Authors
Nichole Ramirez, Department of Engineering Education and Leadership, College of Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, United States of America; Roger V. Gonzalez, Department of Engineering Education and Leadership, College of Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, United States of America; Meagen Kendall, Department of Engineering Education and Leadership, College of Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, USA; Peter Golding, Department of Engineering Education and Leadership, College of Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, United States of America; Lucas Galey, Department of Engineering Education and Leadership, College of Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, United States of America; Lori Houghtalen, Department of Engineering Education and Leadership, College of Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, United States of America
Synopsis
The BSc in Engineering Innovation and Leadership (E-Lead) at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is an ABET-accredited engineering degree that is transforming how engineering is learned and taught. At its core, E-Lead is an integrated engineering degree that provides students with a diverse foundation in multidisciplinary engineering knowledge, leadership theory and practice, innovation skills, and an understanding of business. The degree is customisable, allowing students to couple their E-Lead education modules with a focus on a specific traditional engineering discipline. This content knowledge is then integrated and applied through the E-Lead core modules each semester, enhanced by peer and faculty support and extracurricular programming offered by the department. As an undergraduate degree, team-based, project-based learning is the cornerstone of how we support our students in developing transferable competencies and skills. This project work is facilitated in our dedicated studio space, where students not only attend class but can collaborate on campus after hours and use the available prototyping lab to work on their projects. Therefore, the E-Lead degree focuses on developing a learning environment where transferable skills flourish, using real-life scenarios and projects to prepare students to take the initiative to ‘engineer’ the future and solve socio-technical challenges. The chapter concludes with practice-focused recommendations for designing integrated engineering leadership curricula, including strategies for scaffolding transferable skills, aligning leadership development with technical coursework, and engaging industry partners.
Author Biographies
Nichole Ramirez, Department of Engineering Education and Leadership, College of Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, United States of America
Ramirez, Nichole (0009-0006-3066-4993) is an Assistant Professor of Engineering Education and Leadership at the University of Texas at El Paso, USA. Her work focuses on access to and persistence in engineering through a variety of experiences.
Roger V. Gonzalez, Department of Engineering Education and Leadership, College of Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, United States of America
Gonzalez, Roger V. (0000-0003-0516-4437) is a Professor and inaugural chair of Engineering Education and Leadership at The University of Texas at El Paso, USA. His work advances engineering education, leadership development, and inclusive professional formation through curriculum innovation, scholarship, and student engaged humanitarian engineering programs.
Meagen Kendall, Department of Engineering Education and Leadership, College of Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, USA
Kendall, Meagan (0000-0002-9940-4405) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education and Leadership at The University of Texas at El Paso, USA. Her research focuses on engineering identity formation, holistic student development using the CELD framework, and fostering educational change through faculty leadership development.
Peter Golding, Department of Engineering Education and Leadership, College of Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, United States of America
Golding, Peter (0000-0002-0103-4355) is a Professor in Engineering Education and Leadership at The University of Texas at El Paso, USA, and the Center for Research in Engineering and Technology Education (CREATE). His research focuses on preparing higher education engineering and technology students for leadership in industry and public service.
Lucas Galey, Department of Engineering Education and Leadership, College of Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, United States of America
Galey, Lucas (0000-0003-0139-135X) is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Engineering Education and Leadership department at The University of Texas at El Paso, USA. His research focuses on cost-effective prosthetic knee systems, integrating machine learning, and adaptive control to improve mobility for amputees.
Lori Houghtalen, Department of Engineering Education and Leadership, College of Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, United States of America
Houghtalen, Lori (0009-0008-6382-1101) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education and Leadership at The University of Texas at El Paso, USA. Her research interests include career transitions, the transferability of skills from non-engineering to engineering contexts, and engineering leadership assessment.
Published
August 26, 2026
Copyright (c) 2026 Gillian Saunders-Smits, Lynn Van den Broeck, Thies Johannsen
How to Cite
Ramirez, N., Gonzalez, R. V., Kendall, M., Golding, P., Galey, L., & Houghtalen, L. (2026). Engineering Innovation and Leadership at The University of Texas at El Paso. In
SEFI Handbook on Teaching Transferable Competencies and Skills in Engineering (pp. 763-779). TU Delft OPEN Books.
https://doi.org/10.59490/mt.266.89
