Some Ongoing Projects in the Lab:
1. Individual Differences and Sustainable Design
As global resources continue to be depleted, engineers must emphasize sustainability in the design process. However, a cause-and-effect disparity may exist in issues related to sustainability; i.e., those who have the potential to make an impact may not always see the direct benefits of acting sustainably. Designers’ individual differences may play a role in influencing their perception of and reaction to sustainability-related issues. In this project, we aim to explore these relationships in the context of engineering design education.
Collaborators: Dr. Mohammad Alsager Alzayed @Kuwait University and Dr. Elizabeth Starkey @Penn State
Past Team Members: Julia Greeley, Emily Mastroly, Rebekah Fodale, and Jenna Herzog
2. Measuring and Managing Design Cognition
Variations in eye movement can reveal a wealth of information about designers’ cognitive states, ranging from cognitive load to attention. We are exploring the use of eye-tracking to understand and support designers’ cognitive processes.
Project Team: Rachel Kimball and Maya Zilberstein
Past Members: Morgan Halpern, Madison Cass, Chikomborero Dhire, Jenny Chen, and Sam Milhaven
3. Social Identity and Engineering Design
Who we are as individuals has important – and often ignored – effects on how we design. In this project, we are exploring how different aspects of designers’ social identities influence their design process. Keep an eye out for the outcomes of this project!
Project Team: Evan Brown
Collaborators: Dr. Abbey Mann, Dr. Jenn Rossman, and Dr. Carlos Tavares @Lafayette
Past Members: Alexandra Powell and Milka Ininahazwe
4. Design for Additive Manufacturing in Engineering Design
Additive manufacturing (AM) processes present designers with capabilities and limitations that starkly contrast traditional manufacturing processes. Designers must utilize the knowledge of the various AM capabilities and limitations at appropriate stages of the engineering design process by effectively designing for AM (DfAM). In this project, we aim to explore how designers utilize their knowledge of the various DfAM techniques at different stages of the design process.
Collaborators: Dr. Brent Utter @Lafayette
Past Members: Benjamin Franco, Henry Campopiano, Jacob McCauley, Charles Mann, Madison Cass, Jake Garsson, and Asher Ricci
Past Research Projects:
1. Community-Based Design and Research
As part of a recent award under the Bergh Family Interdisciplinary Research Teams program at Lafayette, the lab is conducting a descriptive study on food access in the Easton Community and the role of Lafayette College in this food system.
Collaborators: Dr. Ernest Nkansah-Dwamena and Dr. Rui Jie Peng @Lafayette
Past Members: Ariana Welch, Samuel Carter, Kusum Subedi, Camille Voo, and Melanie Acosta