Food For Thought: Advancing Engineering Education Through Mentorship and Systemic Change
Department(s):
Morgan Teaching & Learning Center
Welcome Karen High from Clemson
Dr. Karen High, Clemson University
Date: Thursday, April 24 , 2025
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Location: CC Hagglund Room
Dr. Karen High will discuss her leadership in a suite of recent initiatives that advance engineering education through mentorship and systemic change. As a scholar-practitioner in engineering education, she serves as PI or co-PI on multiple grants spanning the STEM education continuum, from K-12 teacher development to graduate and postdoctoral training.
These initiatives include the NSF-funded EMPOWERS project (Evaluating Mentoring Practices for Optimal Work-Life Balance in STEM Graduate Studies), which promotes holistic mentoring to support graduate student well-being and success. Another key effort is Clemson’s participation in the HHMI Inclusive Excellence (IE3) “IMPACT STEM” network, focused on building inclusive pathways for transfer students in STEM. In addition, Dr. High co-leads two NSF Noyce projects—BLAST and SPLENDIT—aimed at strengthening K-12 science teacher leadership and retention in high-need schools. She is also a co-investigator on PROMISE (Postdoctoral Research Opportunities and Mentoring for Inclusive STEM Education), an NSF program preparing postdoctoral fellows to pursue inclusive STEM education scholarship and leadership. Her talk will highlight key insights and outcomes from these efforts, demonstrating how strategic mentoring and professional development interventions at multiple levels can foster inclusive excellence and drive institutional change in engineering education.
Bio:
Karen High is a professor of Engineering and Science Education (ESED) at Clemson University. Prior to Clemson, she was at Oklahoma State University where she was a professor for 24 years in chemical engineering pursuing technical and educational research. Her technical research focused on sustainable chemical process design, computer aided design, and multicriteria decision making. She has been active in educational research and initiatives for over 32 years. She has garnered more than $10 million in research funding, has written over 95 peer reviewed publications, and delivered over 240 presentations and workshops on both chemical engineering and STEM educational research.