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Solar panels and sequoias meet in a courtroom. Who comes out as the winner? 

That’s exactly what “Socially Transformative Engineering Pedagogy for a Sustainable Future” will prepare students to answer.  

The four-year, $2.5 million grant is funded by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Discovery Research K-12 applied research program. The grant was approved in 2024 and is active until Nov. 12, 2025. NSF aims to support conscientious learning activities that help students retain information for real world applications.   

In a weeklong institute, Purdue University School of Engineering Education (ENE) works with students to answer the intriguing question. Faculty from ENE will work with approximately 50 secondary school educators and 600 students in the U.S. to weave socially transformative approaches into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculums, preparing students with the tools and skills necessary to succeed in a rapidly and continuously changing world. 

The institute will be led by ENE professor enay Purzer, ENE associate professor Muhsin Menekse, Purdue alumna Jenny Quintana-Cifuentes (MSEEE ’22, PHD ENE ’22) and founder of the Institute for Future Intelligence Charles Xie. Virginia Booth Womack (BSIE ’93), director of the Don and Liz Thompson Minority Engineering Program and senior manager of the ENE summer program, is a co-PI and senior manager for the institute. 

“Somebody’s defending the solar panels, somebody’s defending the sequoias, and they use the laws of the land together to say what should happen going forward,” Womack said. 

“The kids must go through the logistics and figure out what a possible solution could be, because cutting down the trees isn’t one. Can they change the panel angle on the house so that there's more sunlight? Can they trim the trees’ branches? It’s a common area project to work together on.” 

For the full story, read more on the School of Engineering Education webpage.