May 2025
Karin presented a talk to the Early Career Leadership Taskforce at the University of Washington’s Department of Bioengineering. Title: Supporting Student Teams in the Engineering Classroom: Strategies for Instructors
April 2025
John is featured in an article from UM’s Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences recognizing award winners from the 2025 American Nuclear Society (ANS) Student Conference. Title: U-M students win top honors at 2025 ANS Student Conference
Collaborators at UC Davis Rawan Dirhalleh and Dr. Subhash Risbud, along with Karin, are featured in an article from Davis’ College of Engineering discussing the implementation of our survey on undergraduate engineer stress at UC Davis. Title: Rawan Dirhalleh Measures Mental Health in Engineering Undergraduates
“Ultimately, our data will provide actionable solutions to make engineering education more supportive and resilient.”
Rawan Dirhalleh in UCDavis Engineering News
John receives two awards from the American Nuclear Society (ANS) at the 2025 ANS Student Conference: (1) Inaugural Graduate Student Trailblazer (for community outreach) and (2) Best Paper for Nuclear Education and Advocacy (Title: “Recent Growth in the Establishment of ANS Student Sections”)
Karin is featured in a Nature news article discussing mental health concerns in academia, particularly for those currently pursuing a PhD, titled A mental-health crisis plagues PhDs — these evidence-led initiatives offer help
“Culture change is the big challenge, and the question is how we move away from the narrative of surviving in academia to one of thriving. The only way it will happen is from the collective actions of many.”
Karin Jensen in Nature
March 2025
New paper: Stressors and normalized stress in undergraduate engineering education culture: development of the Engineering Stress Culture Scale and Undergraduate Engineering Stressors Questionnaire published in International Journal of STEM Education
New paper: “Help Being Passed From One Person to the Next”: Factors Defining the Development, Challenges, and Successes of Faculty Peer Mentoring Relationships During Mentee Transitions to Engineering Education Research published in Studies in Engineering Education
Karin presented a session as part of the New Faculty Foundations course for the College of Engineering at UM. Title: Supporting Student Mental Health and Well-being in the Classroom
Karin and colleague Dr. James Huff (https://www.jameshuff-bpi.com/) from the University of Georgia present an ASEE webinar – link to slides. A free recording of the webinar is available via ASEE on YouTube. Title: “Transcending Professional Shame and Cultures of Overwork in Engineering Education”
February 2025
Dorian is a finalist at the Engineering Graduate Symposium 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) competition
Left: Dorian next to the poster for the UM Engineering Graduate Symposium 3MT (three minute thesis).
Right: Dorian presenting at the 3MT.
New paper: A Social Network Analysis of Faculty Mentees Funded by the Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (RIEF) Program published in IEEE Transactions on Education
John is awarded Best Student Paper at the Conference on Nuclear Training and Education (CONTE 2025)
January 2025
Karin receives the North Campus Deans’ MLK Spirit Award for Mentoring and Inspiration from UM
Karin receives the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)! The PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers
Jeanne and Karin participated in the NSF RAPID PI Meeting; a recording of Jeanne’s presentation is available on the project website
Karin presented the keynote at the BEEC annual conference. Title: “Thriving in Biomedical Engineering: Centering Mental Health and Well-being in the Classroom”
December 2024
Karin presented the keynote at the Northwestern Center for Engineering Education Research (NCEER) Insight Workshop
November 2024
Karin presented a seminar at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Houston
Several Thrive Lab members including Dorian, Isabel, and Joe attended an engineering education community event and completed an escape room
Dorian presented at the 19th Annual Student Life Research Symposium at the University of Michigan. Title: “Doctoral Student Mentoring and the Role of Psychological Safety in Engineering”
October 2024
John presented a webinar with educational resources for K-12 teachers to the American Nuclear Society
