3 College faculty receive NSF grants

Paul Asunda, associate professor of engineering/technology education in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction and the Purdue Polytechnic Institute (PPI), is a co-principal investigator on PPI team which was awarded a new NSF grant of $900,000. The award will support interdisciplinary research on emerging AI and robotics technologies for fieldwork education.

Title: Enabling Next-Generation HyFlex Field Laboratories through an Innovative Leaner-In-The-Loop Multi-Robot System

The research team includes Jin Wei-Kocsis (PI), associate professor of computer and information technology; and co-principal investigators Paul Asunda, associate professor of engineering/technology education; Jiansong Zhang, associate professor of construction management technology; Byung-Cheol Min, associate professor of computer and information technology; and Dongming Gan, associate professor in engineering technology.

This award is particularly meaningful to the team as it is the result of many years of preparation. “We are excited about this new project and the opportunity it provides to collaborate on such significant research,” Asunda said.

Official NSF award information

Marisa Exter, associate professor of learning design and technology in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, received funding for a National Science Foundation (IUSE) grant for $273,295.

Title: Integration of Cross-Disciplinary Skills and Dispositions into a Computer Science Degree Program

Collaborators include Tuskegee University Principal Investigator Dr. Cassandra Thomas, associate professor of computer science and assistant dean of the College of Business and Information Sciences; Tuskegee University faculty who will enhance their courses and program through the addition of cross-disciplinary skills and dispositions; and Iryna Ashby, co-principal investigator from Purdue.

The goal of this project is to work with the Tuskegee University’s Computer Science Department to integrate essential cross-disciplinary skills and dispositions into its computer science degree program as part of a general continuous improvement model. This project is a partnership of a long-standing computer science program of study with a clear vision for continuous improvement at Tuskegee, and a team experienced in the design of instruction, assessments, and program evaluation at Purdue. Tuskegee University is a private, historically black land-grant university founded in 1881 by Lewis Adams and Booker T. Washington under charter from the Alabama legislature.

Official award information

Muhsin Menekse, associate professor in the College’s Department of Curriculum & Instruction and the School of Engineering Education, received NSF Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program funding for a $299,934 grant to enrich middle school science education by integrating fundamental quantum concepts into the curriculum. This initiative will develop and pilot interactive educational materials, including simulations and hands-on activities in partnership with science teachers across six diverse schools in Indiana.

Title: EAGER: Integrating Quantum Concepts and Technologies into Middle School Science Lessons

Menekse is collaborating with Erica Carlson, 150^th Anniversary professor of physics and astronomy, to bring the concepts of quantum randomness and superposition down to earth for middle schoolers.

Official award information