aligns with ABET standards.

  • Temitope Olorunfemi
    Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Duluth

    Dr. Temitope Olorunfemi is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. She is from the southwestern part of Nigeria and has focused her work and research on improving the lives of women and girls there. Her research centers around health-based educational applications in different languages. She believes it is only through working with people with different perspectives that we can come up with constructive solutions that have a broad societal impact. As an educator and researcher, she is committed to improving diversity in the Computer Science community through her teaching and research activities in alignment to ABET standards.

  • Arshia Khan
    Professor, University of Minnesota Duluth

    Dr. Arshia Khan is a Muslim female of color, is a professor of computer science, specializing in healthcare technology innovation. Her research spans robotics, artificial intelligence, IoT, and ethical computing, particularly in dementia care. As principal investigator of the S-STEM grant, she provides scholarships to students from low-income families and actively supports diversity initiatives, encouraging women and students from diverse backgrounds to develop a sense of belonging in computing. Dr. Khan’s commitment to inclusive, industry-relevant education aligns with ABET standards, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration, social responsibility, and practical skills to prepare graduates for professional success and global impact.

4:15 p.m.

Advanced Curriculum Mapping – Beyond Tracking Performance Indicators and Placing Measures

Thursday, April 3 | 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. | Indigo A | Assessment

Schools routinely engage faculty in the curriculum mapping process to identify alignment between learning outcomes and performance indicators in specific courses and to detail depth of their coverage. This shallow application most often results in the map being used only to place measures in courses. By strategically designing course alignment matrices used to gather richer information from the faculty, only minimally expanding the questions asked of faculty, information can be gathered and captured in maps to address many more questions thus providing much greater utility in the assessment process.

This session will demonstrate how to expand course alignment matrices used to gather information without unduly burdening faculty. Further, advanced curriculum mapping applications will be demonstrated including using the curriculum mapping process to: improve placement of assessment measures in courses, enhance sampling adequacy, consider prerequisite and co-requisite course chains, capture implementation of both XX course assessment and program assessment driven improvements, identify courses employing cutting edge technologies, compare multi-section courses, and enhance faculty engagement in the assessment process. Such advanced curriculum mapping applications not only enhance the utility of curriculum maps but also greatly enhance the ability of programs to tell their assessment stories to various constituencies including peer evaluators.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

  • Explore how to expand the questions asked in course alignment matrices to provide richer information for their curriculum maps.
  • Review examples of deeper curriculum maps.
  • Participate in a brainstorming activity to identify topics for inclusion in maps.

Schools routinely engage faculty in the curriculum mapping process to identify alignment between learning outcomes and performance indicators in specific courses and to detail depth of their coverage. This shallow application most often results in the map being used only to place measures in courses....

  • Karen Tarnoff
    Associate Dean for Assessment and Assurance of Learning, East Tennessee State University

    Karen serves the College of Business and Technology at ETSU as the Associate Dean for Assessment. She coordinates assessment for four accreditors across eight diverse departments: Accountancy, Computer and Information Sciences, Economics and Finance, Management and Supply Chain, Marketing, Media and Communications, and Sport and Recreation Management which offer seven undergraduate programs, eight master’s programs and one doctoral program. She has given many presentations on assessment and has consulted with many schools helping them refine their assessment systems. Karen is an AACSB Global Lead Facilitator having created content for its AOL seminars and offerings also serving ABET as a content creator and FPAWs facilitator.

4:15 p.m.

Using Evaluation to Improve Learning – From Data to Wisdom

Thursday, April 3 | 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. | Indigo E | Assessment

A sound evaluation process is critical to produce findings and recommendations for the improvement of student learning. Evaluation is where all the assessment processes merge for review and recommendations for improvements. This session will demonstrate the elements of an effective evaluation process that involves faculty and leads to the improvement of student learning, assessment processes and curriculum integrity around desired learning outcomes. Examples of how the process can improve the quality of stated learning outcomes, curriculum mapping and faculty engagement are provided. Participants will engage in identifying the important elements of evaluation and recognizing and diagnosing symptoms of ineffective processes.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1.  Explain the role of evaluation in the improvement of student learning and the assessment process.
  2.  Understand the importance of engaging faculty as a learning community.
  3.  Evaluate their own evaluation processes to identify areas for improvement.

A sound evaluation process is critical to produce findings and recommendations for the improvement of student learning. Evaluation is where all the assessment processes merge for review and recommendations for improvements. This session will demonstrate the elements of an effective evaluation process that involves faculty...

  • Gloria Rogers
    Senior Adjunct Director, Professional Offerings, ABET

    Dr. Gloria Rogers is currently serving as senior adjunct director for professional offerings at ABET where she facilitates ABET professional offerings and developed the Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL).

    Curricular areas of expertise and interest include program assessment, strategic planning, assessment and evaluation of externally funded projects, institutional research, curriculum development and administrative leadership.

    Rogers has given invited presentations at national and international conferences and has facilitated workshops and seminars on over 150 campuses and in 33 countries including a Fulbright Senior Scholar assignment in Lima, Peru. She is a Fellow of ASEE.

  • Daina Briedis
    Adjunct Director, Professional Programs, ABET

    Daina Briedis is Adjunct and Associate Professor Emerita of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at Michigan State University. She served as her program’s and college’s assessment coordinator for over twenty years across the span of four accreditation reviews including an early EC2000 visit. Dr. Briedis has been a Lead Facilitator for ABET Program Evaluator training for eight years and was involved in the early design of the training program. Over the past 36 years, Daina has served ABET as a program evaluator for AIChE, a team chair and member of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC), the first chair of the EAC Training and Materials Development Committee, an EAC Executive Committee member, and a member of the ABET Board of Directors. She was a program evaluator on one of the very first EC2000 visits and subsequently chaired several new-criteria visits.  She is currently an Adjunct Director of Professional Programs at ABET, Inc. wherein she facilitates and helps design ABET's assessment workshops. Dr. Briedis is active nationally and internationally as a consultant in engineering accreditation and is a Fellow of ABET, ASEE and the AIChE.

4:15 p.m.

Discussion Den: Ask Me Anything – ABET Bridge

Thursday, April 3 | 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. | Discussion Dens | Discussion Den/Town Hall

In this Ask Me Anything Discussion Den about ABET Bridge, attendees are invited to ask any and all ABET Bridge advising-related questions and our expert will answer them. As part of the ABET Foundation, ABET Bridge provides general and specialized advisory services for programs. Services range from general advising for new program development to focused activities for programs preparing for accreditation by any of the four ABET commissions (applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology).

Each Discussion Den brings ABET thought leaders together with Symposium attendees for an informal and enlightening discussion on a specific topic. These are organic conversations. There is no agenda or PowerPoint presentation. The audience’s questions and experiences build an inquisitive conversation that the group leaders guide with their insight and expertise.

Discussion Dens allow attendees to learn from the group leaders as well as from the questions and experiences of their peers.

In this Ask Me Anything Discussion Den about ABET Bridge, attendees are invited to ask any and all ABET Bridge advising-related questions and our expert will answer them. As part of the ABET Foundation, ABET Bridge provides general and specialized advisory services for programs. Services...

  • Jeff Fergus
    EAC Accreditation Adjunct and Professor and Dean, Batten College of Engineering and Technology, Old Dominion University, ABET

    Jeff Fergus is dean of the Batten College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University. He previously served as a professor and associate dean in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn University. He received a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990. Fergus has been a program evaluator, team chair and commissioner, and served as chair of the EAC in 2019-20. He also served as a facilitator for PEVC training and as chair of the Accreditation Council Training Committee. He is currently serving as an adjunct accreditation director for the EAC.

4:15 p.m.

Accreditation Program Under Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission’s (ANSAC) General Criteria

Thursday, April 3 | 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. | Aqua C | Accreditation

Many programs under the applied sciences have program criteria under ANSAC including but not limited to: industrial hygiene, safety, surveying, facilities management and construction management, while other programs under the natural sciences and mathematics do not have program criteria. An increasing number of these programs are being considered for accreditation by ANSAC.

Learning Objectives

Learn about the protocols for determining appropriateness of your request and if ANSAC is right for you.

Many programs under the applied sciences have program criteria under ANSAC including but not limited to: industrial hygiene, safety, surveying, facilities management and construction management, while other programs under the natural sciences and mathematics do not have program criteria. An increasing number of these programs...

  • Lisa Sachs
    ANSAC Chair, ABET

    For over 25 years, Lisa Sachs has been a key contributor to the success of two of the largest multi-billion dollar educational construction management bond programs in California, initially as a principal of her own firm and then as managing principal of Cumming after merging firms. Recognized as an industry leader, she was inducted into the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) College of Fellows in 2012 and 2017. She is past president of the CMAA Southern California Chapter and Chapter Foundation, and in 2014 was appointed by CMAA as its first ABET commissioner representing construction management in the Applied and Natural Sciences Accreditation Commission where she is currently serving on the Executive Committee. Sachs also serves on the CMAA National Foundation and Southern California Chapter Foundation Boards, the Cal State University of Northridge CM Industry Liaison Council, and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Architectural Program Advisory Council (her alma mater).

  • Richard Olawoyin
    ANSAC Vice Chair Operations, IDEA Council Chair, ABET

    Dr. Richard Olawoyin, P.E., is a professor of engineering at Oakland University. He is a US Fulbright Scholar (alumnus), and has engaged students globally through teaching and research, particularly in four countries: China, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and the United States. He has served ABET in various roles including serving as the current chair of the ABET Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Advisory Council, incoming chair-elect of ABET ANSAC, Team Chair, Training Support Facilitator for PEV candidates, and a PEV mentor. He was awarded the ASSP Charles V. Culbertson Outstanding Award in 2019 and 2022 for his professional contributions.

4:15 p.m.

Sharing the Program Evaluator (PEV) Perspective

Thursday, April 3 | 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. | Aqua D | Accreditation

This panel discussion is designed for a prospective PEV who is interested in having as much information as possible on what the job really entails. The session will start with a brief presentation of an ABET visit from the perspective of a PEV, from the initial assignment to the campus visit and return home. This will be followed by Q&A from the audience.

