PBL Latinoamérica
Evento pre-IRSPLB-2023

Dr Tony Marjoram, FIEAust, CPEng, has a background in engineering/education, S&T policy, international and humanitarian development. He is visiting Professor at the UNESCO Centre for Engineering Science and Sustainability, Aalborg University, Honorary Fellow at Melbourne University and the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, and has published numerous papers, books, articles and reports. He worked for UNESCO for 18 years, was responsible for the Engineering Programme from 2001 to 2011, conceived and produced the UNESCO Engineering Report - the first international report on engineering and UNESCO’s top publication, and the award-winning Daimler UNESCO Mondialogo Engineering Award. He helped establish the UNESCO Aalborg Centre for PBL in Engineering Science and Sustainability and the UNESCO International Centre for Engineering Education at Tsinghua University.

Mi vida académica no está separada de la personal porque nazco al dolor investigar a través del activismo social por eso apoyo una ingeniería comprometida con el contexto y sin pretexto. Me llamo Guadalupe Gómez Abeledo cursé el programa de doctorado en educación en la Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED). Nací en París, pero mi nacionalidad es española y ahora mi identidad se ha hecho esmeraldeña. Soy la cuarta generación de migrantes en mi familia. Citando a Neira Vilas soy una niña de aldea, o sea nadie. El aula la entiendo como un espacio de investigación compartido. Mis líneas de investigación se enmarcan en lo que se define como educación intercultural y sus contrarios (racismo, machismo, pobreza, migraciones, violencias). En mi caso intento comprender las consecuencias de la ausencia del enfoque intercultural y las grietas sociales que facilitan la emergencia del racismo en sentido amplio. Comprender el comportamiento de las personas en contextos de convivencia concretos me ha llevado a teorizar y acuñar dos conceptos, concretamente “diglosia convivencial” y emic-gración. Así, el racismo y cómo construye el fractal social ocupan mi objeto/sujeto de estudio. Desde el año 2016 desarrollo mi labor investigadora en diferentes universidades de Ecuador. También he realizado estancias en Chile (Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez de Viña del Mar) y España en el Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). En este momento me acaba de aprobar una estancia la Universidad de Jaén (España). Espero salir de Bogotá con unos gramos de identidad colombiana.

Ron Ulseth is the founder of Iron Range Engineering [PBL] program in Minnesota, and the newly implemented IRE Bell model, in which he serves as the director. His other appointments include as External Associate Professor at the Aalborg University UNESCO Center for Problem Based Learning in Denmark and as a tenured instructor in the Itasca Community College engineering program. He has been in the classroom, teaching more than 20 credits per year for 34 years. Dr. Ulseth is a social entrepreneur who has been at the leading edge of engineering educational change. He has implemented 2 successful change movements and is leading a third. He has earned multiple awards for innovation and entrepreneurialism. His degrees are in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and engineering education. A retired Commander as an Engineering Officer in the US Navy reserve, he is also licensed as a professional engineer in the state of Minnesota.

Aida Guerra is vice-director of Aalborg Centre for PBL in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the auspices of UNESCO and associate professor within the field of Problem-Based, Project-Organised Learning (PBL) and Engineering Education for Sustainable Development at the Department of Planning (Aalborg University, Denmark) and the Institute of Advanced Studies in PBL (Aalborg University, Denmark). She is trained in Biology and Geology Education (B.Sc.), Science Education, PBL and Sustainability (M.Sc.), and holds a PhD degree in PBL and Education for Sustainable Development in Science and Engineering Education. Dr Aida Guerra has been developing and doing research in the areas of curriculum development, continuing pedagogical development, engineering education for sustainable development, PBL, engineering global challenges, and competences for 21st century. Her current research focus is on PBL and the integration of sustainability in higher education, specifically in engineering education; student agency towards sustainability; staff readiness for change, and competences for sustainable development. She has published several articles, conference papers and has been given several international presentations and workshops within these fields all over the world. Dr Aida Guerra is also an active member of engineering education organisations, namely the governing board of REEN (Research in Engineering Education Network) and SEFI-Sustainability Interest Group. More information about Aida Guerra research projects and publications available here: https://personprofil.aau.dk/profil/123643.

Xiangyun Du, Ph.D., is a professor and Vice Director for Research at UNESCO Center for Problem and Project-Based Learning, Aalborg University, Denmark. Having earned her academic degrees in engineering education (master’s degrees at Linköping University, Sweden, and Roskilde University, Denmark, and a PhD degree at Aalborg University, Denmark), she has been committed to research in Teaching & Learning – Innovative Pedagogy (in particular, Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning methodology) – in diverse social, cultural, and educational contexts, including change and innovation in education from an inter/cross-cultural perspective, curriculum and pedagogy development, faculty/staff/ teacher development, intercultural learning and teaching, and gender studies. Having won multiple teaching and learning prizes herself, Prof. Du has also been engaged with educational institutions in over 20 institutions cross countries doing substantial work on pedagogy development. Prof. Du has over 200 relevant international publications, including 10 monographs, over 80 international journal papers (SCOPUS, Web of Science, and SSCI), 15 edited books, and over 40 book chapters as well as over 60 conference contributions. She has also been actively involved in several international academic programs, networks, and editorial works for journals. Currently, she is also (co)editing a book series for Palgrave and RIVER publishers and serves as an editor of engineering education section for Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education. Her Google profile is available at https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2Lf13qQAAAAJ&hl=en, SCOPUS profile is available at https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=35333877900

Dr. Bart Johnson is currently the Provost and Senior Academic Officer for Itasca Community College. Bart is involved with the Vision NE innovation teams of Athletics, Equity and Inclusion, and AASC. He played a pivotal role in the recent development and completion of the college’s successful capital campaign for the campus student center, and in the subsequent design and construction process. Bart is actively involved in many areas in the regional communities centered on educational opportunities, economic development, and youth opportunities and activities. Prior to his administrative roles, Dr. Johnson was a faculty member in engineering at Itasca, involved with the development of the Iron Range Engineering program, and continues to be an active participant in engineering education research; specifically, project-based learning and professional competency development. Bart studied pre-engineering at Moorhead State University, received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from North Dakota State University, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan, and his Ph.D. from University of Aalborg for Project-Based Learning in Engineering Education. Prior to joining the engineering faculty at Itasca CC, Bart worked as an engineer at John Deere. Bart and his wife, Jessica, have four children—Emma, Andy, Mathew, and Gavin. Together, they enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, time at the cabin, youth sports, and the family-farming operation.