Q1 Project 4: Pathways

January ’25 Updates

Project lead: Jennifer Ramos-Chavez, University of Texas at El Paso

Students working on their EV MicroKarts at the CU Engineering Camp.
Students working on EV MicroKarts at the CU Engineering Camp.

Help Shape the Future of Pathways!

A huge thank you to Jennifer Ramos-Chavez for her efforts leading Project 4: Pathways for the last two years! We’ve accomplished so much, and we’d love to continue the trajectory.

Are you passionate about making an impact and shaping the future of the Pathways project? We’re seeking a new leader to guide Project 4 over the next two years.

This opportunity is open to all, especially junior faculty, research faculty, and postdoctoral scholars. It’s a fantastic chance to gain hands-on experience in how a successful ERC operates while developing valuable leadership skills in a supportive and collaborative environment.

If you’re interested or have questions, please reach out to Jennifer

Events & Outreach:

  • Final CED PD at the Colorado Science Conference on 10/25/24
    • Creative Engineering Design course: Professional Development workshop
  • Commenced CU fall semester after-school engineering program
    • UTEP: K-12 outreach – 2 presentation serving 176 students and 5 teachers
  • Workforce pathway information shared at 2024 People Helping People Career Fair (USU)
  • UTEP Orange & Blue Day: ASA member hosted an ASPIRE table highlighting initiatives and opportunities for the connecting 200 potential students & their families
  • INDOT public information meeting – Assisted by ASPIRE members, on DWPT Pilot development along US 231 (Purdue)
  • Disseminated & analyzing the Greater Lafayette Survey of 450 residents to understand community perceptions of EVs and DWPT technology (Purdue)
  • Designing a survey for Northwest Indiana residents to understand community perceptions of MD-HD ZEVs and electrification along I-80 corridor (Purdue)
  • Initiated planning for ASPIRE’s feature in A Climate of Change exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Utah (USU)
  • Conducted STEM outreach with underserved youth populations near the Inland Port through his students & a brokered partnership between Neighborhood House and The Leonardo Museum in Salt Lake City

Publications:

  • 1 manuscript accepted for ASEE presentation, “Designing Electric Vehicle Infrastructures and Opportunities to Benefit Historically-Marginalized Residents”
  • Paper published and presented – Literature Review ASEE 2025 Conference Paper
  • Additional publications accepted to ASEE 2025 Annual Conference:
    • “High School Students’ Understandings of Environmental Justice in Engineering”
      • Amy Wilson-Lopez, Emma Mecham, Jennifer Taylor, Jennifer Ramos-Chavez, Fawn Groves
    • “Creative Engineering Design Through Environmental Justice and Geospatial Data Visualization in Pre-College Engineering Education (Evaluation)”
      • Jennifer Taylor and Jennifer Ramos-Chavez
    • “Redefining High School Engineering Education: Integrating Environmental Justice for Transformative Learning Experiences”
      • Jennifer Ramos-Chavez, Jennifer Taylor, and Ivonne Santiago

Additional Highlights:

  • “Evie and Her Electric Adventure” K-5 book – to be published on TeachEngineering
    • Ivonne Santiago, Jennifer Ramos-Chavez, Jennifer Taylor
  • Completed another successful semester of the Transportation Equity course
    • Spanning Purdue, UTEP, and USU’s campus to reach 17 students
  • Applications for the 2025 NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) are open
    • Faculty Proposals: Faculty can submit a funding proposal for research projects designed for NSF REU that involve undergraduate students
    • Student Applications: Undergraduates can apply to participate in research projects across the nation and the globe