Learning Objectives

A thorough understanding of both the expectations placed on and the growth opportunities available to a new PEV.

This panel discussion is designed for a prospective PEV who is interested in having as much information as possible on what the job really entails. The session will start with a brief presentation of an ABET visit from the perspective of a PEV, from the...

  • Jennifer Brock
    EAC Commissioner, ABET

    Jennifer McFerran Brock is an associate professor and chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at University of Alaska Anchorage. In addition to leading her own department’s assessment efforts since 2012, she was chair of the UAA College of Engineering Assessment Committee from 2014-2018 and has been involved in numerous campus-wide assessment- and accreditation-related initiatives, most recently serving as a tri-chair of the UAA Institutional Self-Study Committee from 2016-18 in connection with the institution’s regional accreditation. She became a commissioner with the EAC in 2022.

  • John Estell
    Professor, Ohio Northern University

    John K. Estell is the Reichelderfer Endowed Chair and Professor of Computer Engineering and Computer Science at Ohio Northern University. He is an ABET Fellow, a 12-year ABET Commissioner and an Accreditation Council Training Committee member; he previously was an CAC Executive Committee Member, a CAC Editor and CAC Training Committee Co-Chair. He is also an ASEE Fellow and former ASEE Vice President. Estell has received multiple ASEE awards for both his scholarship on engineering education pedagogy and his service to the Society. His research includes streamlining program outcomes assessment processes, including developing the well-known FCAR methodology, and applying entrepreneurial mindset approaches to engineering design pedagogy.

  • Susan Schall
    Founder and Lead Consultant, SOS Consulting

    Susan O. Schall, Founder of SOS Consulting, has 35 years’ experience with manufacturing, non-profit and higher education clients using engineering, statistical and quality improvement methods. Prior to consulting she held engineering and leadership roles at RR Donnelley, GE Lighting, DuPont and Kodak.

    Susan is a Fellow of ABET and IISE. She served on the ABET Board and the EAC. As first ABET Adjunct Training Director, she transformed volunteer training.

    Susan received BS in Mathematics from SUNY College at Fredonia, and BS, MS, and PhD in industrial engineering from Penn State University.

  • John Vian
    Technical Fellow, Boeing

    Dr. John Vian is a Boeing Technical Fellow working in advanced flight automation, urban air mobility concepts and collaborative education initiatives in Ethiopia. Vian has served ABET since 1997 in various roles, including: IEEE Program Evaluator, Engineering Accreditation Commissioner, Executive Committee/Editor 1, Team Chair, Engineering Area Delegation and Board of Delegates.

  • Ajit Mujumdar
    Professor of Instruction and UG Program Director, University of South Florida
  • Stephen Hill
    Associate Dean and Associate Professor, Mercer University School of Engineering

    Dr. Stephen Hill is an Associate Dean and Associate Professor at Mercer University’s School of Engineering. He earned his Ph.D., MS, and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and B.S in General Sciences from Morehouse College.

    Prior to joining Mercer, he worked with Schlumberger Oilfield Services for 13 years where he was most recently a project manager in the completions product group managing permanent completion projects associated with Sand Management Services and Production, based in Rosharon, Texas.

    Prior to that, he was based in Sugar Land, Texas as a Senior Engineer in the Well Services Product group working in the area of the design coiled tubing down-hole tools.

Friday, April 4
10:15 a.m.

Creating and Leveraging Academic-Workforce Partnerships that Support Engineering Accreditation

Friday, April 4 | 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Aqua D | Accreditation
  • Yvette E. Pearson
    Associate Dean, University of Texas at Dallas

    Dr. Yvette E. Pearson is an Associate Dean holding dual appointments in the Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at The University of Texas at Dallas. A Fellow of ASCE and ASEE, Pearson’s nearly 30 years of experience include leadership roles at the department, school, and university levels that have involved oversight for engineering accreditation as well as developing and leading operational and strategic partnerships. She is a registered Professional Engineer, an Envision Sustainability Professional, and an ABET EAC Commissioner who is globally recognized for her work, which centers sustainability, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in education and practice.

  • Torrie Cropps
    Research Scientist, University of Texas at Dallas

    Dr. Torrie Cropps is a Research Scientist in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at The University of Texas at Dallas where her research focuses on equity in STEM faculty hiring. Her teaching includes environmental justice and environmental history courses. Cropps holds a B.S. in Agricultural Economics and an M.S. in Agricultural Education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Her Ph.D. is in Agricultural Education from Purdue University. Her dissertation focused on the experiences of Black women doctoral candidates in agricultural disciplines at PWIs. Cropps' research interests include Black collegiate women and the socialization, mentoring, and advising of graduate students in agriculture+STEM.

  • Quincy Alexander
    Chief, Software Engineering and Informatics Division, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center

    Quincy G. Alexander is a Research Civil Engineer at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. As part of his supervisory role, his responsibilities have included building strategic partnerships with universities, particularly Minority Serving Institutions, serving on university advisory boards, and leading educational outreach initiatives. These efforts reflect a strong commitment to enhancing diversity, aligning academic programs with industry needs, and actively engaging with student and academic communities.

10:15 a.m.

Communication and Ethical Leadership Skills for the Whole Engineer

Friday, April 4 | 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Aqua EF | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

This workshop will showcase practical strategies around cultivating essential Communication & Ethical Leadership Skills for The Whole Engineer. The gaps between classroom learning and job readiness are well known. Employers expect more than technical knowledge from engineers. Communication and Ethical leadership skills are essential for engineers to show up with confidence, to influence decisions, to demonstrate ethical character, and earn the trust of their technical and non-technical colleagues. Research has shown that engineers with strong communication and ethical leaderships skills contribute at higher levels and are fulfilled to remain in their STEM fields. This workshop will offer educators proven methods to cultivate communication and ethical leaderships skills via experiential learning (case based learning). Cases reflective of engineering practice will be demonstrated with role playing scenarios and coaching. Supporting assessment methods will also be provided. Educators have a responsibility and an opportunity to educate the next generation of engineers with essential skills for bettering the Whole Engineer who will better humanity.

Learning Objectives

In this session, attendees will gain insights to real-world and authentic cases/scenarios that can cultivate communication skills, leadership skills, and character development in the classroom. Resources and pedagogical insights will be provided.

This workshop will showcase practical strategies around cultivating essential Communication & Ethical Leadership Skills for The Whole Engineer. The gaps between classroom learning and job readiness are well known. Employers expect more than technical knowledge from engineers. Communication and Ethical leadership skills are essential for...

  • Olga Pierrakos
    Program Director, STEM Education Directorate, National Science Foundation

    Olga Pierrakos, Ph.D. is a STEM Education Program Director (2nd stint) at NSF & Professor at Wake Forest University (WFU). As a first-generation college student, engineer, and academic, Olga saw the power of education and sees the opportunities & responsibilities of higher education. With a vision to Educate the Whole Engineer, Olga led WFU Engineering (2017-22) to achieve unprecedented outcomes:(1) curricular & pedagogical innovation, (2) student diversity- 42% women & 25% racial/ethnic, (3) faculty diversity- 50% women & 25% racial/ethnic, (4) research excellence, (5) 14th "Best Undergraduate Engineering Program" by US News Report (2023). An ABET EAC PEV, Team Chair, and Commissioner (2019-24),Olga led WFU & JMU through EAC accreditation.

  • Farnoosh Brock
    CEO, Prolific Living, Inc.

    Farnoosh Brock, Prolific Living Inc. Farnoosh Brock went from electrical engineer and project manager at a Fortune 100 to an entrepreneur, published author (4 books), speaker and trainer in 2011. She has coached and trained hundreds of professionals at all levels of the organizations in their Mindset, Leadership and Communication Skills. She delivers workshops at engineering programs and universities such as Johns Hopkins, Duke, James Madison, Cornell, Wake Forest and other schools. She also trains leaders and managers in Fortune 100 companies and was invited to give a Talks@Google on her book, The Serving Mindset.

10:15 a.m.

How Computing Bodies of Knowledge Inform Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) Criterion 3 and 5

Friday, April 4 | 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Aqua C | Discussion Den/Town Hall
  • Paul Leidig
    Professor and Director (Retired), Grand Valley State University

    Dr. Paul Leidig recently retired from Grand Valley State University (GVSU) where he served as professor and director of the School of Computing. During his 33 years at GVSU, he helped launch the school of computing and several new computing programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Leidig also led several curricular task forces for the ACM and other computing organizations that helped to create BoKs in Information Systems and Data Science. He is a member of the ABET Board of Directors and the chair of the Computing Area Delegation. Leidig currently serves as CSAB President and was previously the CSAB Criteria Committee Chair when the ANSAC and CAC data science accreditation criteria were created.

10:15 a.m.

Continuous Improvement Plans from Scratch

Friday, April 4 | 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Indigo 204 | Assessment

A key to a quality educational program is a clear, concise, and systematic continuous improvement plan. However, sometimes it’s not clear where to start or how to use the information once the plan is implemented. In this session, attendees will receive pointers on how to start, structure and implement a continuous improvement plan.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, attendees will:

  • Identify the importance of a well-documented continuous improvement process.
  • Analyze the basic elements of a continuous improvement plan that best fits their program/institution.
  • Recognize the need to evaluate their continuous improvement plan.

A key to a quality educational program is a clear, concise, and systematic continuous improvement plan. However, sometimes it’s not clear where to start or how to use the information once the plan is implemented. In this session, attendees will receive pointers on how to...

  • Kevin Huggins
    Professor of Computer Science and Data Science, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

    Kevin Huggins, Ph.D., is a Professor of Computer and Data Science at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. Huggins also served as commissioner for the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET and is currently a Senior IDEAL Scholar.

  • Catalina Plúa Morales
    Head of the Office of Curriculum Design & International Accreditation and Professor of Education, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ

    Catalina Plúa is the Head of the Office of International Accreditation and Professor of the Education Program at Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, a liberal arts college in Ecuador. She oversees international accreditation processes and manages and facilitates all assessment, accreditation and academic program review efforts for all the undergraduate programs and graduate programs offered in her university.

