Civil and Environmental Engineering Associate Professor Andrea Hicks draws a clear parallel between research and teaching. “In research, taking risks is rewarded, because it may lead to breakthroughs,” she states. “Teaching needs to be viewed through the same lens in order to produce the engineers we need for the future.” This philosophy underpins the mission of the new Center for Innovation in Engineering Education, an initiative designed to merge people, passion, resources, and research into a cohesive effort to transform engineering education.
The center, partially supported by a gift from Keith Nosbusch (BSEE ’74) and his wife, Jane, aims to advance learning for all and prepare engineers to make a positive global impact. College Executive Associate Dean David Noyce emphasizes that innovation in education is not simply about technology. “This isn’t necessarily loading classrooms with technology. We’re trying to do things in a better way,” he explains. The scope is broad: aligning teaching methods with diverse learning styles, ensuring faculty have the tools to implement best practices, keeping curricula relevant, and creating inclusive spaces that foster confidence and competence.
Hicks has integrated community engagement into her Environmental Sustainability Engineering course through the UniverCITY Year program at UW-Madison. Students collaborate on semester-long projects with community members to address real challenges. “As a professor, I have the unique opportunity to shape how a student thinks about an idea or concept,” Hicks says. Her commitment extends beyond the classroom, publishing peer-reviewed research on sustainability education and advocating for evaluation methods that mirror real engineering work rather than rote memorization.
The center’s inaugural director, Chris Dakes, appointed in spring 2022, is steering its growth in three primary areas: teaching and learning scholarship, faculty development and instructional support, and student leadership education. Resources will support educational research, disseminate findings, and strengthen teaching practices through the Collaborative for Engineering Education and Teaching Effectiveness, led by Erica Hagen. Leadership education, under Angela Kita, will be advanced through programs like the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges Scholars Program.
Grainger Dean Ian Robertson underscores the ultimate measure of success: “At the end of the day, do employers keep coming back here and saying, ‘This is where we get really outstanding engineers’? That, to me, is what makes us successful.”
The college’s tradition of innovation in engineering education stretches back decades. In 1960, chemical engineering professors Bird, Stewart, and Lightfoot published *Transport Phenomena*, reshaping curricula worldwide. Years before YouTube’s launch, Engineering Physics Professor Greg Moses and colleagues developed eTEACH software, pioneering blended learning by shifting lectures to multimedia videos and using class time for collaborative problem-solving.
In 2012, active learning spaces debuted at UW-Madison through the Wisconsin Collaboratory for Enhanced Learning Center (WisCEL), spearheaded by Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor John Booske. These technology-rich environments promote small-group discussion, peer learning, and tutoring.
The Informatics Skunkworks program, founded in 2015 by Spangler Professor Dane Morgan, engages undergraduates in applied research at the intersection of data science and materials science. As Morgan notes in a conference abstract, the program seeks “authentic research, engaged personal learning and professional development while also being efficient, accessible and scalable.”
Innovative teaching methods continue to evolve. Alain H. Peyrot Assistant Professor Hannah Blum integrates augmented and virtual reality into structural engineering courses, enabling students to visualize complex phenomena from steel connection fractures to full construction sites. Keith and Jane Morgan Nosbusch Professor Giri Venkataramanan pilots high-impact hands-on learning in power electronics, developing scalable facilities and exploring self-directed learning’s effectiveness.
These efforts reflect a sustained commitment to aligning engineering education with both scholarly research and the demands of contemporary practice, ensuring graduates are equipped to address technical challenges and societal needs with skill, creativity, and ethical awareness.