NEH Lecture Series
The Engineering Through a Humanistic Lens Series is a collection of lectures and panel discussions that is part of the National Endowment for the Humanities funded project “Integrating the Humanities and Global Engineering” (AKA-270141-20) at Purdue University. The project is a collaboration between the School of Languages and Cultures and the Office of Professional Practice/GEARE, and it aims to enhance the education and preparation of global engineers through an expanded role of the humanities (e.g., language, culture, history, sociology, philosophy). During ACIEE 2021, one event from this series will occur each day.
Abstract:
With interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary efforts on university campuses, the conversation about the value of the humanities in engineering education has gained new visibility. The humanities represent fields of study including language, philosophy, history, the arts, and any social science that engages humanistic content and analyses, among others (The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, 1965). The humanities encourage analysis and critical thinking about humanistic topics and the human experience, and thus there are many ways in which the humanities intersect with engineering and engineering education. This informal discussion panel is open to all who would like to discuss the intersection of the humanities and engineering. It will be guided by participants who have humanities-engineering pedagogical initiatives at their institutions. We will discuss topics like: 1) Important intersections between the humanities and engineering, 2) Institutional pedagogical efforts to include the humanities and engineering and institutional hurdles, and 3) Future visions of the humanities and engineering at specific institutions or in general.
Discussion Leaders:
Auburn University
Traci S. O’Brian, Associate Professor of German and Chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
Bob Karcher, Assistant Dean of Engineering Student Services; Engineering Global Programs
Dean Hendrix, Associate Professor and Associate Chair, Computer Science and Software Engineering
Missouri University of Science & Technology
Shannon L. Fogg, Professor of History and Political Science; Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business
Purdue University
Lori Czerwionka, Associate Professor of Spanish and Linguistics
Niall A. Peach, Graduate student of Spanish Literature and Culture; GEARE Teaching Assistant
Joe Tort, Associate Director for Professional Practice (Co-op Program; Global Engineering Alliance for Research and Education (GEARE))
Additional Humanities-Engineering Committee Core Members: Elena Coda, Kirsten Davis, Francisco Montalvo, Jennifer Marston-William, Eric Nauman, Gabriel Ríos-Rojas
University of Rhode Island
Sigrid Berka, Executive Director of the International Engineering Program, Professor of German, Director of the Chinese and German International Engineering Program
Megan Echevarría, Professor of Spanish and Film Media Studies
Bing Mu, Assistant Professor of Chinese
Moderator:
Lori Czerwionka is Associate Professor of Spanish and Linguistics at Purdue University. Her research addresses the study of language and context. She investigates culturally-constrained language use, the relationship between contextual variables and language use norms, and second language learners’ adjustment to culturally-distinct ways of using language and interacting when studying abroad. Her research contributes to fields of study including pragmatics, second language acquisition, intercultural communicative competence, and global professional development. Her work has been published in many academic journals and edited volumes. Currently, she is the PI on a project funded by the National Institute for the Humanities titled Integrating the Humanities and Global Engineering.