Transdisciplinary Research in Graduate Engineering Education 

The NSF Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) award to Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) will pilot the Transdisciplinary Research in Graduate Engineering Education (TREE) project, aimed at equipping engineering graduate students with the skills needed to address complex, sustainable solutions across natural, social, and engineering systems. This project emphasizes transdisciplinary research, intercultural competence, community engagement, and mixed research methods through workshops and service-learning projects.

TREE explores two core questions:

1. Can workshops effectively enhance students' transdisciplinary research skills?

2. Can service-learning projects operationalize these skills effectively?

Participants will engage in collaborative, multi-scale projects with local communities to co-create sustainable solutions. The initiative aims to foster innovative, scalable educational models, share best practices, and guide STEM graduate programs nationwide. The IGE program supports research to innovate and validate graduate education approaches, generating insights for broader community adoption.