Abstract: Professional organizations (POs) are established communities that significantly influence the competencies and values of engineers, but the impact of their interaction with academia on undergraduate education is not fully understood. This study addresses this gap by exploring how engineering faculty in POs strategically incorporate social responsibility into their teaching. Relying on Paulo Freire's critical consciousness and the Transformational Agency framework, it examines faculty reflections on societal and power dynamics for curriculum change.

Conducted over eight months, the study focuses on a Community of Practice (CoP) within the American Institute of Chemical Engineering’s Education Division, engaging faculty from multiple institutions. We employed qualitative methods, analyzing interview data through thematic analysis with In-Vivo and Axial coding. Preliminary results highlight how the CoP influences faculty’s reflective practices and understanding of societal structures, suggesting it enhances educators' critical awareness and ability to integrate social responsibility into their teaching. The findings deepen our understanding of POs’ role in evolving engineering education. They showcase how educators’ involvement in POs can shape socially responsible engineers, addressing the complex societal roles engineers face. This seminar aims to inspire educators with strategies for creating transformative learning environments.