Make no mistake, the Department of Engineering Education and its chair, Idalis Villanueva Alarcón, Ph.D., have had a banner year. And it’s only October.
Villanueva Alarcón is quick to turn the spotlight on her students and faculty, and since she became chair in March, she has celebrated — with hugs and genuine elation — EEd’s first graduates.
This year, Villanueva Alarcón herself has won five significant awards.
But, in the true spirit of its chair, let’s celebrate EEd’s graduates first:
The EEd Ph.D. program started in spring of 2023. This year, four students graduated, and a fifth is planning to defend his Ph.D. thesis this semester. Their doctorates are in engineering education, while their master’s degrees are in different engineering and computer science disciplines.
EEd’s Ph.D. graduates:
- Edwin Marte, M.S. Electrical Engineering
- Jabari Wilson, M.S. Mechanical Engineering
- Jasmine Smith, M.S. Biomedical Engineering
- Dennis Parnell Jr., M.S. Mechanical Engineering
- Soon to defend his Ph.D.: Gadhaun Aslam, M.S. Computer Science
Before Villanueva Alarcón took over the department, Hans van Oostrom, Ph.D., founded and chaired it beginning in June 2019 and made lasting contributions. But he has also noticed what’s happened in EEd since he stepped over to UF’s Office of the Provost.
“Dr. Villanueva is actively promoting research in engineering education to all the EEd faculty,” he said. “She is a great mentor to help faculty design their research and to find funding venues. She has also spearheaded the new strategic plan for the department that includes a clear direction for the future of the department.”
Villanueva Alarcón’s recent awards showcase the department’s critical intersection of research and mentoring in higher education, particularly in engineering.
“Mentoring typically is understood as a teaching or advising endeavor, but seldom is it considered in research labs and spaces” she said. “These awards evidence both the need to expand scholarship of this topic as well as the need to better mentor graduate students in engineering using evidence-based practices.”
Villanueva Alarcón’s awards:
2025 American Association for Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) Sylvia Hurtado University Faculty Award – This award honors key leaders, scholars, teachers and artists who have advocated, supported and championed Hispanics in higher education and through their expertise, energy, productivity and contributions, have improved the conditions of students pursuing a college degree or career.
2025 Higher Education Resource Service (HERSL) Leadership Institute Award – Since 2017, the invitation-only institute allows new and seasoned leaders to develop practical leadership skills and broader institutional awareness while increasing campus visibility for guiding change.
2025 American Society of Engineering Education Best Paper Award in Faculty Development Division – Her paper explored the important role that faculty mentors play in engineering for their graduate students.
2025 American Society of Engineering Education Best Workforce Paper Award in Student Development Division – This paper explored the important role graduate students and faculty play in the professional formation and mentoring in their research labs.
In November, Villanueva Alarcón will receive the 2025 Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineering (IEEE) Technical Award – Leon K. Kirchmayer Graduate Teaching Award. This prestigious international honor recognizes faculty members with a demonstrated track record of excellence in teaching graduate students, student-centered curriculum development that reflects state-of-the-art courses, authorship of course material for graduate students and preparing students for effective careers in engineering and the sciences.
“My vision for EEd is to put the department and the field at the forefront of the changing landscape of U.S. higher education in engineering. With the advancement and rapid pace of generative AI, machine learning, large language models and others, there is a need to prepare tomorrow’s engineering workforce to manage fluctuating job-market skill requirements and the changing workforce landscape,” she said.
“EEd,” she added, “is well-poised to propel the vision for higher-order, evidence-based and effective teaching strategies, to advance research, innovation and development for a future-ready engineering education and workforce.”