Engineering students often face challenges in participating in traditional study abroad opportunities because of the structured nature of the engineering curriculum. Summer research experiences abroad offer an alternative type of program that can fit with the engineering schedule while also providing professional experiences that students are seeking. This study explores NSF-funded International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) programs to identify best practices in designing programs to support both faculty research projects and engineering students’ learning. Using a case study approach, we analyzed nine IRES programs housed at universities across the United States to understand how their programs were structured. The case locations were selected to maximize variation in university characteristics (e.g., size, location, type). Interviews with both principal investigators and student participants were transcribed and analyzed to develop a series of best practices across programs. The results of this analysis address the following research questions: How does the structure of an IRES program influence: a) the faculty researchers at the US institution and at the international university? b) the institutions involved? and c) the participating students? The results of this study can inform design of future research programs for engineering students by helping program leaders identify key decisions and factors to consider in making these decisions.

Speaker Bio

Kirsten Davis is an assistant professor in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. Her research explores the intentional design and assessment of global engineering programs, student development through experiential learning, and approaches for teaching and assessing systems thinking skills. Kirsten holds a B.S. in Engineering & Management from Clarkson University and an M.A.Ed. in Higher Education, M.S. in Systems Engineering, and Ph.D. in Engineering Education, all from Virginia Tech.