10:15 a.m.

Accelerating the Development of Program Assessment Processes with Generative AI

Friday, April 4 | 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Indigo E | Assessment

This presentation demonstrates the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool for the development and enhancement of assessment processes for academic programs. AI offers the potential to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of program assessment by aiding in the creation of performance indicators, scoring rubrics, and formative and summative assessment tasks. In this session, we will highlight practical applications of AI in these areas, and we will discuss the importance of faculty involvement and informed leadership in successfully implementing AI-informed program-specific processes. Additionally, we will address the challenges and ethical considerations associated with AI adoption, aiming to foster a balanced perspective on leveraging AI to support continuous improvement in academic program assessment.

Learning Objectives

  1.  Understand the benefits of AI in program assessment
  2.  Explain practical applications of AI for assessment processes
  3.  Know questions to ask when using AI
  4.  Explain how AI can accelerate the development of assessment processes
  5.  Identify ethical considerations in AI implementation

This presentation demonstrates the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool for the development and enhancement of assessment processes for academic programs. AI offers the potential to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of program assessment by aiding in the creation of performance indicators,...

  • Gloria Rogers
    Senior Adjunct Director, Professional Offerings, ABET

    Dr. Gloria Rogers is currently serving as senior adjunct director for professional offerings at ABET where she facilitates ABET professional offerings and developed the Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL).

    Curricular areas of expertise and interest include program assessment, strategic planning, assessment and evaluation of externally funded projects, institutional research, curriculum development and administrative leadership.

    Rogers has given invited presentations at national and international conferences and has facilitated workshops and seminars on over 150 campuses and in 33 countries including a Fulbright Senior Scholar assignment in Lima, Peru. She is a Fellow of ASEE.

  • James Warnock
    Adjunct Director, ABET

    Dr. James Warnock serves as an adjunct director of professional offerings for ABET. In this role, he facilitates the planning, production and execution of the organization’s professional development programming and directs activities related to educational offerings and workshop facilitator training.

    In addition to his role at ABET, Warnock is a professor and the associate dean in the Jere W. Morehead Honors College at the University of Georgia, Athens, USA. Before joining the Morehead Honors College in 2024, Warnock served as chair of the School of Chemical, Materials, and Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering, a position he held since 2017.

10:15 a.m.

Tips for Meeting the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) ABET Criteria

Friday, April 4 | 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Indigo A | Accreditation

This session discusses commonly identified shortcomings from EAC team visits over the most recent cycle of evaluations. Statistics on shortcomings by criterion and their resolution through the review process are also presented. The presentation provides suggestions on how to be proactive with steps that can be taken to avoid these common mistakes. In addition, common review terminology is defined and explained.

Learning Objectives

This session will help prepare individuals who are in the process of creating their program's self-study report. The goal is to ensure that they do not make these most commons mistakes and to facilitate a trouble-free program evaluation.

This session discusses commonly identified shortcomings from EAC team visits over the most recent cycle of evaluations. Statistics on shortcomings by criterion and their resolution through the review process are also presented. The presentation provides suggestions on how to be proactive with steps that can...

  • Patricia Brackin
    Professor and Program Director, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

    Dr. Patsy Brackin is the director of Rose-Hulman's award-winning engineering design program. Her expertise is in design methodology, creativity and innovation. She spent 11 years as director of Rose-Hulman's Operation Catapult program, helping introduce high school seniors to the wonders of science and engineering. Before becoming a college professor, Brackin was a design engineer for Chicago Bridge and Iron. Brackin has served as a program evaluator, a team chair and as a member and chair of the EAC.

  • Philip Schenewerk
    Accreditation Adjunct, Engineering, ABET

    Dr. Philip Schenewerk is a retired geological and petroleum engineer whose career has spanned government, the academy, and the private sector. Schenewerk has served as an ABET volunteer throughout his working career as a program evaluator, team chair and as a member of the EAC and its ExCom. He currently serves as an Accreditation Adjunct for Engineering.

11:30 a.m.

Discussion Den: Ask Me Anything – Plenary Panel

Friday, April 4 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Discussion Dens | Discussion Den/Town Hall

In this Ask Me Anything Discussion Den, attendees are invited to ask any and all questions about the Symposium Closing Plenary to discuss with our team of experts.

Each Discussion Den brings ABET thought leaders together with Symposium attendees for an informal and enlightening discussion on a specific topic. These are organic conversations. There is no agenda or PowerPoint presentation. The audience’s questions and experiences build an inquisitive conversation that the group leaders guide with their insight and expertise.

Discussion Dens allow attendees to learn from the group leaders as well as from the questions and experiences of their peers.

In this Ask Me Anything Discussion Den, attendees are invited to ask any and all questions about the Symposium Closing Plenary to discuss with our team of experts. Each Discussion Den brings ABET thought leaders together with Symposium attendees for an informal and enlightening discussion...

  • Nelson Baker
    Inaugural Interim Dean, Lifetime Learning Division & Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

    Nelson C. Baker, Ph.D., is the inaugural interim dean of the Lifetime Learning Division and professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. As dean, Dr. Baker leads a multifaceted enterprise that interacts with Georgia Tech faculty to create and deploy Georgia Tech's research, educational programs, activities and services for the on-going learning needs for both individuals and employer workforce demands throughout a lifetime. This new division, formed in 2023 under Dr. Baker’s leadership, touches more than 250,000 K-12 teachers, students and working professionals last year from nearly half the world’s countries, providing them new knowledge and skills for tomorrow’s world. Prior to this role, Dr. Baker served as the dean of professional education for the last decade.

  • Jaime Bonilla Ríos
    Professor, Rice University

    Jaime Bonilla Ríos is currently a chemical and mechanical engineering professor and adjunct professor in the Materials Science and Nanoengineering Department at Rice University. As a researcher, Ríos has worked in polymer engineering and science as well as in nanotechnology.

    Ríos also served as the former national associate dean of the School of Engineering and Science at Tec de Monterrey for Continuing Education, Consulting and International Affairs.

    Additionally, Ríos has also served as the dean of the School of Engineering and Information Technology (EITI) at Campus Monterrey, national director of Alumni Relations and Life and Career Centers, director of research and extension of the Monterrey Rectory, president of three Annual Research and Extension Congresses, director of the Bachelor of Chemical Sciences program at the Monterrey Campus, president of the Global Engineering Deans Council of the Latin American Chapter and president of the Latin American and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions.

    Ríos has also been a member of the Mexican Institute of Chemical Engineers; National Association of Faculties of Engineering; Society of Rheology; Society of Plastics Engineers; American Society for Engineering Education; and the Software Council of Nuevo León.

    Ríos has been the principal advisor for 23 master's theses, eight doctoral theses, two doctoral theses in process and one granted patent. He has published articles in international journals and conference proceedings and is a member of the Mexican National System of Researchers level 2 (SNI 2).

    Ríos graduated with a B.Sc. in chemistry at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, a master’s in chemical engineering at Rice University and a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary engineering, with an emphasis in polymers at Texas A&M University.

  • Ann Kenimer
    Chief Accreditation Officer, ABET

    Dr. Ann Kenimer is the Chief Accreditation Officer at ABET, bringing over three decades of academic and leadership experience to her role. Prior to joining the ABET Headquarters staff in 2024, Kenimer spent over 20 years as an ABET volunteer serving as a program evaluator, team chair, executive committee member and officer in the Engineering Accreditation Commission. 

    Kenimer is also professor emerita and associate provost emerita at Texas A&M University, where she held various leadership positions before retiring. Over her 30-year career as a faculty member at Texas A&M, she held several college- and university-level positions including associate dean and interim executive associate dean in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, associate dean of faculties, interim dean and chief operating officer at Texas A&M University at Qatar, and associate provost for undergraduate studies. 

    In addition to her status as fellow of ABET and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and registered Professional Engineer in Texas, Kenimer has received numerous teaching awards, including the Minnie Stevens Piper Professor award. 

    Kenimer earned her Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1990, following her M.S. and B.S. degrees in agricultural engineering from Virginia Tech.

11:30 a.m.

Lifelong Learning and Sustainable Development in Conflict Zones

Friday, April 4 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Aqua C | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

High-quality education is crucial in conflict zones due to ongoing conflict and displacement. In 2017, I founded the International University of the Sciences and Renaissance (IUSR) in Northwestern Syria to support internal refugees and address educational gaps by providing degree programs that meet the region's urgent needs.

This presentation examines how university initiatives and other institutions promote lifelong learning, equip students with career skills, and support community rebuilding and sustainable development.

By aligning its programs with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), IUSR aims to reduce educational disparities and empower displaced populations with opportunities for social and economic advancement. Additionally, the presentation will highlight the broader mission of the Syria Relief & Development (SRD), which I established in 2011, to provide sustainable relief in Syria. The initiative includes K-12 Global schools, life skills training, and vocational programs, forming a comprehensive approach to sustainable development in Syria.

The discussion will examine the challenges and innovative solutions in creating an inclusive, resilient learning environment tailored to the unique conditions of a conflict zone. By integrating education with sustainable practices, IUSR provides a blueprint for how higher education can drive long-term recovery and development, inspiring similar efforts in other regions facing adversity.

Learning Objectives

Analyze how the International University of the Sciences (IUSR) and Renaissance and Syria Relief & Development initiatives promote lifelong learning, career skills, and sustainable development in conflict zones, aligning with UN SDGs to empower displaced populations and support community rebuilding.

High-quality education is crucial in conflict zones due to ongoing conflict and displacement. In 2017, I founded the International University of the Sciences and Renaissance (IUSR) in Northwestern Syria to support internal refugees and address educational gaps by providing degree programs that meet the region’s...