Thrive Lab and other engineering education students attended the EER student forum, presented by Joe, with visiting student exchange seminar speaker Isaac Dunmoye from the University of Georgia
The team enjoyed a pumpkin painting activity organized by Isabel and Faith
Karin presented a talk about well-being at the Smart Stage and two podium presentations in the Biomedical Engineering Education track at BMES
Faith presented a poster at the BMES annual meeting in Baltimore. Poster title: “A Mixed-Methods Study to Support Undergraduate Engineering Student Well-Being”
Karin presented a seminar the the University of Florida Department of Biomedical Engineering
Joe presented a seminar in the Engineering Education Research program seminar series. Title: “Stressors for Doctoral Engineering Students: Constructing a Measure and a Framework for the Inherency of Stress”
September 2024
Karin presented a seminar at the University of Cincinnati Department of Biomedical Engineering. Title: “Engineering Wellness: A Longitudinal Study of Undergraduate Student Mental Health in Engineering to Inform Curriculum Development”
Karin presented two posters at the 2024 NSF EEC Conference. Poster 1 title: “The Dynamics of Stress and Intention to Remain in Undergraduate Engineering Programs.” Poster 2 title: “The Stressors for Doctoral Students Questionnaire: Year 3 of an RFE Project on Understanding Graduate Engineering Student Well-Being and Retention.”
With collaborator Dr. Sarah Wilson (https://wilson.engr.uky.edu/) from the University of Kentucky, Karin facilitated a special session at the 2024 NSF EEC Grantees Conference in Alexandria, VA. Title: “From surviving to thriving: How faculty prioritization of well-being can drive culture change around mental health in engineering”
August 2024
New grant (NSF): Supporting Engineering Faculty Gender Equity by Understanding the Experiences and Career Trajectories of Women in Non-tenure Track Faculty Roles, a collaboration with Prof. Teresa Cardador at UIUC
New grant (NSF): Engineering Wellness: Curricular Strategies and Interventions to Promote a Thriving Mindset for Engineering Students
New paper: A Social Network Analysis of Faculty Mentees Funded by the Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (RIEF) Program published in IEEE Transactions on Education
New grant (NSF): Collaborative Research: Supporting Student Well-being with a Community of Transformation, a collaborative project with Prof. Sarah Wilson at University of Kentucky
New video featuring Karin and Eileen discussing ENGR100.520, Engineering Wellness: Technologies to Support Physical and Mental Health. This class is an introductory engineering course developed by members of our team along with Dr. Fatima Albrehi and Dr. Robin Fowler. Video produced and published by UM CoE.
New grant (NSF): Collaborative Research: Understanding STEM Faculty Mental Health and Well-Being: Impacts on Equity in Higher Education, a collaborative project with Prof. Mark Huerta at Virginia Tech and Prof. Julie Martin at University of Georgia
New grant (NSF): Collaborative Research: How Undergraduate Engineering Students’ Conceptualizations of Well-Being in Engineering Programs and Careers Develop and Manifest, a collaborative project with Prof. Justin Major and team at Rowan University
July 2024
New paper: Engineering professor perceptions of undergraduate engineering student stress published in the European Journal of Engineering Education
Megan Piper joins the Thrive Lab team!
Faith presented her research on undergraduate engineering student overwhelm at the Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering (SURE) Showcase. Poster title: A mixed-methods study to support undergraduate engineering student well-being
Karin presented a talk as part of the mini symposia Harmonizing BME: Integrating Discipline-Based Biomedical Engineering Research and Biomedical Engineering Education at the IEEE EMBC meeting in Orlando, FL. Title: “Thriving in BME: Fostering Belonging and Well-being for Undergraduate Students”
Karin presented a workshop with collaborator Dr. May Mansy (https://bme.ufl.edu/dept-member/may-m-mansy-ph-d/) from University of Florida at the IEEE EMBS Meeting in Orlando, FL. Title: “Getting Started with Biomedical Engineering Education Research Methods”
June 2024
Our team presented at the ASEE conference in Portland! Congratulations to Deepthi, Dorian, Isabel, Joe, and Eileen for great presentations and a workshop! In total, our team presented: 5 posters, 1 presentation, 1 workshop, 1 special session, 1 panel.
