Global Learning Initiatives for
​the Development of Engineers
Kirsten A. Davis, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator

GLIDE Research Group Mission
The GLIDE research group studies ways to prepare students for success in identifying and solving real engineering problems in real work environments. Our research explores the intentional design and assessment of global engineering programs, student development through experiential learning, and approaches for teaching and assessing systems thinking skills.
GLIDE Community
​Our research group meets regularly to discuss research topics and provide feedback to each other on ongoing work. We spend our time together setting goals, celebrating accomplishments, and learning about new topics based on each member’s interests. 

Recent Publications

Exploring how personal and program characteristics inform the experiences of engineering students abroad​
Davis, K. A., & Knight, D. B. (2025). Exploring how personal and program characteristics inform the experiences of engineering students abroad. Journal of Engineering Education, 114(1), Online.   https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20625
Fostering systems thinking through engineering study abroad programs
Özkan, D. S., Davis, K. A., Davis, J. C., Deters, J., & Murzi, H. (2024). Fostering systems thinking through engineering study abroad programs. European Journal of Engineering Education, 1–26.   https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2024.2434168

New CAREER Project Starting Fall 2025!

Dr. Davis's NSF-Funded CAREER project will kick off this fall, exploring how engineering students develop global competence across different types of educational experiences. As part of this project, we will also develop online training modules to help engineering students develop their reflection skills to enhance learning during experiential education programs such as study abroad, internships, or community-engagement projects.