I have more than 30 years of experience in online course and program development and teaching. I bring that experience and my engineering management and industrial engineering education with me to the College of Engineering and to the Master of Engineering Management (MEM) program to serve as a Professor of Practice and the Director for the MEM program. I have two certifications from Quality Matters and serve as a course reviewer for that organization which is dedicated to best practices in online and blended course design and delivery.

My interests lie in engineering management, quality control and quality management, pedagogy, online teaching, and assessment of student learning. I have served as the Education Chair on the Board of Nebraska Section for American Society for Quality (ASQ) from 2014 - 2020 and ) and Secretary, President, and Past-President of the Council of Engineering Management Academic Leaders (CEMAL) from 2019 - 2022. I am active in the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

During 2022 - 2023, I serve as program chair for the Engineering Management Division of ASEE and as ASEM Secretary.

Honors and Awards

Keating Award for Innovation and Leadership in Lifelong Learning in Graduate Engineering Education (2022)
Awarded by The American Society for Engineering Education Graduate Studies Division (2022 ASEE Annual conference, Minneapolis, MN)
American Society for Engineering Education, 2022 Best Paper Award from Engineering Management Division for, "Reclaiming Engineering Management's Position Among Engineering Disciplines" (2022 ASEE Annual conference, Minneapolis, MN)
University-Wide Distinguished Teaching Award, 2021 (University of Nebraska - Lincoln)
Holling Family Master Teacher Award, 2021 (College of Engineering, University of Nebraska - Lincoln)
Holling Family Distinguished Senior Faculty Teaching Award, 2019 (College of Engineering, University of Nebraska - Lincoln)
Holling Family Distinguished Teaching Award for Innovative Use of Instructional Technology, 2019 (College of Engineering, University of Nebraska - Lincoln)
American Society for Engineering Education, 2021 Best Presentation Award from Engineering Management Division for, "Administering an Asynchronous Professional Master’s Degree" (Presented at the 2022 ASEE Annual Conference; Minneapolis, MN)

American Society for Engineering Education, 2020 Best Presentation Award from Engineering Management Division for, "An Integrated Platform of Active Learning Techniques in a Supply Chain Management Program" (Presented at the 2021 ASEE Annual Conference; Virtual due to the Pandemic)

Pinnacle Award for Marketing Research – Not-for-Profit category, American Marketing Association, Omaha Chapter (2015)
John R. Maenner Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award (2016, Bellevue University)
Outstanding Online Professor Award (1999, Bellevue University)
ConAgra Distinguished Professor Award (1996, Bellevue University)
Best Employee Award, Texas A&M University Business Research Council (1989)

Summa Cum Laude graduate, Texas A&M University, College Station
Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society
Alpha Pi Mu Industrial Engineering Honor Society
Epsilon Mu Eta Engineering Management Honor Society
Sigma Beta Delta Business Honor Society

