Our community of faculty scholars engage in interdisciplinary research that focuses on real world problems and lays the groundwork for the innovations of tomorrow that can improve the lives and the livelihood of people around the world. Their research generates the knowledge and understanding needed for a better society, and it strengthens our teaching mission by enriching our students' learning experience in and out of the classroom. We encourage you to further explore our featured undergraduate research work.
The 10 featured or most recent scholarship and patent listings are displayed for each faculty member listed below.
Chen, Diana
Journal Articles
- With Melissa M Gibbons, "Bio-Inspired Sutures: Localizing Damage by Isolating Strain Energ," Biomimetics, p. 102, 2025.
- With Mark A Chapman and Joel A Mejia, "Shifting Students’ Perceptions About Homelessness: Quantitative Assessment of a Project-Based Approach," Education Sciences, 15, 2025.
- With Joel Mejia, Gordon Hoople, and R. Downey, "Board 361: Reframing Racial Equity Year 2: Examining Script of Whiteness," Engineering Education, 2024.
- With R. Downey, Joel Mejia, and Gordon Hoople, "Meritocracy and Colorblindness: The Perpetuation of Whiteness in Engineering Education Through False Narratives," Engineering Education, 2024.
- With R. Downey, Joel Mejia, and Gordon Hoople, "Scripts of Whiteness in engineering: An analysis of the literature," Engineering Education, 2024.
- With Gibbons, M. , "Bio-inspired Sutures: Simulating the role of suture placement in the mechanical response of interlocking structures," Biomimetics, 2023.
- With Forbes, M., Lord, S. M., Hoople, G. D., and Mejia, J. A. , "The “Who” in Engineering: Illuminating Engineering Students’ Sociotechnical Thinking," International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy, 2023.
- With Gibbons, M., "Bio-inspired Sutures: Characterizing Suture Parameters in Simulated Bending," Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 2022.
- With Forbes, M., Lord. S. M., Hoople, G. D., and Mejia, J. A., "What is Engineering and Who are Engineers? Student Reflections from a Sustainability-Focused Energy Course," Sustainability Special Issue: Engineering Education for a Sustainable Energy Future, 2022.
- With Gelles, L., Mejia, J. A., Lord, S., and Hoople, G. D., "Is it All About Efficiency? Exploring Students’ Conceptualizations of Sustainability in an Introductory Energy Course," Sustainability Special Issue: Engineering Education for a Sustainable Energy Future, 2021.
- With Hoople, G. D., Lord, S. M., Gelles, L., *Bilow, F., and Mejia, J. A., "An Integrated Approach to Energy Education Using Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies," Sustainability Special Issue: Engineering Education for a Sustainable Energy Future, 2020.
- With Chapman, M. A. and Mejia, J. A., "Balancing Complex Social and Technical Aspects of Design: Exposing Engineering Students to Homelessness Issues," Sustainability Special Issue: Innovative Practices in Engineering Education: Concept and Implementat, vol. 12, 15, p. 5917, 2020.
- With **Bertrand, M., Hoople, G.D., Mejia, J. A., and Lord, S. M. , "Broadening the Engineering Canon: How Culturally Responsive Pedagogies Can Help Educate the Engineers of the Future," Murmurations Journal: Emergence, Equity and Education, vol. 2, 1, pp. 6-21, 2020.
- With Gelles, L., Lord, S. M., Hoople, G. D., and Mejia, J. A., "Compassionate Flexibility and Self-Discipline: Student Adaptation to Emergency Remote Teaching in an Integrated Engineering Energy Course during COVID-19," Education Sciences, 2020.
- With Hoople, G., Ledwith, N., Burlingame, E., Scott, G., and Bush, S., "Exploring Faculty and Student Conceptualizations of Engineering using an Online Card Sorting Platform," International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy, vol. 10, 1, 2020.
- With Mejia, J. A. and Breslin, S. , "Navigating Equity Work in Engineering: Contradicting Messages Encountered by Minority Faculty," Digital Creativity: Hybrid Pedagogies, 2019.
- With Ross, B. and Klotz, L., "Parametric Analysis of a Spiraled Shell: Learning from Nature's Adaptable Structures," Designs, vol. 2, 4, p. 46, 2018.
- With Ross, B., Conejos, S., and Khademi, A., "Enabling Adaptable Buildings: Results of a Preliminary Expert Survey," Procedia Engineering, vol. 145, pp. 420-427, 2016.
- "Mathematically Characterizing Natural Systems for Adaptable, Biomimetic Design," Procedia Engineering, vol. 145, pp. 497-503, 2016.
- With Ross, B. and Klotz, L., "Lessons from a Coral Reef: Biomimicry for Structural Engineers," Journal of Structural Engineering, vol. 141, 4, p. 2514002, 2015.
Chapters of Books or Articles within Books
- With Hoople, G. D., Leydens, J. A., and Rottmann, C., "Entry Points, Barriers and Institutional Support for Social Justice in Engineering Curricula" in International Handbook of Engineering Education. London, UK: Routledge Publishing, 2023, pp. 359-379.