  • Jihad Qaddour
    Professor, Illinois State University

    Dr. Jihad Qaddour, with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (EE) and dual M.S. degrees in EE and Mathematics from Wichita State University, has been a professor at Illinois State University since 2002. Previously, he worked at Sprint for five years and was a tenured associate professor at Mesa State College for six years. He has authored over 65 research papers, a textbook, and 30+ technical reports. In response to the Syria crisis in 2011, he founded Syria Relief and Development, providing over $130 million in aid to 18 million beneficiaries. In 2017, he established the International University of Science and Renaissance in Northwest Syria, serving 5,000+ students across 30+ degree programs and a K-12 Global school with 500+ students.

11:30 a.m.

Advancing Inclusivity and Engagement in STEM: Culturally Relevant Assessment and Immersive Online Labs

Friday, April 4 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Aqua D | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

This interdisciplinary session explores strategies to enhance inclusion and engagement in STEM education: culturally relevant assessment practices and immersive online labs. Attendees will learn how inclusive assessments and curricula can align with students’ identities and experiences to foster engagement and success. The session also highlights the design of online labs across engineering and computer disciplines, showcasing how these scalable, hands-on tools break down barriers to education and develop critical technical skills. Together, these approaches support lifelong learning, active engagement, and equitable opportunities for all students.

Learning Objectives

  • Integrate Inclusivity: Understand how culturally relevant curriculum design and assessment practices create meaningful student learning environments.
  • Incorporate Online Labs: Explore strategies for creating immersive online labs that provide equitable, hands-on learning opportunities across STEM disciplines.
  • Apply Innovative Engagement Strategies: Examine your own courses to determine opportunities to include meaningful activities and assessments to further student learning outcomes.

This interdisciplinary session explores strategies to enhance inclusion and engagement in STEM education: culturally relevant assessment practices and immersive online labs. Attendees will learn how inclusive assessments and curricula can align with students’ identities and experiences to foster engagement and success. The session also highlights...

  • Carrie Prior
    Associate Dean School of Technology, Excelsior University

    Dr. Carrie Prior is the Associate Dean of the School of Technology at Excelsior University, specializing in academic leadership and curriculum innovation focused on DEI, ethics, global insights, and societal impact in STEM. She has advanced the School's mission to prepare students with technical skills and ethical insights for today's workforce. Her efforts include enhancing global learning access for underrepresented students through micro-credentialing programs and championing a signature first-year course that examines technology's ethical and social implications. A thought leader in Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), Dr. Prior holds an Ed.D. in the Design of Learning Environments from Rutgers University.

  • James Tippey
    Department Chair, Computer Technologies, Excelsior University

    Dr. James Tippey has worked with computers since high school and has extensive experience in IT, holding roles across small companies, non-profits, and higher education. He earned his Doctor of Computer Science with a focus on Cybersecurity and Information Assurance in 2021. Tippey has served as CTO of Computers in Ministry, IT Director at the St. Louis Symphony, and is now the Department Chair of IT and Cybersecurity at Excelsior University. He brings a strong focus on the ethical and societal impacts of technology, driving discussions on security, privacy, and the responsible use of technology in education and beyond.

  • Anveeksh Koneru
    Department Chair, Engineering Technologies, Excelsior University

    Dr. Anveeksh Koneru is the Department Chair of the Engineering Technology program at Excelsior University, specializing in Mechanical and Nuclear Technologies with a focus on energy production, safety protocols, and workforce development. Passionate about bridging academic knowledge with real-world applications, he emphasizes energy education by integrating best teaching practices that make technical concepts relatable and engaging. Known for fostering career readiness, he prioritizes practical skills in courses like Engineering Mechanics, Thermodynamics, and Power Plant Technologies. Committed to continuous learning, Koneru pursues innovative teaching strategies to prepare students for dynamic careers in the energy and technology sectors.

11:30 a.m.

Moving Beyond AI Hype – Next Steps for AI Criteria

Friday, April 4 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Indigo 204 | Accreditation

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and related tools continues to expand rapidly. Open-source models continue to mature to the point of being performant, well-mannered, and reproducible. Likewise, the field itself, although not new, is growing, maturing, normalizing, and being integrated into many processes within main line industries. The AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium, led by Cisco with other industry leaders (Accenture, Eightfold, Google, ITM, Indeed, Intel, Microsoft, and SAP) analyzed the impact of AI on 50 top information and communication technology (ICT) jobs and found that 92% will be transformed due to advancement in AI, with 40% of mid-level positions and 37% of entry level positions undergoing high levels of transformation. Based on AI technology’s accelerated adoption, organizations are looking for workers with AI and Machine Learning skill sets. As such demand from employers is also accelerating.

Some related labor statistics include:

  • The World Economic Forum indicates that “The majority of the fastest growing roles are technology related roles. AI and Machine Learning Specialists top the list of fast-growing jobs.”
  • Glassdoor estimates the base salary for an AI Engineer is between $104,000 and $165,000.
  • All these indicators lead to CSAB’s desire to develop criteria for AI/ML programs at the bachelor’s level.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will:

  • Define the need for AI/ML criteria.
  • Discuss and solicit feedback on the required topical areas to be included in the curriculum part of criteria.
  • Inform attendees on next steps for the proposed criteria.
  • Seek additional partners to assist with the criteria development.

 

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and related tools continues to expand rapidly. Open-source models continue to mature to the point of being performant, well-mannered, and reproducible. Likewise, the field itself, although not new, is growing, maturing, normalizing, and being integrated into...

  • Mihaela Sabin
    Professor, University of New Hampshire

    Mihaela Sabin is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of New Hampshire. Her research interests include constraint satisfaction within artificial intelligence. Interested in facilitating learning activities that value students' diverse experiences, her current research includes computing education and curriculum development, emphasizing professional competencies and faculty role modeling. Dr. Sabin chaired the ACM/IEEE Computer Society Task Force for the Information Technology Curricular Guidelines 2017. She is a member of the ACM Education Board and the ACM SIGITE Vice Chair for Education. She currently serves as CSAB Vice President and chairs its Criteria Committee.

  • Scott Murray
    Data Engineering Manager, Procore Technologies

    Scott Murray is a senior data engineering director at Procore, a SaaS developer of software for the construction industry. Murray is currently chair of the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) and an ACM Member Representative at CSAB, the professional society for all computing accreditation; he most recently chaired the committee which established the Data Science program criteria. His passion for computing education is planted in his passion for establishing data related computing solutions. Murray is an adjunct instructor at Kennesaw State University.

  • Sherif Aly Ahmed
    CAC ExCom Member-at-large, ABET

    Sherif Aly Ahmed is the current chair of the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the American University in Cairo with a mandate of transformation. Above all, he is a professor of computer science and engineering with significant industrial and governmental consultation experience. At the American University in Cairo (AUC), Ahmed has served as vice-chair of the University Senate, member of the senate executive committee, member of its standing committees and senate chair nominee. He is the former associate dean of Graduate Studies and Research of the School of Sciences and Engineering, director of its doctorate program and head of the council of graduate program directors.

    Ahmed is a member of the Executive Committee of the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, where he also serves as a commissioner. He was also a steering member of the international Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), IEEE and Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) taskforce to define decennial worldwide guidelines for computer science education. Ahmed is also editor of the flagship communications of the ACM magazine.

    For his work amongst these associations, Ahmed has received numerous recognitions for outstanding performance including the AUC President’s Catalyst for Change Award, Google faculty research award and the Egypt National Prize for Scientific Research.

  • Chris Taylor
    EAC Vice Chair and Professor and CSSE Interim Chair, Milwaukee School of Engineering, ABET

    Chris Taylor is professor and interim chair of the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. He received a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Purdue University in 1998. Taylor is a member of the CSAB board and is the CSAB liaison to the IEEE CEAA. He is the chair-elect of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET and a program evaluator for CSAB and IEEE. He is a lead facilitator for PEVC training and served on the Accreditation Council Training Committee.

11:30 a.m.

A Practical Guide to Creating a Sustainable Program Assessment Process

Friday, April 4 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Indigo E | Assessment

Developing a sustainable program assessment process is crucial for programs seeking to enhance their long-term impact and deliver quality education. This session outlines key steps for creating an effective assessment framework, including: (i) the need for clearly defined student outcomes aligned with the institution's mission; (ii) active engagement with faculty to ensure their input in shaping assessment criteria and expectations; (iii) implementing data collection processes that provide timely and accurate information; (iv) use of assessment results to drive continuous improvement and to enable programs to adapt and evolve based on the data and feedback received; and (v) investment in faculty professional development to enhance program assessment awareness and expertise. By creating sustainable assessment processes, programs can optimize their educational offerings, ensure ongoing improvements, and create a culture focused on student learning.

Learning Objectives

  1. Recognize the different stages in an assessment cycle.
  2. Create a schedule of events specific to their program.
  3. Determine efficient ways to collect data on an annual basis.
  4. Determine longitudinal impacts of continuous improvement.

Developing a sustainable program assessment process is crucial for programs seeking to enhance their long-term impact and deliver quality education. This session outlines key steps for creating an effective assessment framework, including: (i) the need for clearly defined student outcomes aligned with the institution’s mission;...

  • James Warnock
    Adjunct Director, ABET

    Dr. James Warnock serves as an adjunct director of professional offerings for ABET. In this role, he facilitates the planning, production and execution of the organization’s professional development programming and directs activities related to educational offerings and workshop facilitator training.

    In addition to his role at ABET, Warnock is a professor and the associate dean in the Jere W. Morehead Honors College at the University of Georgia, Athens, USA. Before joining the Morehead Honors College in 2024, Warnock served as chair of the School of Chemical, Materials, and Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering, a position he held since 2017.

11:30 a.m.

Supplemental Materials for Site Visits

Friday, April 4 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Indigo A | Accreditation

This presentation will provide guidance on supplemental materials for programs preparing for an upcoming accreditation visit, whether virtual or in-person. We will review the scope of materials a program needs to provide evidence to show compliance with the relevant criteria as well as options for organizing and providing materials. Our presentation focuses on those aspects of supplemental materials common to all ABET commissions. Commission-specific issues will be addressed via a follow up Question & Answer panel of commission representatives.

