Engineering education research studies how students learn difficult technical material and designs courses, teaching methods and tools around what it finds. Training programs extend the same attention to doctoral students and working researchers in data science, security and computing, and short-term programs open construction careers to adults entering the field or advancing in it.
This work is funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. Partners include the University of Connecticut on engineering education research, the College of Education and Human Development on immersive learning, and MU Extension on workforce training.
Engineering Education Research
How students learn engineering, and the teaching and tools that help them.
Personalized learning in foundational courses
Marisa Chrysochoou, 2025-2030
$1.5M; National Science Foundation
Students most often stall in the foundational courses of an engineering degree. With the University of Connecticut, this project develops neuroadaptive teaching, course design and AI tools that respond to how individual students learn, supported by faculty learning communities and a new undergraduate certificate in AI literacy.
Teaching cybersecurity to neurodivergent adults
Noah Glaser, with Prasad Calyam and Khaza Anuarul Hoque, 2023-2026
$850K; National Science Foundation
Neurodivergent adults are among the most underrepresented groups in the technology workforce. uSucceed teaches cybersecurity fundamentals through a virtual reality game with an AI-driven guide, and will be released as a free open educational resource.
Teaching semiconductor fabrication with immersive tools
Fang Wang, 2026-2029
$400K; National Science Foundation
Semiconductor fabrication takes place in cleanrooms, where students get limited hands-on time. This project uses AI-guided immersive learning to help students reason with models of fabrication processes, building on an earlier NSF award that brought AI-assisted extended reality into cleanroom teaching.
Research Training
Doctoral and research training in data science, security and advanced computing.
Materials research and data science
Matt Maschmann, 2023-2028
$3M; National Science Foundation
Materials research increasingly depends on machine learning and data analytics. Doctoral trainees in this five-year program earn a 12-credit Materials Data Science and Analytics Certificate within their PhD, with creativity training and at least one internship or co-op.
Security research and education
Chi-Ren Shyu, 2020-2027
$3.15M; National Science Foundation
A training program in security research and education, run in partnership with federal agencies and renewed by NSF in 2020.
Cloud DevOps training for researchers
Prasad Calyam, 2024-2027
$480K; National Science Foundation
Researchers increasingly run their work on cloud infrastructure. This project builds an online, self-service learning platform that teaches cloud DevOps practices through application-based exercises.
Workforce Pathways
Routes into engineering and construction careers for learners outside a four-year degree.
An on-ramp into construction careers
Praveen Edara, 2026-2029
$1.89M; U.S. Department of Education
Most Missouri contractors report difficulty hiring. The Missouri Construction Pathways Initiative offers short-term construction training at no cost to Missourians, with MU Extension’s Career Accelerator as a central partner.