Conference Papers and Other Media
- With Hoople, G. D., Mejia, J. A., and Lord, S. M., "Examining Scripts of Whiteness in Engineering Education." American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference (NSF Grantees Division), Baltimore, MD, 2023.
- With Hoople, G. D., Mejia, J. A., and Lord, S. M., "Using Collaborative Autoethnography to Investigate Engineering Journeys." Frontiers in Education Conference, 2023.
- With Hoople, G.D., Mejia, J.A. , and Lord, S.M., "Reimagining Energy Year 4: Lessons Learned. American Society for Engineering Education." American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference (NSF Grantees Division), Minneapolis, MN, 2022.
- With Forbes, M., Hoople, G.D. , Mejia, J.A., and Lord, S.M., "Work in Progress: How do Students Describe Engineering and Engineers After Taking a Sociotechnical Energy Course?." 2022.
- With Hoople, G.D., Mejia, J.A. , Gelles, L., and Lord, S.M., "Reimagining Energy Year 3: Reflections on Course Offering." American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference (NSF Grantees Division), Virtual, Long Beach, CA, 2021.
- With Lord, S.M., Mejia, J.A., and Hoople, G.D., "A Critical Reflection on the Challenges of Implementing Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy.." Frontiers in Education Conference, Lincoln, NE, 2021.
- With Mejia, J.A., Chapman, M.A., and *Fledderman, B., "Drugs, Alcohol, Joblessness, and Life Style: Engineering Students’ Perceptions of Homelessness and Implications for Social Justice Education." American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division), Virtual, Long Beach, CA, 2021.
- With Gelles, L., Lord, S.M., Hoople, G.D., Mejia, J.A., and Chapman, M., "Lessons Learned: How our agile department survived the COVID-19 pivot." American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference (Faculty Development Division), Virtual, Long Beach, CA, 2021.
- With *Palero Aleman, R., *Roberto, M., Mejia, J.A., Lord, S.M., Gelles, L., and Hoople, G.D., "Mind the Gap: Exploring the perceived gap between social and technical aspects of engineering for undergraduate students." American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference (Student Division), Virtual, Long Beach, CA, 2021.
- With Mejia, J. A. and Chapman, M. A. , "Engineering as a challenging vocation: How students align personal values to the dominant engineering discourse." American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference., Virtual, Montréal, Quebec, 2020.
- With Hoople, G. D., Mejia, J. A. , and Lord, S. M. , "Reimagining Energy Year 2: Integrating CSPs into Course Development.." American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference., Virtual, Montréal, Quebec, 2020.
- With *Nelson, M., Hoople, G.D., Mejia, J. A., and Lord, S. M. , "What is Energy? Examining Engineering Students’ Conceptions of Energy.." American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference., Virtual, Montréal, Quebec, 2020.
- With Lam, M. and Yin, Z. Y. , "City Intersections: Impact of City and Social Resources on Social Justice." Engineering Sustainability, Pittsburgh, PA, 2019.
- With Wodin-Schwarz, S., "Contextualizing Statics: Our Process and Examples." American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, Tampa, FL, 2019.
- With Przestrzelski, B. , "Let the Composites Speak: Using Statics to Critically Evaluate Gerrymandering." Frontiers in Education Conference, Cincinnati, OH, 2019.
- With Hoople, G. D., Mejia, J. A. , and Lord, S. M. , "Reimagining Energy Year 1: Identifying Non-Canonical Examples of Energy in Engineering." American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, Tampa, FL, 2019.
- With Lord, S. M., Mejia, J. A., and Hoople, G., "Special Session: Exploring Decolonization in Engineering Education." Frontiers in Education Conference, Cincinnati, OH, 2019.
- With Peters, M., Hoople, G. D., Mejia, J. A., and Lord, S. M. , "Vocation across the Curriculum: Challenging Students to Recognize their Values." American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, Tampa, FL, 2019.
- With Lord, S. M., Mejia, J. A. , Hoople, G.D., Dalrymple, O., Reddy, E., Prezestrzelski, B., and Choi-Fitzpatrick, A., "Creative Curricula for Changemaking Engineers." World Engineering Education Forum-Global Engineering Deans Council, Albuquerque, NM, 2018.
- With Hoople, G., Mejia, A., and Lord, S., "Drawing Connections Between Native Science and Engineering: A Search for Non-Canonical Contextualization." Research in Engineering Education Symposium, Cape Town, South Afr, 2018.
- With Hoople, G. D., Mejia, J. A. , and Lord, S. M. , "Reimagining Energy: Deconstructing Traditional Engineering Silos Using Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies." ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Salt Lake City, UT, 2018.
- With Mejia, J. A., Dalrymple, O. O., and Lord, S. M. , "Revealing the Invisible: Conversations about -Isms and Power Relations in Engineering Courses." ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Salt Lake City, UT, 2018.
- With Hoople, G. D., "Contextualizing a New General Engineering Curriculum in the Liberal Arts." ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, OH, 2017.
- With Ross, B. E. and Klotz, L. E., "Exploring Infrastructure Solutions through Bio-Inspired, Adaptable, Structural Art." ICSI Creating Infrastructure for a Sustainable World, 2014, pp. 947-959.