Learning Objectives

Participants will learn:

  • What is meant by supplemental materials and why they are needed.
  • The scope of materials needed and options for organizing supplemental materials.
  • How and when to provide the visit team access to supplemental materials.

This presentation will provide guidance on supplemental materials for programs preparing for an upcoming accreditation visit, whether virtual or in-person. We will review the scope of materials a program needs to provide evidence to show compliance with the relevant criteria as well as options for...

  • Venancio Fuentes
    ETAC Chair Elect, ABET

    Venancio “Venny” L. Fuentes, P.E. is currently the department chairperson for the Engineering Technologies/Engineering Science department at County College of Morris, a two-year college. His experience in ABET includes being on both sides of a visit, as a department chair and serving in the roles of program evaluator, team chair and statement editor. He has been an IEEE program evaluator since 2002. He served on the IEEE Committee on Engineering Technology Accreditation Activities (CETAA) prior to joining the ABET Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) as a commissioner. He is presently serving on the ETAC Executive Committee and chairs the ETAC Documents Committee. Prior to his teaching career, he was a systems engineer working on navigation systems for air, sea and space applications.

  • Sigurd Meldal
    EAC Vice-chair Operations, ABET

    Sigurd Meldal serves as CEO of Mostly Sunny, an IP Risk Management firm in Silicon Valley. The company works with technology companies in the security, telecommunications and network sectors to evaluate IP risks, and to provide advice regarding how one may approach issues of IP exposure. He has testified on IP issues in federal and state courts, before the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and at the U.S. International Trade Commission. His work has been referenced in decisions by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Prior to entering the private sector, Meldal had served as Department Chair at Cal Poly and SJSU, and as Co-Director of Education at the NSF STC TRUST center at UC Berkeley. He has served the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET as program evaluator, commissioner and (currently) as Vice Chair of Operations of the commission.

  • Daniela Mainardi
    ANSAC ExCom Member-at-large, ABET

    Daniela Mainardi is the associate dean for Graduate Studies in the College of Engineering and Science (COES), and the Thomas C. & Nelda Jeffery Professor of Chemical Engineering at Louisiana Tech University. She is also the assessment coordinator for the COES, an American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Education and Accreditation (E&A) Committee member, and a commissioner for the Applied and Natural Sciences Accreditation Commission (ANSAC) of ABET representing AIChE. She recently became the co-chair of the ABET Accreditation Council Committee for Visits Outside the US (VOTUS) and was nominated to serve on the ABET Executive Committee starting in 2025. Mainardi has been involved with ABET since 2015 when she first became a program evaluator for the organization.

    Mainardi joined Louisiana Tech in 2003 and has specialized in multi-scale modeling of kinetics and thermodynamics processes at the nano-scale. She has experience in multi-scale simulation tools and has conducted research on different nanotechnology-related topics with applications to catalysis and electro-catalysis. Mainardi has received funding from federal agencies including NSF, DoE and NASA resulting in $38M total. Mainardi was awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF)-CAREER award in 2005, and she is currently a Co-PI on the largest NSF-funded “FUEL: Future Use of Energy in Louisiana” Cooperative Agreement ever awarded to the state of Louisiana.

  • Ruth Davis
    CAC ExCom Member-at-large, ABET

    Ruth Davis serves as professor of computer science and engineering at Santa Clara University (SCU). She has been recognized by the Association for Computing Machinery (Doctoral Dissertation Award in 1980, Distinguished Scientist since 2006), Society of Women Engineers (Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, 2020), and SCU (endowed professorships 1993-97, 2004-09, and 2009-20, and Faculty Senate Professor of the Year 2015). Davis' research interests include: formal methods, functional and relational programming, and increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in engineering.

  • Stan Thomas
    Adjunct Director of Training, ABET

    Dr. Stan Thomas, Ph.D. has nearly four decades of experience in computing and computing education. He currently serves as the adjunct director of training for ABET. Thomas has been a faculty member of Wake Forest University since 1983, serving as department chair from 2004 to 2011, with visiting appointments at the United States Air Force Academy and Lahore University of Management Science, Lahore, Pakistan. His research interests are data management, data analysis and computer science education.

    Thomas earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics from Davidson College and a Ph.D. in computer science from Vanderbilt University. He went on to spend four summers as research faculty at the NASA Kennedy Space Center and has worked as an expert witness and professional consultant with several organizations. Thomas has been an ABET program evaluator since 1996 and served as the chair of the Computing Accreditation Commission in 2014-15. He is also a senior member of IEEE-CS and was identified as a CSAB fellow in 2013 and an ABET fellow in 2018.

11:30 a.m.

Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC): Common Challenges and Findings During ABET Reviews and How to Avoid them

Friday, April 4 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Aqua EF | Accreditation

This discussion will focus on the most frequent findings and how to avoid them during ABET ETAC program reviews. Evaluation insights and key points of the discussion will include best practices for materials preparation, site-visit preparation and logistics, common APPM issues, general criteria findings, and common program criteria findings.

Learning Objectives

Participants will gain an increased understanding for their preparation of program reviews and how to avoid common shortcomings for program reviews conducted by ETAC.

This discussion will focus on the most frequent findings and how to avoid them during ABET ETAC program reviews. Evaluation insights and key points of the discussion will include best practices for materials preparation, site-visit preparation and logistics, common APPM issues, general criteria findings, and...

  • Gary Clark
    ETAC Vice Chair Operations, ABET

    Dr. Gary Clark is an executive committee member of the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) of ABET and vice-chair of operations and a program evaluator (PEV) for the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC). He currently serves as an associate dean in the College of Engineering at Kansas State University and is a professor of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. He is a Fellow of ASABE and is a licensed Professional Engineer.

  • Berrin Tansel
    ETAC ExCom Member-at-large, ABET

    Dr. Berrin Tansel is the training co-chair and executive committee member of the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) of ABET and a program evaluator (PEV) for the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC). Tansel is an environmental engineer, researcher, author, educator and professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Florida International University (FIU). Tansel is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers, and a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEES). She is an elected fellow of the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and Environmental and Water Resources Engineers (EWRI).

1:45 p.m.

Extending Culminating Experiences into Lifelong Learning

Friday, April 4 | 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Aqua C | Accreditation

The ANSAC General Criterion 5 for Curriculum mandates that graduates of ANSAC-accredited programs must be adequately prepared for professional practice through comprehensive projects or experiences. These do not need to be a single culminating activity but must demonstrate complexity and integrate cumulative knowledge and skills from earlier coursework.

Programs may present earlier projects as evidence, but "culminating" emphasizes that if the experience is singular, it should be completed near graduation. Culminating projects offer opportunities to emphasize continuing education, lifelong learning, and professional development. Aligning with the theme "Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning," these experiences encourage students to reflect on their educational journey, preparing them with critical skills like adaptability and inclusion as they enter professional practice. By making these components integral, programs reinforce the notion that education is a continuous journey, fostering Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA), and promoting sustainability throughout their careers.

This session will cover ABET requirements for culminating experiences and illustrate how programs can incorporate lifelong learning, ensuring quality education and professional readiness through the ABET accreditation process.

Learning Objectives

Participants will discuss the fundamentals of culminating experiences and the requirements from the ANSAC general criteria. Analyze case examples to identify opportunities for incorporating lifelong learning and IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) into the culminating experiences

The ANSAC General Criterion 5 for Curriculum mandates that graduates of ANSAC-accredited programs must be adequately prepared for professional practice through comprehensive projects or experiences. These do not need to be a single culminating activity but must demonstrate complexity and integrate cumulative knowledge and skills...

  • Mohsin Siddiqui
    Associate Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware

    Mohsin K. Siddiqui is an Associate Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Delaware, where he leads a study abroad program in Dubai. Previously, he held faculty roles in the Middle East, focusing on program assessment and accreditation. A member of ASCE and CMAA, Dr. Siddiqui became an ABET PEV in 2013 and currently chairs the Training Committee for ANSAC. An ASCE ExCEEd Scholar (2019), he emphasizes student-centered learning. He holds a PMP certification, is a licensed PE in Wyoming, and completed a certificate in Instructional Design (2024) from the University of Delaware. He is the Training Committee Chair and a member at large of the 2024-25 ABET ANSAC.

  • Lu Yuan
    Corporate EHS Manager, Performance Contractors, Inc.

    Dr. Lu Yuan, CSP, is Corporate EHS Manager of Performance Contractors, Inc. Before joining Performance Contractors in December 2023, he was Professor of Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment at Southeastern Louisiana University. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences of the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Dr. Yuan has been extensively involved in occupational ergonomics and safety research in construction and other industrial sectors. He is a professional member of American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and a member of American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). Dr. Yuan served on the ASSP Council on Academic Affairs and Research Educational Standards Committee from 2018 to 2022. He served as ASSP Academics Practice Specialty Administrator from 2017 to 2019. Dr. Yuan was awarded the William E. Tarrants Outstanding Safety Educator of the Year by ASSP in 2015 for his innovative approach to teaching, incorporating new technology and teaching approaches to reach the students. He received the Craft Workforce Development Champion Award from the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance in 2016 for his academic leadership in the field. Dr. Yuan currently serves as Vice Chair-Operations of the 2023-2024 ABET Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ANSAC).

1:45 p.m.

Streamlining Accreditation: Data-Driven Assessment and Cross-Disciplinary Strategies for Continuous Improvement

Friday, April 4 | 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Aqua D | Assessment

Accreditation and continuous improvement are central to maintaining academic excellence in higher education. This panel discussion unites two initiatives from diverse academic disciplines to showcase a shared vision: creating streamlined, data-driven assessment processes that empower faculty and improve student outcomes. Drawing from a computing department's response to an accreditation review and an aerospace engineering program’s campus-wide implementation of Canvas Outcomes, this session offers an insightful discussion on tackling the challenges of assessment reform. The computing department’s journey demonstrates how validation sessions, enhanced senior exams, and dynamic dashboards enable real-time data-driven decision-making and curriculum improvements. Similarly, the aerospace engineering program illustrates how institutional-level LMS tools can align course outcomes with ABET standards, centralize data collection, and generate actionable insights that benefit faculty and students alike. Through this discussion, participants will explore actionable strategies for streamlining assessment practices, engaging faculty in meaningful ways, and embedding data-driven decision-making to close the loop on learning outcomes. The session will include practical advice, lessons learned, and time for interactive Q&A with attendees.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will:

  • Identify strategies to align assessment mechanisms with accreditation standards while improving efficiency and faculty engagement.
  • Explore how to leverage LMS tools and dynamic dashboards to automate data collection, reporting, and action planning for continuous improvement.
  • Gain insights into fostering cross-departmental and institutional collaboration to build sustainable and impactful assessment systems.