Karin presented a plenary talk at the Rising BME Scholars Regional Conference at the University of Illinois Chicago, titled “Thriving in Academia: Centering Well-being for Productivity, Creativity, and Joy”
May 2024
Karin presented the lab’s research at the Biomedical Engineering Society Education Summit. Title: “Supporting Student Mental Health and Well-being in Engineering”
Isabel presened her research at the First Year Program’s Retreat for the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan.
Isabel presented her research at the University of Michigan Engineering Education Innovation Days, “Beyond Barriers: integrating Disability Support with Digital Accessibility Excellence.”
Joe presented his research at University of Michigan Biomedical Engineering Symposium. Poster title: “The Dynamics of Stress and Intention to Remain in Undergraduate Engineering Programs”
Karin presented a research seminar at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Delaware. Title: “Changing the Narrative from Surviving to Thriving: A Longitudinal Study of Undergraduate Student Mental Health in Engineering”
April 2024
Karin presented a research seminar at the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Kentucky. Title: “Changing the Narrative from Surviving to Thriving: A Longitudinal Study of Undergraduate Student Mental Health in Engineering.”
Welcoming Faith Gacheru to the team as an undergrad researcher!
Jensen+Jensen Lab Party and visiting weekend!
The BME Graduate Application Assistance Program (GAAP) group, which includes Karin, won the Claudia Joan Alexander Trailblazer Award
March 2024
Isabel presented her poster at the Disability Visibility Symposium at the University of Michigan. Poster title: “Engineering students with Disabilities and the Accommodations Process”
Team attended the Depression on College Campuses conference in Ann Arbor, MI
February 2024
Karin presented a seminar at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as part of the Interdisciplinary Safety Seminar Series
New paper: Determinants of Intra-major Specialization and Career Decisions Among Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Students published in Biomedical Engineering Education
New paper: An Analysis of Factors Influencing Intra-major Specialization Choice Among Second-year Women Engineering Students published in Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering
New paper: ‘‘Not a Therapist’’: Why Engineering Faculty and Staff Do/n’t Engage in Supporting Student Mental Health and Wellbeing
New grant (NSF): EAGER: Artificial Intelligence to Understand Engineering Cultural Norms
Isabel presented at Pac Rim 2024 conference. Paper title: “Students with invisible disabilities and their use of accommodations in Engineering”
January 2024
Karin presented a seminar in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering and Chemical Engineering at the University of California Davis
Karin presented a seminar in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University
New paper: Interest In, and Characterization of, Managerial and Technical Career Paths Among Second-Year Women Engineering Students published in Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering
October 2023
Karin presented our lab’s work at the Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA
Fall lab party!
September 2023
Karin presented a workshop on supporting student mental health with collaborators Sarah Wilson and Jo Tait at the SEFI conference in Dublin, Ireland
New grant (NSF): Artificial Intelligence Curriculum and K-12 Teacher Agency: Barriers and Opportunities
June 2023
EER graduate student Dorian Bobbett joins the lab. Welcome, Dorian!
New paper: Beyond skills: building research capacity through cognitive apprenticeship and social capital
Team members attended the 2023 ASEE conference in Baltimore, MD. Great workshops and presentations Dorian, Isabel, Deepthi, and Joe!
May 2023
Lab party!
Karin presented our group’s work at the BME Symposium
Blog post: Engineering Students’ Perceptions of Stress and Mental Health in BMC On Society
April 2023
New paper: Undergraduate student perceptions of stress and mental health in engineering culture published in International Journal of STEM Education
March 2023
Karin attended the ASME Mechanical Engineering Education Summit in San Juan, Puerto Rico and presented our group’s work on supporting student mental health
Isabel presented her poster at the Disability Visibility conference
Lab bowling against the SHUTTLE lab!
