The viability of neural probes with microelectrodes for neural recording and stimulation in the brain is important for the development of neuroprosthetic devices. Vertically aligned nanowire microelectrode arrays can significantly enhance the capabilities of neuroprosthetic devices. However, when they are implanted into the brain, micromotion and mechanical stress around the neural probe may cause tissue damage and reactive immune response, which may degrade recording signals from neurons. In this research, a finite-element model of the nanowire microelectrode and brain tissue was developed. A rigid body method was provided, and the simulation efficiency was significantly increased. The interface between the microelectrode and brain tissue was modeled by contact elements. Brain micromotion was mimicked by applying a displacement load to the electrode and fixing the boundaries of the brain region. It was observed that the vertically aligned nanostructures on the electrode of the neural probe do increase the cellular sheath area. The strain field distributions under various physical coupling cases at the interface were analyzed along with different loading effects on the neural electrode.

In this work-in-progress, we will illustrate how we used two collaborative, qualitative research methods to narrate the experiences of six engineering education researchers (EERs) as we transition into new faculty roles within the EER community. To explore this phenomenon, we developed a community of practice where we shared our experiences and informed our practice through written reflections and weekly meetings. Using the Q3 qualitative research framework as a guide for establishing procedures, we combined elements from collaborative autoethnography and collaborative inquiry to narrate our experiences. We analyzed a subset of our first semester reflections to understand the challenges we faced in our new positions and support we received from our weekly meetings. We found the time management of teaching, research, and service to be overarching challenges. Additionally, the support from our weekly meetings provided a sense of community and place to receive advice to address these and other challenges. We found that the proposed collaborative qualitative research methodology was useful for not only exploring the experiences of new faculty, but also supporting the development of EERs.

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Marie C. Paretti is an Associate Professor of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, where she codirects the Virginia Tech Engineering Communications Center (VTECC). Her research focuses on communication in engineering design, interdisciplinary communication and collaboration, design education, and gender in engineering. She was awarded a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation to study expert teaching in capstone design courses, and is co-PI on numerous NSF grants exploring communication, design, and identity in engineering. Drawing on theories of situated learning and identity development, her work includes studies on the teaching and learning of communication, effective teaching practices in design education, the effects of differing design pedagogies on retention and motivation, the dynamics of cross-disciplinary collaboration in both academic and industry design environments, and gender and identity in engineering.c American Society for Engineering Education, 2015Page 26.1625.1 Understanding the Mentoring Needs of African-American Female Engineering Students: A Phenomenographic Preliminary Analysis AbstractSeeking to improve retention of underrepresented minorities within the STEM fields, we often discuss why these students leave, but spend less time on the measures that support persistence. Research has shown that mentoring is one essential source of such support for students of color. But our current understanding of the role of mentoring or its critical components is incomplete, both in a general sense and for specific populations. For example, the mentoring experiences of undergraduate African American women, especially in the field of engineering, is particularly understudied. To address this gap, the aim of this study is to gain an understanding of how undergraduate African American women in engineering experience effective faculty mentoring.As a group that lives at the intersection of both African American and female identities experienced simultaneously, African American women's socially defined categorizations provides a unique perspective that can distinctively impact their experiences, including their mentoring relationships. To understand their experiences, we apply phenomenography because of its capability to minimize essentialization and highlight variations within a phenomenon of interest or experience. Fundamentally, this method does not aim to generalize the experiences of all African American women in engineering, but rather to explore the different ways participants in this group experience mentoring relationships. We used student interviews to gather explicit examples of participants' experiences. Here we present a preliminary analysis of the data.The results yielded preliminary groupings based on variations in context, formation, and tone. These findings suggest that mentors can serve a variety of roles and engage with students in multiple ways. Perhaps more importantly, these roles and engagement patterns can occur across race and sex boundaries.