Dr. Justin L Hess is an assistant professor in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. Previously, Justin served as assistant director of the STEM Education Innovation and Research Institute at IUPUI. Dr. Hess’s research interests include exploring empathy’s functional role within engineering and evaluating students’ learning in the spaces of design, ethics, sustainability, and innovation. Justin received his PhD from Purdue University's School of Engineering Education, along with a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. As a doctoral student, Justin was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Justin is currently the program chair of the Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES) with the American Society for Engineering Education, as well as chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers' Committee on Sustainability subcommittee on Formal Engineering Education.

Dr. Hess is currently a co-PI on Co-PI on three NSF projects, including (1) NSF CCESTEM Award #1737157, “Institutional Transformation: Enhancing IUPUI STEM Curriculum through the Community-Engaged Learning and Ethical Reflection Framework (I-CELER)," (2) NSF CCESTEM Award #1737303, “CCE STEM Standard: Understanding and Evaluating Ethical Engineering Practice,” and (3) NSF IUSE Award #1701132, "GP-EXTRA: Building a New Generation of Urban Environmental Scholar-Citizens through Community-Based Programs for Science and Impact.