2026 STEM/STEAM and Education

Title
Conflict, Refugee Resettlement, and the Flight of Human Capital from Africa: The Case of the Lost Boys of Sudan

Synopsis
This paper discusses the flight of human capital from Africa through forced migration and resettlement of African refugees outside Africa due to wars and conflicts which have plagued the continent since independence in the 1960s. It references the case of the Lost Boys of Sudan, resettled in the US in 2001 – specifically, those resettled in Philadelphia from the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya – and who later studied at The Pennsylvania State University, where the author taught and interviewed 16 of them in 2006 and 2016, respectively, about their refugee experiences, and academic and career accomplishments, as an example of the loss of human capital both to South Sudan and the African continent.

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Title
Learning by Creating: Student Outcomes from Developing an Educational Technology Project

Synopsis
This exploratory case study examines a small interdisciplinary student team at Utah Valley University that developed an AI-supported Canvas LMS learning system. Findings from self-assessments, reflections, artifacts, and faculty observations suggest growth in technical skills, agile project management, teamwork, and problem solving. The study shows that student-led educational technology projects can support both campus innovation and STEM/STEAM professional development.

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Title
On the Coxeter Cohomology of Irreducible Representations of Symmetric Groups

Synopsis
This work is part of a research program to compute the Hochschild homology groups of specific quotients of polynomial rings via Coxeter cohomology, which utilizes an isomorphism provided by Larsen and Lindenstrauss. While previous work has focused exclusively on the two-variable case, we extend some results to all values of d. Notably, we show that when the tensor representation is replaced by an irreducible representation, the Eu-ler characteristic of the corresponding Coxeter cohomology is given by a polynomial with bounded degree. Although the problem is motivated by algebra and topology, the solution relies primarily on combinatorial arguments.

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²Department of Industrial Engineering & Management
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma

Title
A Machine Learning Framework for Driver Behavior Analysis Using CARLA Simulation Data

Synopsis
This paper analyzes the driving patterns of seven drivers in the CARLA simulation environment. We performed data preprocessing and feature engineering to extract acceleration, gyroscope, and jerk magnitudes, as well as rolling variability to capture driver behavioral change over time. The unsupervised k-means clustering identified smooth, moderate, and aggressive driving behavior categories, and a Pearson chi-square test confirmed a statistically significant association between driver identity and cluster membership, though Cramér’s V indicated a modest effect size.

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Title
Integrating AI Tools into Robotics Programming: Student Perceptions of Learning and Verification

Synopsis
This study examines the structured integration of AI-assisted programming within a first-year mechanical engineering course at the University of New Mexico. In a robotics module using the Dobot Magician arm, 26 students worked in teams to translate block-based logic into Python scripts, debug AI-generated code, expand algorithms for more complex tasks, and transfer programs from a visual programming environment to an external Python platform.

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²Educational Psychology
The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio

³Computing Sciences
Coastal Carolina University
Conway, South Carolina

Title
Enhancing an Accelerated Computer Science Teacher Summer Bootcamp in South Carolina

Synopsis
Computer Science (CS) teachers in a southeastern US state are typically business teachers with little CS background. In this study, we implemented an accelerated, yet comprehensive, summer bootcamp that was completed by 13 teachers who reported considerable CS self-efficacy and domain content knowledge gains. This bootcamp design included updates based on our 2024 pilot, resulting in teachers praising our current program. There, however, remains a high dropout rate, which we need to address.

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Title
AInternship: The Supervised Intern Model for Enterprise AI and Cybersecurity Operations

Synopsis
Enterprises increasingly rely on AI, but most fail to capture its value. Human analysts drown in billions of log entries, missing critical threats while attackers lurk undetected for an average of 204 days. Inspired by Ethan Mollick’s metaphor of AI as an “intern,” this paper introduces the Supervised Intern Model (SIM): a phased, NIST-aligned conceptual framework that turns AI-human collaboration into practical, scalable enterprise processes.

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Title
Inclusive STEM Education through esports-Based Project-Based Learning in Japanese Upper Secondary Specialized Schools

Synopsis
This study presents an inclusive Project-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum that utilizes esports as a core theme in Japanese upper secondary specialized schools. The program aims to support diverse learners by fostering career awareness, resilience, and transferable skills through STEM/STEAM-oriented practices. It integrates esports event planning with interdisciplinary digital learning and real-world problem-solving. The study discusses curriculum design, implementation, and its potential as a scalable and reproducible educational model.

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²Computer Science and Engineering
Pacific States University
Los Angeles, California

Title
Intergrating Layout-Based Design Projects into ECE 140: A Scalable Approach for VLSI System Design Education

Synopsis

This work presents a scalable framework for integrating layout-based projects into ECE 140: VLSI System Design at Fresno State. Using open-source layout and verification tools, the approach strengthens implementation-aware learning in large classes. Student feedback and quiz results show improved learning outcomes, while a geometry- and metadata-based workflow enables practical detection of plagiarized layout submissions.