Isabel and Karin attended the Depression on College Campuses Conference in Ann Arbor, MI. Isabel presented about integrating wellness education into first-year engineering design!
Our collaborator Dr. Sarah Wilson (https://wilson.engr.uky.edu/) and graduate student Matt from the University of Kentucky visited the lab and we celebrated with a pizza party!
January 2023
November 2022
Lab dinner at Frita Batidos in Ann Arbor!
October 2022
Karin presented our group’s work at the Purdue University seminar
Sara presented at the BMES annual meeting in San Antonio, TX
Lab Party!
The Jensen Lab hosted a lab opening party with the Paul Jensen lab in our new lab space in LBME!
September 2022
Karin presented our group’s work at the Michigan EER seminar
Jennifer Cromley, Joe, and Karin presented in Covid Research webinar lightning talk
Karin presented our group’s work at the EEC Grantees’ Conference
August 2022
New grant (NSF): An exploration of how mentoring influences doctoral student psychological safety and the impact on work-related outcomes, a collaboration with Mark Huerta (https://enge.vt.edu/People/researchfaculty/markhuerta) at Virginia Tech
The Jensen Lab has moved to the University of Michigan!
July 2022
Karin presented workshops on supporting student mental health at the AIChE Summer School in Golden, CO with collaborator Dr. Sarah Wilson (https://wilson.engr.uky.edu/)
June 2022
Congratulations to Eileen for receiving the Biomedical Engineering Division Student Award at ASEE!
Our team attended the ASEE conference. Congratulations on great presentations and workshops by Joe, Eileen, Isabel, Deepthi, Sara, and Evan!
Abhishek and Eileen featured in IGB article about their recent paper
May 2022
Congratulations graduates Evan Ko (BS in BIOE) and Isabel Miller (MS in BIOE)!
Congratulations to Isabel Miller for being recognized with the BIOE Teaching Excellence Fellowship!
April 2022
Congratulations to Eileen Johnson on her Rackham Fellowship award!
Congratulations to Isabel Miller for her NSF GRFP award!
March 2022
New paper: Development and Implementation of a Remote Enzyme Kinetics Laboratory Exercise
Karin presents seminar at UNH Department of Mechanical Engineering
January 2022
November 2021
Eileen presents her work developing ways to engage remote students in lab courses at the AE3 Lightning Symposium
October 2021
Karin presents at the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI)
September 2021
Karin presents “Adapting a Cell and Tissue Engineering Lab Course to an Online Format” to the Grainger College of Engineering Lab and Design Instructor Community of Practice
Undergraduate researcher Varshini Murugesh joins the lab. Welcome, Varshini!
August 2021
Karin presents at the Campus Instructional Facility Symposium about using active learning classrooms in BIOE360
Danowitz, Jensen, Miller, and Wilson present “Promoting Mental Health and Wellness in Undergraduate Students” in the zyBooks fall webinar series
July 2021
Golecki and Jensen awarded NSF RIEF grant
New paper: Laboratory Exercise to Measure Plasmid Copy Number by qPCR
Our team presented at the ASEE virtual conference this week. Congrats to Joe, Andrea, Evan, Sara, Eileen, Abhishek, Mona, Thomas, and Isabel on great papers and presentations!
EER PERT team paper recognized as Best Paper in the New Engineering Educators Division at ASEE
Isabel awarded the Biomedical Engineering Division Student travel award at ASEE. Congrats, Isabel!
Eileen awarded the Bioengineering Teaching Excellence Fellowship. Congrats, Eileen!
June 2021
Karin recognized as a University Distinguished Teacher-Scholar
New guest editorial: The Time is Now to Build a Culture of Wellness in Engineering published in Studies in Engineering Education
Research associate Eileen Johnson joins the lab. Welcome, Eileen!