Selected Publications

Brianna Griffith, Eric Specking, Jena Shafai Asgarpoor, Adrienne Minerick, Stephanie Adams, Meagan Pollock, Patrice Sims, “Improving Gender Equity in Engineering - Perspectives from Academia and Literature”, Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition, June 25 – 28, 2023, Baltimore, MD.
Majid Nabavi, Jena Shafai Asgarpoor, “A data-driven comparison of students’ performance in asynchronous online versus in-person sections of an introductory graduate statistics course”, ”, Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition, June 25 – 28, 2023, Baltimore, MD.
Neal Lewis, Jena Shafai Asgarpoor, Ipek Bozurk, “CIP 2030: A Strategy for Engineering Management to be Reclassified as an Engineering Discipline”, Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition, June 25 – 28, 2023, Baltimore, MD.
Jena Asgarpoor, Lewis, N., “Reclaiming Engineering Management’s Position Among Engineering Disciplines”, Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition, June 26 – 29, 2022, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jena Asgarpoor, Vanek, G.T., “Engineering Management Masters Programs: Administrative and Curricular Structure”, Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM) International Annual Conference, October 27 – 30, 2021, Virtual due to pandemic.
Jena Asgarpoor, Handley, M., et. al., “Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Our Classroom and Teaching”, Proceedings of The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference and Exposition, July 26 - 29, 2021 (Long Beach, California). Finalist for Best Paper Award by ASEE Commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Jena Asgarpoor, Wang, Y., “Administering an Asynchronous Professional Master’s Degree: Effective Strategies for Design, Delivery, and Engagement”, Proceedings of The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference and Exposition, July 26 - 29, 2021 (Long Beach, California; turned virtual due to the pandemic). Winner of Best Presentation Award.
Cronin0Gilmore, J., Hammond, H., Shafai Asgarpoor, J. (2021). "Reconsidering the Traditional Work Week". Journal of Business Management and Change. 19 (2) 58 - 91.
Cronin0Gilmore, J., Hammond, H., "Reexamining Quality of Life, Motivation, and Productivity in the Workplace during a Pandemic". Academy of Business Research Conference Proceedings, Winter 2021. Winner of Best Paper Award.
Jena Asgarpoor, “Integrating Sustainability in a Quality Management Course”, Proceedings of The American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM) International Annual Conference (IAC) Conference, October 28 – 31, 2020, (Denver, CO ; Changed to virtual conference due to COVID-19 pandemic).
Cronin-Gilmore, J., Maguire, D., Asgarpoor, J., Nabavi, M. (2020). "Building a Woman’s Brand through Serving on Nonprofit Boards". Journal of Brand Strategy. 9(3), 254 - 270.
Jena Asgarpoor, “An Integrated Platform of Active Learning Techniques in a Supply Chain Management Program”, Proceedings of The American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition, June 24 – 29, 2020, (Montreal, Canada; Changed to virtual conference due to COVID-19 pandemic). Winner of Best Presentation Award.
Chen, Y.W., Asgarpoor, J. S., Sandekian, R., Nelson, J. K., Rynearson, L. K., Bartelt-Hunt, S., Callahan, J., “Managing Dual Academic Careers”, Proceedings of The American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition, June 24 – 29, 2020, (Montreal, Canada; Changed to virtual conference due to COVID-19 pandemic)
Jena Asgarpoor (2019). Asynchronous Course Design 101. Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM) 2019 International Annual Conference (IAC). Philadelphia, PA (hosted by Drexel University).
Cronin-Gilmore, J., Maguire, D., Shafai, J., & Nabavi, M. (2019). A Study of Diversity, Younger Board Members, and Physical Presence of Women Serving on Non-Profit Boards. Proceedings of the Society of Business, Industry, and Economics 2019 Conference.
Cronin-Gilmore, J., Maguire, D., Shafai, J., & Nabavi, M. (2018). An Analysis of the Motivations, Challenges and Rewards of Women Serving on Nonprofit Boards. Proceedings of The National Business and Economics Society 2018 Conference. ISSN: 2151-3333