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²Computing Sciences
Coastal Carolina University
Conway, South Carolina

³Instructional Technology
Coastal Carolina University
Conway, South Carolina

Title
Analyzing Teachers’ Reflections on Culturally Responsive Pedagogies and Errors in a Computer Science Summer Bootcamp

Synopsis
In Summer 2025, we implemented a Computer Science (CS) teacher bootcamp to develop instructional confidence for teachers serving low-income, underrepresented, and rural students with limited computing exposure. Findings indicate that teachers seek solutions to address students’ maladaptive responses to programming errors despite repeated efforts to implement collaborative strategies, and our bootcamp enhanced their skills in group learning and mastery-oriented approaches.

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Title
Homeroom Activities in the Department of Information Engineering Utilizing a Learning Management System

Synopsis
This paper describes a student support method using video and material distribution via a learning management system within the academic advisor system. The goal is to ensure regular contact opportunities with students through video distribution and feedback via questionnaire responses, thereby enabling more stable student lives through daily learning guidance. This initiative has quantitatively demonstrated a significant impact on the relative improvement in academic performance among students.

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Title
UHD Scholars Academy Peer Mentor Groups and Well-Being for Performance and Growth

Synopsis
University of Houston-Downtown Scholars Academy, a STEM unit, first implemented peer mentors in 1999. What began as a single group with one peer mentor has evolved into 18 groups of discipline-based peer mentors and faculty mentors over the 25-year period. Peer and faculty mentors form the small learning communities each semester. This organizational infrastructure brings expert peers (faculty mentors), near peers (peer mentors), and peer-to-peer mentoring to the small groups to offer support, and information. The more skilled peer mentor encourages, counsels, and befriends the less skilled or less experienced mentee, thereby promoting increases in professional, personal, and career path development (Maha, 2021; Nabi, Walmsley, Mir, Osman, 2024). There is some evidence that peer support/mentoring can offer support to mental wellbeing through friendship, camaraderie, and shared current or past experiences (Cooper, Saunders, Greenburgh,et.al., 2024). However, positive mentor-mentee relationships are critical for balance and academic success.

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²Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

Title
Spatio-Temporal Statistical Modeling of Suicide Mortality in the United States: Structural Breaks, Spatial Dependence, and Exploratory Machine Learning

Synopsis
This study analyzes U.S. suicide trends from 1980–2021 using regression, multilevel analysis, and machine learning to identify key demographic, socio-economic, and geographic risk factors. High-risk groups and states like Montana and Wyoming are highlighted. Spatio-temporal and predictive models, including random forests and gradient boosting, enhance risk forecasting and support targeted, evidence-based interventions.

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²College of Transdisciplinary Sciences
Kanazawa University
Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Prefecture
Japan

Title
Designing Across Cultures: A COIL-Based Case Study Integrating Design Thinking and STEAM Education

Synopsis
This qualitative case study examines a multi-year Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project connecting U.S. pre-service teachers studying STEAM education with Japanese university students studying design thinking. Grounded in Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory and Duckworth’s Critical Exploration framework, the project explored how cross-cultural, cross-disciplinary collaboration supports creativity, inclusive design, and learner-driven inquiry. A central innovation was the development of COMIESTA, an avatar-mediated, comic-based asynchronous communication platform designed to reduce linguistic barriers and foster multimodal dialogue. Data sources included student reflections, COMIESTA transcripts, instructional materials, and faculty analytic memos collected across multiple academic cycles. Findings suggest that COIL can function as a longitudinal learning ecosystem in which ideas accumulate across cohorts and that playground design provides an effective shared problem space for examining inclusion, accessibility, and cultural perspectives on public space. The study contributes insights into the integration of design thinking and STEAM across cultures, the use of comic-based platforms to support low-anxiety international collaboration, and the evolution of faculty learning within action research partnerships. Findings further suggest that COMIESTA may evolve from a discussion platform into a student-driven knowledge-building environment that supports multimodal communication, cohort-to-cohort dialogue, and future inquiry.

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Title
Humanistic STEM at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Innovative Education to Prepare Global Citizens

Synopsis
The Humanistic STEM (H-STEM) program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University bridges STEM and the humanities to expose students to the ethical, cultural, and global aspects of science and innovation. Through a new minor, infused courses, and events, H-STEM cultivates insightful global citizens. With a diverse worldwide student body, 23,000 learners across 100+ countries, the program highlights interdisciplinary collaborations to demonstrate the power of humanistic approaches to STEM fields.

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Title
Leveraging Custom GPT Models to Enhance Instruction in Higher Education

Synopsis
This study examined the integration of an instructor-grounded custom GPT (Generative Pre-Trained Transformer) model, “AutoCAD Studio@UC Berkeley,” within a live online AutoCAD course in higher education workforce programming. The purpose of the intervention was to provide on-demand, discipline specific instructional support aligned with course content, drafting standards, and instructor workflows while promoting more efficient use of valuable faculty time. A mixed methods design was used to compare pre and post intervention student evaluation data and analyze structured student reflections regarding GPT- assisted learning interactions. Quantitative findings indicated that students perceived the custom GPT as highly effective for procedural clarification, troubleshooting, and reinforcement of drafting standards. Findings align with emerging literature suggesting that bounded, discipline specific AI systems may improve learner support while reinforcing faculty guided instruction.

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Title
A Trustworthy AI Platform for Structured Academic Learning

Synopsis
This study presents Lernix, an AI-powered learning platform designed to support structured academic learning through persistent document interaction, learner analytics, integrated assessments, and trust-based AI evaluation. Lernix creates a more personalized, reliable, and accountable learning environment for students.

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