Mona and Abhishek’s JMBE paper featured in IGB news
New paper in JMBE special issue: Remote Laboratory Exercise to Develop Micropipetting Skills
May 2021
Golecki and Jensen receive PITA grant
Celebrating Evan and Tom’s Knights of St. Patrick awards
April 2021
Karin recognized as a Honorary Knight for the Grainger College of Engineering
New paper: A Scoping Literature Review of Engineering Thriving to Redefine Student Success
Karin presents at the Society for Biomaterials virtual meeting panel
New project on inclusive language funded by the IDEA institute and led by Prof. Tiffani Williams
Karin named Laura Hahn Faculty Fellow
March 2021
New NSF Funding: Understanding STEM Doctoral Student Anxiety
Danowitz, Jensen, Wilson, Miller, and Wright present a workshop on promoting mental health and wellness as part of ASEE CDEI Focus Fridays
January 2021
Undergraduate researcher Aidan Rogers joins the Jensen Lab. Welcome, Aidan!
December 2020
Jensen, Direito, Polmear, Hattingh, and Klassen publish a guest editorial in Journal of Engineering Education
Isabel’s paper on mindfulness in an online engineering course is published in the Advances in Engineering Education special issue
November 2020
Danowitz, Jensen, Wilson, Miller, and Wright present a workshop on promoting mental health and wellness at AIChE conference
October 2020
Ben and Faisal’s work on virtual lab practicals for BIOE202 is featured by the U of I News Bureau
Jensen group members present three posters at the virtual BMES meeting
Jensen, Cross, Martin, Mirabelli, and Barlow present the workshop “Pathways into Engineering Education Research” at the Frontiers in Education meeting
September 2020
Undergraduate researcher Hannah Chiou joins the Jensen Lab. Welcome, Hannah!
August 2020
Jensen awarded Amy L. Devine award
Ben and Faisal’s paper on virtual cell culture practicals published in Biomedical Engineering Education
Jensen and Martin receive new NSF grant to support the RIEF program
Undergraduate researcher Mona Jawad joins the Jensen Lab. Welcome, Mona!
Undergraduate researcher Thomas Romanchek joins the Jensen Lab. Welcome, Thomas!
Undergraduate researcher Sara Vohra joins the Jensen Lab. Welcome, Sara!
Undergraduate researcher Abhishek Bhattacharjee joins the Jensen Lab. Welcome, Abhishek!
Benson, Lichtenstein, Jensen, and Bates awarded NSF EAGER grant
July 2020
Jensen, Goldstein, Golecki, and Helmke presented “Promoting Student Wellness in the Online Classroom” as part of the ASEE CDEI summer workshop series
June 2020
Our group presented at the virtual ASEE conference. Congratulations on great papers and sessions, Joe, Andrea, and Evan!
May 2020
ASEE-SEFI Joint Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Jensen and Golecki awarded Faculty Retreat Grant to expand biometric student design project in intro bioengineering course
Undergraduate researcher Isabel Miller joins the Jensen Lab. Welcome, Isabel!
Jensen awarded ASEE Biomedical Engineering Teaching award
April 2020
Ben and Faisal’s work to create virtual labs featured in BIOE news
January 2020
Joe Mirabelli earns NAGAP research grant. Congrats, Joe!
December 2019
Jensen receives CAREER Award to address undergrad mental health
October 2019
New paper: Laboratory Exercise to Measure Restriction Enzyme Kinetics
July 2019
New NSF grant to study how UG female engineering students specialize in their majors, a collaboration with Prof. Teresa Cardador
WYSE Discover Bioengineering Camp at UIUC
Karin visits UMass Lowell for her seminar “Engineering Education at Scale: Labs, active learning, and culture”
June 2019
March 2019
New NSF grant to study mentorship of engineering faculty in engineering education research
October 2018
New England Biolabs’ donation enhances undergrad learning
September 2018