Recent Presentations

Jena Asgarpoor, “What Motivates Working Engineers to Pursue Graduate Engineering Management Education”, The American Society for Engineering Management International Annual Conference, October 24 – 28, 2023 (Denver, CO).
Conference Workshop Presenter: Jena Asgarpoor, Vanek, G. Todd, "Engineering Management Masters Programs: Administrative and Curricular Structure”, 2021 American Society for Engineering Management Interantional Annual Conference, October 26 - 29, 2021 (Denver, CO, converted to virtual due to the pandemic).
Panelist on webinar and podcast: The Engineering Management Institute webinar - Career Coach Podcast, "The Engineer's Career Challenge: Master of Engineering and Technology Management (METM) or Master of Business Administation (MBA)", September 29, 2021.
Online Learning Consortium Best-in-Track Webinar, Jena Asgarpoor, "Program Management Strategies and Student Success Practices for a Fully Asynchronous Online Professional Master's Degree", June 30, 2021.
Panelist on Raising the Bar: An initiative of the Reinvention Collaborative, Discussion on teaching in an online or hybrid environment. Topics: delivery of content, assessment of learning, student engagement, and active-learning assignments and components, July 17, 2020.
Jena Asgarpoor, Handley, M., co-moderator for Panel on Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Our Classroom and Teaching, American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference and Exposition, July 26 - 29, 2021 (Long Beach, California).
Jena Asgarpoor, "Program Management Strategies and Student Success Practices for a Fully Asynchronous Online Professional Master's Degree", Online Learning Consortium 2021 Innovate Conference: Education Reimagined (virtual), March 15 - 19, 2021. Winner of Best-in-Track Award.
Jena Asgarpoor, Conference Workshop, “Strategies for Successful Design and Delivery of an Asynchronous Online Program”, American Society for Engineering Management International Annual Conference, October 2020, (Denver, CO, Changed to virtual conference due to COVID-19 pandemic).
Jena S Asgarpoor, Wang, Y., "Program Management Strategies and Student Success Practices for a Fully Asynchronous Online Professional Master’s Program", 2020 Innovation in Pedagogy and Technology Symposium, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, May 12, 2020.
Jena S Asgarpoor, Nabavi, M., "You Think They Learn Less Online than in a Traditional Classroom? Well, think Again", 2020 Innovation in Pedagogy and Technology Symposium, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, May 12, 2020.
Yuting W. Chen, Asgarpoor, J. S., Managing Dual Academic Careers Panel Co-moderator, American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition Proceedings, June 24 – 29, 2020, (Montreal, Canada; Changed to virtual conference due to COVID-19 pandemic)
Jena Asgarpoor, Faculty Advancement Panel Moderator, American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition Proceedings, June 24 – 29, 2020, (Montreal, Canada; Changed to virtual conference due to COVID-19 pandemic)
Jena Asgarpoor, “Online Course Design 101”, 2019 Innovation in Pedagogy and Technology Symposium, University of Nebraska Lincoln, May 7, 2019
Jena Shafai, “A Graduate Online Course in Engineering Leadership”, American Society of Engineering Management International Annual Conference, October 17 – 20, 2018, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Jena Shafai, “Design, Development, Delivery, and Assessment of an Online MBA Statistics Course”, Decision Sciences Institute Annual Meeting, November 19 – 22, 2016, Austin, TX
Jena Shafai, Kevin Schieuer, “A Program-level Assessment Exam: In-house Development and Implementation”, Decision Sciences Institute Annual Meeting, November 19 – 22, 2016, Austin, TX
Jena Shafai, David Levy, and Robert Ludrick, “An Integrated Platform of Experiential Learning Practices: Pedagogical Choices for Business & Supply Chain Curricula”, International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education North Central Regional Assembly Conference, October 5 – 7, 2016, Bellevue, NE
Linda Thomas, Jena Shafai, Dara Spivack “Critical Thinkers Wanted: Meeting the Challenge with Evidence-Based Practices”, International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education, Annual Conference and Assembly Meeting, April 13 – 17, 2015, Baltimore, MD
Linda Thomas, Jena Shafai, Charles Benish “Wake Up Your Classes with Critical Thinking! Help students discover the joy of an open mind”, Western Academy of Management, March 13 – 16, 2013, Santa Fe, NM and Institute of Behavioral and Applied Management, October 3 – 5, 2013, San Diego, CA
Jena Shafai, Majid Nabavi, “Steps in Quantitative Research: Plan, Implement, Analyze”, International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education, Annual Conference and Assembly Meeting, April 16-19, 2013, Orlando, FL
Julia Cronin-Gilmore, Jennifer Moss Breen, Jena Shafai, Majid Nabavi “Scholarship in Business Education”, International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education, Annual Conference and Assembly Meeting, April 16-19, 2013, Orlando, FL
Jena Shafai, Majid Nabavi “Online Versus Residential Exam Performance: A Comparative Assessment”, International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education meeting, April 18-20, 2012, Kansas City, MO.
Jena Shafai, Majid Nabavi “Overcoming the challenges of developing and teaching quantitative material online”, United States Distance Learning National Conference, April 26-29, 2010, St. Louis, MO
Jena Shafai, Christine Wietzki, “A Linear Programming Model to Minimize Cost of Efficacy and Equivalency Testing on Corn Hybrids”, Decision Sciences Institute Annual Meeting, November 20-23, 2010, San Diego, CA.
Jena Shafai, Majid Nabavi “Learning Assessment Methods and Tools”, Decision Sciences Institute Annual Meeting, November 20-23, 2010, San Diego, CA.
Jena Shafai, Majid Nabavi, “Overcoming the challenge of delivering quantitative content in online education”, Decision Sciences Institute Annual Meeting, November 17 – 17, 2009, New Orleans, LA