Accreditation and continuous improvement are central to maintaining academic excellence in higher education. This panel discussion unites two initiatives from diverse academic disciplines to showcase a shared vision: creating streamlined, data-driven assessment processes that empower faculty and improve student outcomes. Drawing from a computing department’s...

  • Chelsie Dubay
    Assistant Professor & Director of Instructional Design, East Tennessee State University

    Dr. Chelsie Dubay is an assistant professor and the director of Instructional Design in the ETSU Department of Computing.

    Dubay joined the department in January 2021. She provides instructional design support for faculty, serves on several departmental committees, oversees the undergraduate assessment cycle and teaches graduate Research Methods in Computing.

    Prior to joining the Department of Computing at ETSU, Dubay worked for several years for ETSU's Academic Technology Services as an internet program support coordinator, working closely with D2L, the University's online learning platform. Dubay has her Ed.D. in Instructional Design from the University of Memphis and an MALS in Appalachian studies from ETSU.

  • Eric Mehiel
    Department Chair and Professor, Cal Poly, SLO, Aerospace Engineering

    Eric Mehiel is currently the department chair for the Aerospace Engineering Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He recently finished up a four-year term as the associate dean for Diversity and Student Success for the College of Engineering. As associate dean, Mehiel led the college's efforts to promote a culture where students, faculty and staff can thrive as their authentic selves. These efforts resulted in a College Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan which we are implementing at all levels.

    Mehiel joined Cal Poly in fall 2004 and has taught courses in spaceflight mechanics, dynamics and control, systems engineering, numerical analysis, and spacecraft design. Prior to joining Cal Poly, he worked at The Boeing Company as a system engineer as part of the Space and Intelligence Systems division. I earned my B.S. in physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and M.S. and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering Sciences from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with an emphasis in non-linear dynamics and control theory.

1:45 p.m.

Professional Micro-Credentials as Part of Learning Outcomes for Engineering and Technology Lifelong Learning

Friday, April 4 | 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Indigo 204 | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, lifelong learning has become essential for professionals in engineering and technology. This paper explores the pivotal role of professional micro-credentials in enhancing learning outcomes and fostering continuous skill development. By focusing on industry-recognized professional certifications such as NEBOSH (health, safety, and environmental management), CISCO (networking and cybersecurity), and NCCER (construction and maintenance), the presentation will demonstrate how these micro-credentials complement traditional education by offering specialized, targeted skills that meet the needs of an evolving workforce.

Integrating micro-credentials like NEBOSH, CISCO, and NCCER into formal education and lifelong learning pathways yields several key benefits. These include increased employability, improved technical expertise, and stronger alignment between academic programs and industry standards. Learners not only gain skills that are immediately applicable to their professions but also demonstrate enhanced adaptability to technological, regulatory, and market changes. Through case studies and real-world examples, the session will showcase how these certifications contribute to building a more skilled, versatile workforce. Participants will also explore the broader institutional and organizational benefits, including improved training efficiency, and a better alignment of educational outcomes with labor market needs.

Learning Objectives

To explore how professional micro-credentials can be effectively integrated into engineering and technology education to enhance lifelong learning, improve employability, and align academic outcomes with evolving industry demands, while fostering continuous skill development and career progression.

In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, lifelong learning has become essential for professionals in engineering and technology. This paper explores the pivotal role of professional micro-credentials in enhancing learning outcomes and fostering continuous skill development. By focusing on industry-recognized professional certifications such as NEBOSH (health,...

  • Awni Al-Otoom
    Dean, College of Engineering Technology, University of Doha for Science & Technology

    Prof. Awni Al-Otoom has been Dean of Engineering & Technology at the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) since 2019. Previously, he held academic leadership roles at Jordan University of Science and Technology, including Dean of Student Affairs and Director of the Energy Centre. Prof. Al-Otoom served as an Inspection Team Leader for the UN’s Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and held managerial roles in the chemical industry. With a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, his research focuses on energy and sustainability. He has authored over 46 articles, holds two patents, and was part of the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize-winning OPCW team.

1:45 p.m.

Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC): Winning Ways of In The Know Programs

Friday, April 4 | 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Indigo E | Accreditation

This session provides an overview of common methods that programs follow to successfully prepare for and navigate a Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) review.

Learning Objectives

  • Focus on commonly seen successful methods and patterns of successful CAC reviews.
  • Review successful practices for addressing both the criteria and the visit.
  • Generate discussion and questions from the participants to share their best practices.

This session provides an overview of common methods that programs follow to successfully prepare for and navigate a Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) review. Learning Objectives Focus on commonly seen successful methods and patterns of successful CAC reviews. Review successful practices for addressing both the criteria...

  • Scott Murray
    Data Engineering Manager, Procore Technologies

    Scott Murray is a senior data engineering director at Procore, a SaaS developer of software for the construction industry. Murray is currently chair of the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) and an ACM Member Representative at CSAB, the professional society for all computing accreditation; he most recently chaired the committee which established the Data Science program criteria. His passion for computing education is planted in his passion for establishing data related computing solutions. Murray is an adjunct instructor at Kennesaw State University.

  • Sandra Gorka
    CAC ExCom Member-at-large, ABET

    Sandra Gorka is professor of computer science at Pennsylvania College of Technology. She has been at Penn College for over 25 years and is currently information technology department head and primarily teaches information technology and cyber security courses. Gorka has been an ABET volunteer since 2009 and is member of the Computing Accreditation Commission Executive Committee. She is also a member of the CSAB Executive Committee.

  • Edward Sobiesk
    CAC Vice Chair Operations, ABET

    Dr. Edward Sobiesk is the senior civilian faculty member in the Army Cyber Institute and is a professor of computer and cyber science in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the United States Military Academy. Sobiesk spent 28 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a colonel. He has over two decades of experience as an educator, leader and practitioner within the Cyber Domain. Sobiesk has directed three different computing programs at West Point; he has run a 200 person computer support directorate; and he has over 30 invited or refereed academic publications. Sobiesk's research interests include online privacy and usable security, computing and cybersecurity education, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and complex interdependency.

  • David “Hoot” Gibson
    Past Chair ABET Computing Accreditation Commission and Professor Emeritus of Computer and Cyber Sciences, United States Air Force Academy, ABET

    David "Hoot" Gibson is professor emeritus of Computer and Cyber Sciences at the United States Air Force Academy where he was professor and head of the department for 15 years. He served over 34 years in the United States Air Force working in electronic warfare, computer security, cyber operations and computer science research and education. At the Air Force Academy, he established one of the nation’s first undergraduate cybersecurity degrees. He was a principal co-author of the Association for Computing Machinery's Cybersecurity Curricular Guidelines (CSEC 2017) and guided the development of ABET’s cybersecurity program accreditation criteria for baccalaureate and associate level degree programs. Gibson is an ABET Fellow who has volunteered with ABET for over 24 years and currently serves as 2024-25 past chair of ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission.

1:45 p.m.

A Framework for Enhancing Inclusive Educational Quality

Friday, April 4 | 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Indigo A | Endless Discovery: Navigating the Path of Lifelong Learning

This presentation introduces a practical framework for educators to create inclusive learning environments that prioritize holistic student development and quality improvement in STEM programs. By integrating Deming’s Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, educators can ensure that their programs evolve alongside learners' needs at every stage of life. Utilizing the comprehensive criteria established by ABET accreditation, this framework enhances the quality of teaching, learning, and the faculty-student interface, ensuring programs remain relevant and effective. Participants will explore practical strategies to foster inclusive learning that promotes resilience and adaptability—essential qualities for lifelong learning. Through illustrative examples and interactive discussions, attendees will be equipped with tools to develop educational experiences that empower learners to thrive in their academic journeys.

Learning Objectives

  • Apply the PDCA cycle in educational programs for ongoing quality enhancement.
  • Provide strategies for developing inclusive environments that promote resilience and adaptability in diverse STEM learners.
  • Leverage ABET accreditation requirements to improve teaching quality and program effectiveness.

This presentation introduces a practical framework for educators to create inclusive learning environments that prioritize holistic student development and quality improvement in STEM programs. By integrating Deming’s Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, educators can ensure that their programs evolve alongside learners’ needs at every stage of life....

  • Richard Olawoyin
    ANSAC Vice Chair Operations, IDEA Council Chair, ABET

    Dr. Richard Olawoyin, P.E., is a professor of engineering at Oakland University. He is a US Fulbright Scholar (alumnus), and has engaged students globally through teaching and research, particularly in four countries: China, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and the United States. He has served ABET in various roles including serving as the current chair of the ABET Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Advisory Council, incoming chair-elect of ABET ANSAC, Team Chair, Training Support Facilitator for PEV candidates, and a PEV mentor. He was awarded the ASSP Charles V. Culbertson Outstanding Award in 2019 and 2022 for his professional contributions.

  • Mohamed El-Sayed
    Professor of Engineering, East Michigan University

    Dr. Mohamed El-Sayed, P.E., ASME, and ASME fellow is a professor of Engineering at Eastern Michigan University. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the SAE International Journal of Passenger Vehicle Systems and the SAE International Journal of Advances and Current Practices in Mobility. He has over thirty years of industrial, teaching, and research experience. He served as ABET PEV, Team Chair, and Commissioner since 2014. Dr. El-Sayed is the 2019 SAE International Medal of Honor and 2022 NSPE Engineering Education Excellence Award recipient.

1:45 p.m.

