Research

My research focuses on engineering education. Specifically, I’m interested in how educators can help students develop a critical understanding of the ways in which engineers impact society.

01

Re:Imagining Energy

The next generation of engineers face an incredible challenge: they are responsible for transitioning our lives away from fossil fuels and mitigating the impact of climate change. This NSF funded project examined both what we teach engineers about energy and how we teach them these concepts. Informed by the literature on culturally sustaining pedagogies, we developed a new course grounded in sustainability and studied how it impacted students. The course is now a foundational requirement in the Integrated Engineering major at the University of San Diego.

Select Publications

Hoople, G.D., Chen, D., Lord, S.M., Gelles, L., Bilow*, & F., Mejia, J.A. (2020) An Integrated Approach to Energy Education in Engineering. Sustainability, 12(21), 1-21. doi.org/10.3390/su12219145

Gelles, L., Lord, S.M., Hoople, G.D., Chen, D., & Mejia, J.A. (2020) Compassionate Flexibility and Self-Discipline: Student Adaptation to Emergency Remote Teaching in an Integrated Engineering Energy Course during COVID-19. Education Sciences, 10(304), 1-23. doi.org/10.3390/educsci10110304

Forbes, M.H., Lord, S.M., Hoople, G.D., Chen, D., & Mejia, J.A. (2022) What Is Engineering and Who Are Engineers? Student Reflections from a Sustainability-Focused Energy Course. Sustainability, 14(6), 1-11. doi.org/10.3390/su14063499

Gelles, L., Mejia, J.A., Lord, S.M., Hoople, G.D., & Chen, D. (2021) Is It All about Efficiency? Exploring Students’ Conceptualizations of Sustainability in an Introductory Energy Course. Sustainability, 13(13), 1-21. doi.org/10.3390/su13137188

Momo, B., Hoople, G.D., Chen, D., Mejia, J.A., & Lord, S.M. (2020) Broadening the Engineering Canon: How Culturally Responsive Pedagogies Can Help Educate the Engineers of the Future. Murmurations, 2(1), 6-21. doi.org/10.31946/meee.v2i1.32

02

Drones for Good

What in the world is a social scientist doing collaborating with an engineer, and an engineer with a sociologist, and together on a project about drones and sociotechnical thinking in the classroom? This research emerged from a frustration that disciplinary silos create few opportunities for students to engage with others beyond their chosen major. A sub-award under an NSF Revolutionizing Engineering Departments grant, this project focused on developing a sociotechnical approach to truly interdisciplinary education around the exciting topic of drones.

Select Publications

Hoople, G.D & Choi-Fitzpatrick, A. (2020) Drones for Good: How to Bring Sociotechnical Thinking Into the Classroom. Williston, VT: Morgan & Claypool. doi.org/10.2200/S00984ED1V01Y202001ETS024

Hoople, G.D., Choi-Fitzpatrick, A., & Reddy, E. (2019) Drones for Good: Interdisciplinary Project Based Learning Between Engineering and Peace Studies. International Journal of Engineering Education, 35(5), 1378-1391.

Reddy, E., Hoople, G.D., & Choi-Fitzpatrick, A. (2019) Interdisciplinarity in Practice: Reflections on Drones as a Classroom Boundary Object. Journal of Engineering Studies, 11(1), 51-64. doi.org/10.1080/19378629.2019.1614006

Choi-Fitzpatrick, A., & Hoople, G.D. (2019) Cultivating an Entrepreneurial Mindset: An Interdisciplinary Approach Using Drones. Advances in Engineering Education, 7(3), 1-6.

03

Promoting Racial Equity

This NSF funded project tackles two key objectives: firstly, to deepen our comprehension of the inherent privileges and advantages within engineering, and secondly, to establish a professional development program enabling engineering faculty to critically examine the social, cultural, historical, and political ramifications of these privileges. Rooted in the acknowledgment that engineering education has historically favored specific identities, this initiative seeks to fill the gap in research concerning privilege. Through an exploration of systemic racism within engineering education and the development of strategies to enhance faculty’s critical consciousness, this project endeavors to pave the way towards racial equity in engineering. By interrogating and dismantling associated systemic barriers, this research endeavors to empower engineering faculty to foster an inclusive and equitable educational environment.

Select Publications

Chen, D., Lord, S.M., Hoople, G.D., & Mejia, J.A. (2023) Reframing Racial Equity in Engineering Education. European Society for Engineering Education

04

Integrated Engineering

This project focuses on developing a new curriculum for an integrated engineering major. Instead of focusing on a specific set of disciplinary knowledge, we aim to train sociotechnical engineers who are prepare for the intertwined technical and social elements of problems. Our curriculum emphasizes design, analytical problem-solving, communication, and interdisciplinary connections, as well as an understanding of the cultures, ways of knowing, and ecosystems where engineered systems exist. By equipping graduates with these skills, we aim to train engineers who understand the big picture, have a strong technical foundation, and recognize their impact on society.

Select Publications

Chen, D.A, Hoople, G.D., Rottman, C., & Leydens, J. (in press) Social Justice in Engineering Curricula: Entry Points, Barriers, and Institutional Support in 2023 Engineering Education Handbook. Milton Park, UK.

Chen, D., & Hoople, G.D. (2020) Exploring Faculty and Student Conceptualizations of Engineering using an Online Card Sorting Platform. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy, 10(1), 62-81. doi.org/ 10.3991/ijep.v10i1.11336

Palero Aleman*, R., Roberto*, M., Mejia, J. A., Gelles, L., Lord, S. M., Chen, D. A., Hoople, G. D. (2021). Mind the Gap: Exploring the perceived gap between social and technical aspects of engineering for undergraduate students, in American Society for Engineering Education, Long Beach, CA