{ "145974-21898201": { "datetime_modified":"20260226T092923", "datetime_start":"20260317T150000", "datetime_end":"20260317T160000", "has_end_time":1, "date_start":"2026-03-17", "date_end":"2026-03-17", "time_start":"15:00:00", "time_end":"16:00:00", "time_zone":"America\/Detroit", "event_title":"Portrayals of Engineering and Technical Roles in an Engineering Workforce Development Program: An Embedded Qualitative Case Study", "occurrence_title":"", "combined_title":"Portrayals of Engineering and Technical Roles in an Engineering Workforce Development Program: An Embedded Qualitative Case Study: Winifred Opoku \/ The Ohio State University", "event_subtitle":"Winifred Opoku \/ The Ohio State University", "event_type":"Workshop \/ Seminar", "event_type_id":"21", "description":"Abstract: U.S. competitiveness in advanced manufacturing depends not only on engineers, but on an interdependent engineering and technical workforce that includes engineering technologists and technicians. Yet, how federally funded engineering workforce development (EWD) programs define, differentiate, and communicate the value of engineering and technical roles remains underexamined. Positioned within engineering education research that examines pathways, professional formation, and the education\u2013workforce interface, this study investigates how a national, federally supported EWD initiative constructs and portrays engineering and technical occupational roles through its public-facing program materials and leader narratives. Drawing on qualitative document analysis and semi-structured interviews within an embedded qualitative case study of a national EWD initiative, the study applies a sociocultural value-systems lens to examine how patterned beliefs about knowledge, skill, and expertise are enacted at the programmatic and organizational level. Findings reveal consistent distinctions in how roles are framed across dimensions of work, worker, and occupation, with implications for engineering pathways, learner identity formation, and program alignment across educational and workforce contexts. By foregrounding the often-overlooked roles of technologists and technicians, this work contributes new empirical insight to engineering education scholarship and extends EER conversations beyond degree-centric models to include federally supported workforce pathways relevant to contemporary manufacturing practice.\n\nBiography: Winifred Opoku is a doctoral candidate in Engineering Education at The Ohio State University. She is an embedded researcher with the NSF-funded HAMMER Engineering Research Center, where her work engages questions of engineering workforce development, advanced manufacturing, and cross-sector collaboration. Winifred is also a member of the Beliefs in Engineering Research Group, contributing to scholarship that examines how beliefs, values, and cultural assumptions shape engineering education and practice. Her broader research interests sit at the intersection of engineering education, workforce development, and innovation systems, with a focus on how educational and workforce institutions construct pathways and roles across the engineering and technical workforce. Prior to graduate study, Winifred trained and worked as an HVAC\/MEP design engineer, an experience that continues to inform her research perspective. Outside of research, she enjoys graphic design and creative projects that blend technical thinking with visual storytelling.", "occurrence_notes":null, "guid":"145974-21898201@events.umich.edu", "permalink":"http:\/\/events.umich.edu\/event\/145974", "building_id":"1000396", "building_name":"Duderstadt Center", "campus_maps_id":"181", "room":"Presentation Room 1180 and Zoom", "location_name":"Duderstadt Center", "has_livestream":0, "cost":"", "tags":["Stem","Research","Michigan Engineering","Graduate","Engineering"], "website":"https:\/\/eer.engin.umich.edu\/events-seminars\/upcoming-seminars\/", "sponsors":[ { "group_name":"Engineering Education Research", "group_id":"4059", "website":"" } ], "image_url":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "styled_images":{ "event_thumb":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_thumb\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "event_large":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_large\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "event_large_2x":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_large_2x\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "event_large_lightbox":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_large_lightbox\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "group_thumb":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/group_thumb\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "group_thumb_square":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/group_thumb_square\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "group_large":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/group_large\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "group_large_lightbox":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/group_large_lightbox\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "event_large_crop":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_large_crop\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "event_list":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_list\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "event_list_2x":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_list_2x\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "event_grid":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_grid\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "event_grid_2x":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_grid_2x\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "event_feature_large":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_feature_large\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png", "event_feature_thumb":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_feature_thumb\/media\/attachments\/2026\/02\/event_145974_original-1.png" }, "occurrence_count":1, "first_occurrence":21898201 } , "143331-21892918": { "datetime_modified":"20260121T102237", "datetime_start":"20260317T150000", "datetime_end":"20260317T163000", "has_end_time":1, "date_start":"2026-03-17", "date_end":"2026-03-17", "time_start":"15:00:00", "time_end":"16:30:00", "time_zone":"America\/Detroit", "event_title":"Water@Michigan Coffee Talk", "occurrence_title":"", "combined_title":"Water@Michigan Coffee Talk: Restoring Rivers: Managing and Modifying Dams in the Huron River Watershed", "event_subtitle":"Restoring Rivers: Managing and Modifying Dams in the Huron River Watershed", "event_type":"Lecture \/ Discussion", "event_type_id":"13", "description":"The Huron River watershed in Southeast Michigan is home to nearly 100 dams that alter the chemical, physical, and biological processes of its main stem and tributaries. These structures often harm wildlife, impose high maintenance costs, and in some cases, pose safety risks to downstream communities. This panel will highlight recent initiatives led by the Huron River Watershed Council and its partners to restore the river\u2019s natural flow through the removal of aging and obsolete dams and improved flow management strategies. Panelists will explore the ecological impacts of dams, discuss the status of dams within the Huron, share updates on a dam removal project in Ypsilanti, and introduce a budding initiative leveraging real-time data and communication to foster more collaborative dam management along the Huron\u2019s main stem. \n\nAbout the Speakers: \nDaniel Brown, Climate Resilience Strategist, Huron River Watershed Council\nDaniel has worked to address the effects of climate change across North America. He helps develop strategies that preserve land for waterway protection, reduce planet-warming emissions, and improve climate resilience. He also works on efforts to restore the main river corridor through dam removal, leads HRWC\u2019s efforts to address PFAS contamination, and coordinates the Huron River Water Trail. He enjoys empowering conservation based on sound science and getting people to enjoy Michigan\u2019s natural resources. Daniel joined HRWC in 2018 and lives in the Horseshoe Creekshed.\n\nAndrea Paine, Program Manager, Huron River Watershed Council \nAndrea coordinates HRWC\u2019s stormwater management, fee-for-service stormwater services, and community engagement work. She also supports local policy and other watershed planning and management projects. She holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in environmental policy and planning from the University of Michigan. She joined HRWC in 2018, lives in the Allens Creekshed, and is originally from Manistee, MI.\n\nBranko Kerkez, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and Associate Department Chair for Research, Civil and Environmental Engineering\nBranko Kerkez is an Arthur F. Thurnau associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at U-M. His research interests include water, data, and sensors. Branko is driven by the desire to both rationalize water management decisions, and put tools into the hands of community members to allow them to contribute to those decisions. The National Academy of Engineering recognized his work in smart water systems in 2018 as a Gilbreth Lecturer. Branko\u2019s Digital Water Lab is untangling the role of tech in water\u2026one sensor at a time! He earned his PhD in 2012 from the University of California, Berkeley in Civil and Environmental Engineering.\n\nAbout Coffee Talks: Coffee Talks provide a monthly opportunity for U-M faculty, staff, and students interested in water, and water-interested people in southeast Michigan to connect with colleagues, learn about pressing and\/or emerging water-related issues, and meet new partners. This academic year, we are excited to explore the intersection of water + energy and what this nexus means to U-M researchers, institutes, and external partners. Coffee Talks are in-person convenings designed to build connections as part of the U-M Water Center's mission and programs; we are not recording sessions at this time.\n\nYou can register for this session here: https:\/\/graham.umich.edu\/wateratmichigan\/coffee-talks", "occurrence_notes":null, "guid":"143331-21892918@events.umich.edu", "permalink":"http:\/\/events.umich.edu\/event\/143331", "building_id":"1000120", "building_name":"Michigan Union", "campus_maps_id":"191", "room":"Koessler", "location_name":"Michigan Union", "has_livestream":0, "cost":"", "tags":["Water","adaptation","Rivers","Construction","Biology","biodiversity"], "website":"https:\/\/graham.umich.edu\/wateratmichigan\/coffee-talks", "sponsors":[ { "group_name":"Graham Sustainability Institute", "group_id":"1807", "website":"http:\/\/graham.umich.edu" }, { "group_name":"School for Environment and Sustainability", "group_id":"3454", "website":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UMichSEAS\/" } ], "image_url":"", "styled_images":{ "event_thumb":"", "event_large":"", "event_large_2x":"", "event_large_lightbox":"", "group_thumb":"", "group_thumb_square":"", "group_large":"", "group_large_lightbox":"", "event_large_crop":"", "event_list":"", "event_list_2x":"", "event_grid":"", "event_grid_2x":"", "event_feature_large":"", "event_feature_thumb":"" }, "occurrence_count":1, "first_occurrence":21892918 } }