ABET Assessment Resources and Education Information Session

Friday, April 4 | 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Aqua EF | Assessment

Best practices in the assessment of student learning is central to successfully and continuously improving program processes whether you are seeking or maintaining accreditation or not. Join us to learn more about ABET assessment resources and education to help you improve student learning in your program. You'll will be able to identify ABET and other assessment resources and determine which educational offerings best meet your needs. Interactive activities will test your program assessment knowledge.

Learning Objectives

Learn about ABET program assessment education and resources to help with your continuous improvement journey.

Best practices in the assessment of student learning is central to successfully and continuously improving program processes whether you are seeking or maintaining accreditation or not. Join us to learn more about ABET assessment resources and education to help you improve student learning in your...

  • Gloria Rogers
    Senior Adjunct Director, Professional Offerings, ABET

    Dr. Gloria Rogers is currently serving as senior adjunct director for professional offerings at ABET where she facilitates ABET professional offerings and developed the Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL).

    Curricular areas of expertise and interest include program assessment, strategic planning, assessment and evaluation of externally funded projects, institutional research, curriculum development and administrative leadership.

    Rogers has given invited presentations at national and international conferences and has facilitated workshops and seminars on over 150 campuses and in 33 countries including a Fulbright Senior Scholar assignment in Lima, Peru. She is a Fellow of ASEE.

  • James Warnock
    Adjunct Director, ABET

    Dr. James Warnock serves as an adjunct director of professional offerings for ABET. In this role, he facilitates the planning, production and execution of the organization’s professional development programming and directs activities related to educational offerings and workshop facilitator training.

    In addition to his role at ABET, Warnock is a professor and the associate dean in the Jere W. Morehead Honors College at the University of Georgia, Athens, USA. Before joining the Morehead Honors College in 2024, Warnock served as chair of the School of Chemical, Materials, and Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering, a position he held since 2017.

  • Daina Briedis
    Adjunct Director, Professional Programs, ABET

    Daina Briedis is Adjunct and Associate Professor Emerita of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at Michigan State University. She served as her program’s and college’s assessment coordinator for over twenty years across the span of four accreditation reviews including an early EC2000 visit. Dr. Briedis has been a Lead Facilitator for ABET Program Evaluator training for eight years and was involved in the early design of the training program. Over the past 36 years, Daina has served ABET as a program evaluator for AIChE, a team chair and member of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC), the first chair of the EAC Training and Materials Development Committee, an EAC Executive Committee member, and a member of the ABET Board of Directors. She was a program evaluator on one of the very first EC2000 visits and subsequently chaired several new-criteria visits.  She is currently an Adjunct Director of Professional Programs at ABET, Inc. wherein she facilitates and helps design ABET's assessment workshops. Dr. Briedis is active nationally and internationally as a consultant in engineering accreditation and is a Fellow of ABET, ASEE and the AIChE.

  • Robyn Hall
    Director, Professional Programs, ABET

    Robyn Hall serves as ABET’s director of professional programs. In her current capacity, she oversees ABET’s portfolio of assessment education. Prior to this, Hall served as the Assistant Vice President for Seminars and Digital Learning at Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. She received her B.A. in anthropology from Eckerd College, MBA from the Sykes College of Business at the University of Tampa and, more recently, her master trainer certificate from the Association for Talent Development (ATD).

3:00 p.m.

Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ANSAC) Town Hall

Friday, April 4 | 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Aqua D | Discussion Den/Town Hall

Culminating the 2025 ABET Symposium, each of ABET’s Accreditation Commissions will have an interactive town hall session. After a brief presentation, members of the respective commission’s volunteer leadership and its Adjunct Director(s) will open the floor for accreditation questions and discussions. Symposium attendees may participate in the town hall session of their choice.

Culminating the 2025 ABET Symposium, each of ABET’s Accreditation Commissions will have an interactive town hall session. After a brief presentation, members of the respective commission’s volunteer leadership and its Adjunct Director(s) will open the floor for accreditation questions and discussions. Symposium attendees may participate...

  • Lisa Sachs
    ANSAC Chair, ABET

    For over 25 years, Lisa Sachs has been a key contributor to the success of two of the largest multi-billion dollar educational construction management bond programs in California, initially as a principal of her own firm and then as managing principal of Cumming after merging firms. Recognized as an industry leader, she was inducted into the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) College of Fellows in 2012 and 2017. She is past president of the CMAA Southern California Chapter and Chapter Foundation, and in 2014 was appointed by CMAA as its first ABET commissioner representing construction management in the Applied and Natural Sciences Accreditation Commission where she is currently serving on the Executive Committee. Sachs also serves on the CMAA National Foundation and Southern California Chapter Foundation Boards, the Cal State University of Northridge CM Industry Liaison Council, and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Architectural Program Advisory Council (her alma mater).

  • Lu Yuan
    Corporate EHS Manager, Performance Contractors, Inc.

    Dr. Lu Yuan, CSP, is Corporate EHS Manager of Performance Contractors, Inc. Before joining Performance Contractors in December 2023, he was Professor of Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment at Southeastern Louisiana University. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences of the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Dr. Yuan has been extensively involved in occupational ergonomics and safety research in construction and other industrial sectors. He is a professional member of American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and a member of American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). Dr. Yuan served on the ASSP Council on Academic Affairs and Research Educational Standards Committee from 2018 to 2022. He served as ASSP Academics Practice Specialty Administrator from 2017 to 2019. Dr. Yuan was awarded the William E. Tarrants Outstanding Safety Educator of the Year by ASSP in 2015 for his innovative approach to teaching, incorporating new technology and teaching approaches to reach the students. He received the Craft Workforce Development Champion Award from the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance in 2016 for his academic leadership in the field. Dr. Yuan currently serves as Vice Chair-Operations of the 2023-2024 ABET Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ANSAC).

  • Rebecca Popeck
    Survey Project Manager, SPACECO, Inc.

    Rebecca Popeck is a licensed Land Surveyor at Rosemont-based SPACECO, Inc., a civil engineering, land surveying and consulting firm. Popeck studied land survey engineering and civil engineering at Purdue University’s West Lafayette Campus, earning bachelor’s degrees in both disciplines. She has been a licensed Illinois Land Surveyor since 2005. Popeck has spent almost 20 years performing surveys and providing surveying services in the greater Chicagoland area. Her specialties include development work in residential, commercial and industrial sectors with an increased focus on projects within the limits of the City of Chicago.

    Popeck joined ABET in 2006 as a program evaluator, supporting her member society of National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). NSPS is a member of three accreditation commissions including Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ANSAC), Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) and Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC). She has had the pleasure of serving as a program evaluator for both ETAC and ANSAC visits early in her ABET career. In 2014, Popeck became a commissioner/team chair for the ANSAC, joining the commission's executive committee in 2017. She is currently the 2023-24 ANSAC chair.

    During the 2019-2020 accreditation cycle, Popeck was a team chair for her first international visit to Krishnan Kovil, Tamil Nadu, India.

  • Daniela Mainardi
    ANSAC ExCom Member-at-large, ABET

    Daniela Mainardi is the associate dean for Graduate Studies in the College of Engineering and Science (COES), and the Thomas C. & Nelda Jeffery Professor of Chemical Engineering at Louisiana Tech University. She is also the assessment coordinator for the COES, an American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Education and Accreditation (E&A) Committee member, and a commissioner for the Applied and Natural Sciences Accreditation Commission (ANSAC) of ABET representing AIChE. She recently became the co-chair of the ABET Accreditation Council Committee for Visits Outside the US (VOTUS) and was nominated to serve on the ABET Executive Committee starting in 2025. Mainardi has been involved with ABET since 2015 when she first became a program evaluator for the organization.

    Mainardi joined Louisiana Tech in 2003 and has specialized in multi-scale modeling of kinetics and thermodynamics processes at the nano-scale. She has experience in multi-scale simulation tools and has conducted research on different nanotechnology-related topics with applications to catalysis and electro-catalysis. Mainardi has received funding from federal agencies including NSF, DoE and NASA resulting in $38M total. Mainardi was awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF)-CAREER award in 2005, and she is currently a Co-PI on the largest NSF-funded “FUEL: Future Use of Energy in Louisiana” Cooperative Agreement ever awarded to the state of Louisiana.

3:00 p.m.

Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) Town Hall

Friday, April 4 | 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Indigo 204 | Discussion Den/Town Hall

Culminating the 2025 ABET Symposium, each of ABET’s Accreditation Commissions will have an interactive town hall session. After a brief presentation, members of the respective commission’s volunteer leadership and its Adjunct Director(s) will open the floor for accreditation questions and discussions. Symposium attendees may participate in the town hall session of their choice.

Culminating the 2025 ABET Symposium, each of ABET’s Accreditation Commissions will have an interactive town hall session. After a brief presentation, members of the respective commission’s volunteer leadership and its Adjunct Director(s) will open the floor for accreditation questions and discussions. Symposium attendees may participate...

  • Mark Lower
    ETAC Chair, ABET

    Mark Lower, Ph.D., P.E., is a program manager at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He has worked in operations and energy-related research and development for over 30 years including areas of neutron sciences, battery manufacturing and additive manufacturing. He has performed several accident investigations for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and authored several technical papers on pressure safety. Lower is currently the vice-chair of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Standards Committee, and past-chair of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pressure Safety Committee. He earned his doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and holds several certifications from American Welding Association and the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors in addition to being named an ASME fellow.

  • Raju Dandu
    ETAC Past Chair, ABET

    Raju Dandu is the past chair of the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) of ABET and a former member of ABET Governance's Board of Delegates. With 25 years of experience as an ABET volunteer, he has served as an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Engineering Technology program evaluator (PEV), ETAC Commissioner, and member of the ETAC Executive Committee. Dandu has conducted numerous ABET accreditation visits both in the U.S. and internationally. He is also a professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology and the former director of the Kansas State University Bulk Solids Innovation Center.

