First Year Engineering Experience (FYEE) 2026 Conference

FYEE 2026 Booklet

FYEE 2026 Conference Program

AI Innovation, Integrity, & Informed Doubt: Supporting First-Year Engineering Success

The First-Year Engineering Experience (FYEE) 2026 Conference invites educators, researchers, advisors, student services professionals, administrators, industry partners, and students to join a dynamic national conversation on the evolving landscape of first-year engineering education. Building on the tradition of past FYEE conferences, FYEE 2026 centers on the profound ways community and connection shape students’ early experiences in engineering.

This year’s theme—AI Innovation, Integrity, & Informed Doubt: Supporting First-Year Engineering Success—examines how AI should be best leveraged by all to broaden participation, strengthen belonging, and support student success across institutions and contexts. As first-year programs adapt to new technologies and shifting student needs, FYEE 2026 will explore how intentional collaboration can empower students from all backgrounds to thrive.

Keynote Speaker: Juan E. Gilbert, Ph.D.

Title of Talk: Preparing the next Generation of Engineers in the era of AI

Dr. Juan E. Gilbert is the Andrew Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Professor and UF Distinguished Professor at the University of Florida where he leads the Computing for Social Good Lab. He is a Fellow of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow of the IEEE, a Fellow of the American Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a member of the National Academy of Inventors, a member of the National Academy of Artificial Intelligence (NAAI), and a Fellow of the International Academy of Artificial Intelligence Sciences (AAIS). In 2012, Dr. Gilbert received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring from President Barack Obama. In 2023, he was named a laureate of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Joe Biden. President Biden also appointed Dr. Gilbert to the National Science Board in 2024.

Those who work with first-year engineering students often wonder, what do students need to learn about AI? What are the best strategies for engineering education in this AI era? In this keynote, Dr. Gilbert will discuss how technologies in the past have impacted society and engineering education. He will discuss AI's limitations and where faculty, staff, and administrators can learn and promote students alongside AI. AI isn't all bad, but it's not all good either. So, learning the pros and cons of AI will best position the future of engineering education.

Keynote Speaker: Moshe Kam, Ph.D.

Title of Talk: The Impact of NJIT’s Makerspace on the Education of Engineering Students

Moshe Kam is the Dean of the Newark College of Engineering (2014-present). During his time as Dean, he has led several impactful initiatives at NJIT, including the establishment of the School of Applied Engineering and Technology, the creation of the Materials Engineering, General Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering Technology degree programs, the launch and expansion of NJIT’s Makerspace, and the opening of the Advanced Air Mobility Lab, as well as the Life Sciences Motion Capture Lab. Prior to joining NJIT, Kam was Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Drexel University. He also served on the boards of directors of the United Engineering Foundation, ABET, and IEEE. In 2011, he was elected and served as President and CEO of IEEE. His areas of scholarly research are detection and estimation, navigation, image processing, and data fusion. He has been an advisor to 38 graduate students who have earned Ph.D. degrees.

Inaugurated in late 2017, the 25,000 sq ft Makerspace holds a central role within the engineering education enterprise at NJIT. Its design is rooted in the belief that the laboratory and workshop, not the classroom, are the natural environment of the engineering student, and that engineering students should routinely fabricate what they design. Furthermore, multidisciplinary teams should work together on real physical products; manufacturing technologies should become part of undergraduate education rather than remaining confined to research laboratories; and the same facility should support teaching, research, student clubs, entrepreneurship, and industrial partnerships. In this presentation, we will touch upon the history, motivation, and philosophy of the Makerspace, describe the facility, and introduce its target audiences. We will review the various ways users adapt the facility for their education; training; idea generation; prototype and model characterization; design and testing; quality control; scholarly research; collaboration and teaming; and entertainment. We will demonstrate how the facility contributes to formal courses, design projects, independent research, and the design of vehicles, robots, drones, and other devices – for showcases and competitions. We will outline, in particular, the role of the Makerspace in the education of first-year engineering students. Finally, we shall explain how the Makerspace contributes to the education and training of apprentices, industry operators, and nontraditional populations.

Conference Focus Areas

FYEE 2026 hosted by NJIT will highlight innovative strategies that harness the power of community, collaboration, and partnership—within and beyond the classroom. Featured pathways include:

Curriculum and Innovation: Novel first-year engineering curricula, reforms, and instructional strategies that strengthen learning objectives, support ABET-aligned outcomes, and introduce students to engineering thinking from day one.

Experiential and Project-Based Learning: Approaches that integrate hands-on, activity-based, design-focused, or community-engaged experiences—including service learning, entrepreneurial challenges, undergraduate research, and global or societal problem contexts.

Engineering Design, Problem Solving, and Teamwork: Courses and activities that teach the engineering design process, cultivate creative and open-ended problem solving, and explore effective models for teaming, collaboration, and assessment.

Broadening Participation and Retention: Programs and initiatives that retain students and value a wide range of lived experiences, including those experiences in engineering design, as well as empower student motivation, engagement, holistic success and thriving.

Transition, Recruitment, and Student Support: Initiatives that strengthen ecosystems of entry from K–12 to college, support transfer and bridge students, and enhance first-year outcomes through advising, tutoring, orientation, learning communities, and other co-curricular models.

Classroom Strategies and Learning Technologies: Evidence‑based teaching methods, integration of math and science foundations, peer-led learning, technical communication, and effective use of learning technologies, online tools, and computational software.

Learning Spaces and Infrastructure: Makerspaces, labs, classrooms, equipment, and shared environments that promote meaningful engagement, community building, and hands‑on learning in the first-year experience.

Engaging Program Format

FYEE 2026 hosted by NJIT will provide a vibrant platform for participants to share ideas, build professional networks, and co-create strategies that advance first-year engineering education, including:

- Workshops and interactive sessions

- Traditional and emerging-format paper presentations

- Panel discussions and facilitated conversations

- Networking opportunities and community-building events

In addition, the conference will feature special sessions, such as keynote presentations, invited panels, tours of NJIT facilities, and other unique programming designed to spark dialogue and inspire innovation.

If you have ideas for special sessions, please email us at fyeechairs@gmail.com.

Important Dates

March 17:

Abstract & Proposal Deadline

May 19:

Draft Deadline

July 1:

Full Paper Deadline

July 1:

Early Bird Registration Deadline

August 2-4:

Conference

Registration Fees

	Early Bird Before 7/1	7/2 - 7/19	7/20 - onsite
General	$325	$375	$425
K-12 Teacher	$125	$150	$170
Student	$125	$150	$170

Questions? Contact us at nce@njit.edu.