Engineer of 2020 outcomes and the student experience

An NSF Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM) program has provided scholarships for cohorts of undergraduate engineering students since 2009, giving specific attention to the National Academy of Engineering´s vision for the engineer of 2020 (E2020). Four E2020 outcomes are emphasized in Iowa State´s program: leadership, global awareness and understanding, systems thinking, and innovation and entrepreneurship. These outcomes, or pillars, are being integrated into curricular and co-curricular activities. The four pillar areas are introduced in a one-semester first-year seminar and reinforced in a two-semester second-year seminar. These seminars supplement the regular program of study for engineering students. In this paper, we describe the curriculum and its planned integration beyond the scholarship program. We present student feedback about their experience in the program. We also introduce relevant core competencies associated with the outcomes as judged by faculty and industry representatives.