The development of a freshman engineering research program

Abstract

Incorporating research opportunities into undergraduate engineering education provides students with early hands-on experiences that often influence retention rates and the likelihood of continued research participation and higher education. A new initiative at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), the Freshman Introduction to Research in Engineering (FIRE) program, offers a select group of first-year students with an opportunity to participate in semester-long, faculty-sponsored mechanical engineering research and development projects. In addition to their research, students attend bi-monthly lectures that introduce them to various topics in mechanical engineering and current research in the field, the successes (and roadblocks) in engineering research and how to overcome them, and career opportunities in engineering. An end of semester poster session allows students to showcase their research results and describe opportunities for future work, encouraging continued involvement in research. Many FIRE students continue to participate in research after the program concludes and note that the program influenced their decision to attend UT Austin and confirmed their interest in the field of mechanical engineering. The general structure of the FIRE program is documented in this paper, along with investigations of its impact on participants' GPA, retention within the major, rate of participation in undergraduate research, and intention to pursue higher education. Student perceptions of the program and opportunities for improving it are also discussed.