College of Engineering Dean Lance C. Pérez speaks at the 2021 Frontiers in Education (FIE) Conference in Lincoln, Nebraska.
More than 400 engineers attended the 2021 Frontiers in Education (FIE) Conference at the Cornhusker Marriott in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Hosted by the UNL College of Engineering, FIE is a major international conference dedicated to improvements in computer science, engineering, and technology education. This year’s conference was offered in a hybrid format after the 2020 session was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. Overall, the conference featured 419 attendees, including 147 in-person and more than 250 registered guests taking advantage of virtual sessions and remote presentations. The conference began with a series of workshops on Wednesday, Oct. 13 and concluded Saturday, Oct. 17 with technical sessions and paper presentations. There was also a reception for guests at the Strategic Air and Space Museum in nearby Ashland, Nebraska, and an awards banquet honoring IEEE and ASEE members at the Cornhusker Marriott Ballroom.
“Overall, the conference went well and we received several positive comments,” said Leen-Kiat Soh, professor of computer science and engineering, and co-chair of the conference. “Our committee worked well together to successfully deliver the conference in a hybrid structure, which was both challenging and rewarding in a sense we were able to accommodate more than 400 attendees.”
The theme for FIE 2021, “Envisioning Convergence in Engineering Education,” focused on creating a convergence in engineering education to better student professional skills and improve workforce development opportunities. Featured speakers included Stephanie Adams, Ph.D., former faculty member with the UNL College of Engineering and currently Dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Texas at Dallas; Doug Durham, CEO and co-founder of Don’t Panic Labs in Lincoln; and Andres Torres, director of engineering, Global Telecom Division at Valmont Industries in Valley, Nebraska.
FIE 2021 sponsors included ASEE Educational Research and Methods Division, Conductix-Wampfler, IEEE Computer Society and IEEE Education Society, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the UNL College of Engineering. FIE 2022 will be hosted at the UKK concert hall and meeting place in Uppsala, Sweden, Oct. 8 through Oct. 11, 2022.