  • Venancio Fuentes
    ETAC Chair Elect, ABET

    Venancio “Venny” L. Fuentes, P.E. is currently the department chairperson for the Engineering Technologies/Engineering Science department at County College of Morris, a two-year college. His experience in ABET includes being on both sides of a visit, as a department chair and serving in the roles of program evaluator, team chair and statement editor. He has been an IEEE program evaluator since 2002. He served on the IEEE Committee on Engineering Technology Accreditation Activities (CETAA) prior to joining the ABET Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) as a commissioner. He is presently serving on the ETAC Executive Committee and chairs the ETAC Documents Committee. Prior to his teaching career, he was a systems engineer working on navigation systems for air, sea and space applications.

  • Gary Clark
    ETAC Vice Chair Operations, ABET

    Dr. Gary Clark is an executive committee member of the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) of ABET and vice-chair of operations and a program evaluator (PEV) for the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC). He currently serves as an associate dean in the College of Engineering at Kansas State University and is a professor of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. He is a Fellow of ASABE and is a licensed Professional Engineer.

3:00 p.m.

Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) Town Hall

Friday, April 4 | 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Indigo E | Discussion Den/Town Hall

Culminating the 2025 ABET Symposium, each of ABET’s Accreditation Commissions will have an interactive town hall session. After a brief presentation, members of the respective commission’s volunteer leadership and its Adjunct Director(s) will open the floor for accreditation questions and discussions. Symposium attendees may participate in the town hall session of their choice.

Culminating the 2025 ABET Symposium, each of ABET’s Accreditation Commissions will have an interactive town hall session. After a brief presentation, members of the respective commission’s volunteer leadership and its Adjunct Director(s) will open the floor for accreditation questions and discussions. Symposium attendees may participate...

  • Scott Murray
    Data Engineering Manager, Procore Technologies

    Scott Murray is a senior data engineering director at Procore, a SaaS developer of software for the construction industry. Murray is currently chair of the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) and an ACM Member Representative at CSAB, the professional society for all computing accreditation; he most recently chaired the committee which established the Data Science program criteria. His passion for computing education is planted in his passion for establishing data related computing solutions. Murray is an adjunct instructor at Kennesaw State University.

  • Shari Plantz-Masters
    Professor, Software Engineering, Regis University

    Shari Plantz-Masters is a professor of software engineering whose main focus has been software engineering and professional practice. She is the current vice chair of operations for ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission and has contributed to most facets of accreditation. As a consultant and former practicing software engineer in the telecommunications field with U S WEST (now Lumen), Plantz-Masters is focused on adult population education and learning. Her research interests consider the impact technology has on society and organizations. Plantz-Masters served as the dean of the Anderson College of Business and Computing at Regis for the last eight years.

  • David “Hoot” Gibson
    Past Chair ABET Computing Accreditation Commission and Professor Emeritus of Computer and Cyber Sciences, United States Air Force Academy, ABET

    David "Hoot" Gibson is professor emeritus of Computer and Cyber Sciences at the United States Air Force Academy where he was professor and head of the department for 15 years. He served over 34 years in the United States Air Force working in electronic warfare, computer security, cyber operations and computer science research and education. At the Air Force Academy, he established one of the nation’s first undergraduate cybersecurity degrees. He was a principal co-author of the Association for Computing Machinery's Cybersecurity Curricular Guidelines (CSEC 2017) and guided the development of ABET’s cybersecurity program accreditation criteria for baccalaureate and associate level degree programs. Gibson is an ABET Fellow who has volunteered with ABET for over 24 years and currently serves as 2024-25 past chair of ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission.

  • Sherif Aly Ahmed
    CAC ExCom Member-at-large, ABET

    Sherif Aly Ahmed is the current chair of the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the American University in Cairo with a mandate of transformation. Above all, he is a professor of computer science and engineering with significant industrial and governmental consultation experience. At the American University in Cairo (AUC), Ahmed has served as vice-chair of the University Senate, member of the senate executive committee, member of its standing committees and senate chair nominee. He is the former associate dean of Graduate Studies and Research of the School of Sciences and Engineering, director of its doctorate program and head of the council of graduate program directors.

    Ahmed is a member of the Executive Committee of the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, where he also serves as a commissioner. He was also a steering member of the international Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), IEEE and Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) taskforce to define decennial worldwide guidelines for computer science education. Ahmed is also editor of the flagship communications of the ACM magazine.

    For his work amongst these associations, Ahmed has received numerous recognitions for outstanding performance including the AUC President’s Catalyst for Change Award, Google faculty research award and the Egypt National Prize for Scientific Research.

3:00 p.m.

Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) Town Hall

Friday, April 4 | 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Indigo A | Discussion Den/Town Hall

Culminating the 2025 ABET Symposium, each of ABET’s Accreditation Commissions will have an interactive town hall session. After a brief presentation, members of the respective commission’s volunteer leadership and its Adjunct Director(s) will open the floor for accreditation questions and discussions. Symposium attendees may participate in the town hall session of their choice.

Culminating the 2025 ABET Symposium, each of ABET’s Accreditation Commissions will have an interactive town hall session. After a brief presentation, members of the respective commission’s volunteer leadership and its Adjunct Director(s) will open the floor for accreditation questions and discussions. Symposium attendees may participate...

  • Lizette Chevalier
    Dean, Dr. Robert A. Savoie College of Engineering, University of New Orleans

    Lizette Chevalier is currently serving as professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Freeport-McMoRan Chair in Environmental Modeling of the Dr. Robert A. Savoie College of Engineering at the University of New Orleans. Her B.S. degree is from Wayne State University and her M.S./Ph.D. degrees are from Michigan State University. She is a licensed professional engineer, a Fellow of ASCE and a Diplomat of Water Resources Engineering. She has held several academic administrative positions at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, all of which involved accreditation of programs as well as the institution. She has served as an ABET Program Evaluator, Team Chair, a member of the Executive Committee of the EAC and Chair of the EAC Continuous Improvement Committee.

  • Chris Taylor
    EAC Vice Chair and Professor and CSSE Interim Chair, Milwaukee School of Engineering, ABET

    Chris Taylor is professor and interim chair of the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. He received a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Purdue University in 1998. Taylor is a member of the CSAB board and is the CSAB liaison to the IEEE CEAA. He is the chair-elect of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET and a program evaluator for CSAB and IEEE. He is a lead facilitator for PEVC training and served on the Accreditation Council Training Committee.

  • Sigurd Meldal
    EAC Vice-chair Operations, ABET

    Sigurd Meldal serves as CEO of Mostly Sunny, an IP Risk Management firm in Silicon Valley. The company works with technology companies in the security, telecommunications and network sectors to evaluate IP risks, and to provide advice regarding how one may approach issues of IP exposure. He has testified on IP issues in federal and state courts, before the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and at the U.S. International Trade Commission. His work has been referenced in decisions by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Prior to entering the private sector, Meldal had served as Department Chair at Cal Poly and SJSU, and as Co-Director of Education at the NSF STC TRUST center at UC Berkeley. He has served the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET as program evaluator, commissioner and (currently) as Vice Chair of Operations of the commission.

  • Lorraine Fleming
    Professor, Howard University

    Dr. Lorraine Fleming is a professor of civil engineering at Howard University. She received her bachelor’s degree from Howard University and her doctoral degree from University of California, Berkeley. She is a licensed professional engineer and a fellow of American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE). Fleming has been involved in ABET accreditation since 1999, when she began her service as a program evaluator through ASCE. Since, she has taken on more roles in the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC), including team chair, commissioner and editor 2. Fleming currently serves as EAC chair for the 2023-24 accreditation cycle.

Saturday, April 5
8:30 a.m.

Fundamentals of Program Assessment Workshop

Saturday, April 5 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Aqua EF | Workshops

The Fundamentals of Program Assessment Workshop is an in-person workshop designed with a focus on small group interaction and individual assignments to introduce the context for program assessment, examine assessment processes, develop measurable outcomes and apply data collection and reporting methods. The exercises and examples are from associate’s, bachelor’s and/or tech-focused programs. These can be applied to other program types and/or timeframes.

This workshop will allow you to work in teams and ask questions of experienced facilitators.

The workshop prepares you to:

  • Identify key elements of a functional assessment process.
  • Clarify the similarities and differences between course and program assessment.
  • Make student outcomes measurable with the development of performance indicators.
  • Understand the methods to assess student outcomes.
  • Develop rubrics as one method to score student performance in achieving student outcomes.
  • Identify the pros and cons of various data collection methods.
  • Decipher and report results.

The Fundamentals of Program Assessment Workshop is an in-person workshop designed with a focus on small group interaction and individual assignments to introduce the context for program assessment, examine assessment processes, develop measurable outcomes and apply data collection and reporting methods. The exercises and examples...

8:30 a.m.

Advanced Program Assessment Workshop

Saturday, April 5 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Indigo 204 | Workshops

Prerequisites

  • Fundamentals of Program Assessment Workshop
    or
  • Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL)

If you have already attended an ABET Fundamentals of Assessment Workshop and are confident in your assessment knowledge, but looking for a highly focused, hands-on group session to hone and refine your current process, this is your next step.

Developing sustainable assessment processes that lead to quality improvement of educational programs is an iterative process. Most experts would agree that the first few cycles of an assessment process lead to more improvements in the actual assessment processes than they do in improvements of student learning. This workshop is designed to help you take a critical look at your current assessment processes and take them to the next level of quality. Time is spent on critiquing processes and developing ways to ensure consistency in the assessment of student learning across multiple faculty evaluators. In this workshop, you build on the principles taught in ABET Fundamentals to develop more efficient and effective processes.

During the Advanced Program Assessment workshop, you work in a small group to critique performance indicators, undergo rubric calibration training, critique assessment processes, and engage in exercises centered on data visualization and evaluation. You leave the workshop with the ability to apply what you learned to improve your own assessment program.

The workshop prepares you to:

  • Create a sustainable assessment process.
  • Assure consistency in multi-faculty evaluations.
  • Identify ways to improve your current assessment processes.

Prerequisites Fundamentals of Program Assessment Workshop or Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL) If you have already attended an ABET Fundamentals of Assessment Workshop and are confident in your assessment knowledge, but looking for a highly focused, hands-on group session to...