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Teaching Development
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LearnFest session details
Printable timetable
Opening keynote: 9.15 - 10 am
Workshops: 10.30 - 11.20 am
Breakout Session 1: 11.30 - 11.50 am
Breakout Session 2: 12.00 - 12.20 pm
Breakout Session 3: 1.00 - 1.20 pm
Closing keynote: 3.00 - 3.20 pm
Key to symbols:
🎤 = kōrero (discussion) session
💻 = online presenter
⚡ = lightning talks (5-minute talks)
Opening keynote: 9:15–10:00am
Teaching with heart: The importance of humanity in a digital age
Associate Professor Kirstine Moffat
Division of Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences, University of Waikato
National Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award Winner 2020
9:15–10:00am in PWC or join online waikato.ac.nz/go/tahi
2020 has been an extraordinary year of change and constant adaptation for both teachers and learners. Technology has provided new ways of learning, many of which may find a permanent place in the evolving classroom. Through our cameras and computers, Moodle pages and Zoom classes, technology has helped teachers and students communicate and connect. Yet the events of 2020 have also reinforced the vital need for direct human contact and interaction as we all battle against isolation and alienation. This talk celebrates the foundational role of emotion, empathy, creativity, and humanity in education.
Kirstine Moffat was born in Scotland and arrived in New Zealand at the age of 7. She was educated at the University of Waikato and Victoria University of Wellington. To date her publications have drawn on her doctoral research, focusing primarily on New Zealand settlement and provincial writing and the way in which this writing helps to broaden understanding of New Zealand social history and culture. A developing research area is nineteenth and early twentieth century feminist writing, in particular the motif of music and what it conveys about femininity. She is currently engaged in research examining the cultural significance of the piano in nineteenth century New Zealand. Kirstine is a co-editor of the Journal of New Zealand Literature.
Workshops: 10:30–11:20am
Workshop 1: Indigenous students, meaningful research, and a podcast
Alice Te Punga Somerville & Wanda Ieremia Allan
10:30–11:20am in MSB.1.03 or join online waikato.ac.nz/go/tahi
Although it can feel like teaching and research compete for scarce time, research supervision is one place they intersect. In this workshop we seek to frame and encourage a conversation about the many ways that research projects can provide opportunities for Indigenous students to have meaningful research experiences. In a tertiary context of imploding budgets and shrinking horizons, it is more important than ever to remake and enlarge the vision and practices of the university.
Alice Te Punga Somerville (Te Ātiawa, Taranaki) writes and teaches at the intersections of Indigenous, Pacific, literary and cultural studies. She is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies at the University of Waikato. Her first book was Once Were Pacific: Māori Connections to Oceania (Minnesota 2012) and her current project is Writing the New World: Indigenous Texts 1900-1975.' She also writes the occasional poem.
Wanda Ieremia Allan is a PhD student investigating early twentieth Samoan literary cultures. She is working on developing culturally specific Samoan literacy tools to read this significant corpus of Samoan language literature which has been out of print and circulation for many decades.
Alice & Wanda are co-producers of the podcast 'Writing the New World.'
Workshop 2: Enhanced video annotation (EVA) to support critical thinking/ criticality
Gretchen Badenhorst
10:30–11:20am in MSB.1.20 or join online waikato.ac.nz/go/rua
Interactive Video, like EVA, is a cornerstone of Flipped Classroom and Hybrid/ Blended Learning Models.
This workshop will consist of:
An introduction to ETV Platforms (ETV, ELINK, EVA) - attendees have a little time to explore the catalogue.
Sourcing a video to work with (ETV Catalogue)
Adding EVA interactions to video (attendees work in EVA Basic, using their chosen video)
Quick look at EVA Pro tools, which allow on-screen task completion with full analytics
https://sites.google.com/etv.org.nz/eva-and-e-link-workshop/home
Gretchen Badenhorst is ETV's Manager of Educational Services. She has taught languages for almost two decades and has been Head of Department and Faculty, an NZQA external examiner and panel leader for several achievement standards. Gretchen completed an MEd at the University of Auckland in 2014 with a focus on the use of Hybrid Learning in multilevel classes. In 2018 she completed both a National Diploma in Adult Education at SIT and a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Education at Massey University. Her EdD focusses on the development of criticality through the use of question embedded video. Gretchen's focus is on facilitating student-centred, interactive learning and teaching approaches in digital environments.
Workshop 3: Bringing online learning to life
Elizabeth Leigh Hynes, Jan Marie Kellow, Stephen Ross &
Mary Jamieson
10:30–11:20am in MSB.1.21 or join online waikato.ac.nz/go/toru
Many of us were forced into online teaching and learning in 2020 without much background in this medium. Covid-19 became the catalyst for change in all areas of education, challenging the status quo. So what were the consequences? If you are interested in how it led to digital fluency, enabled student agency, presented cultural challenges and inclusivity challenges, then come along to find out and share what worked and what didn't in this "tips and strategies" workshop.
Discuss and ask the crucial questions so that we can see a way ahead.
How did student voice and interactivity become a vital part of the learning?
What role did UDL (universal design for learning) play in the success of your online teaching and learning?
Elizabeth Leigh Hynes, Jan Marie Kellow, Stephen Ross and Mary Jamieson have been working in the digital fluency team, Te Whai Toi Tangata, at University of Waikato, for a combined total of 26 years. This team is committed to building digital fluency among teachers and lecturers alike, so that learners may participate in education both synchronously and asynchronously from anywhere in the world.
Workshop 4: Community engaged education: The ultimate WIL
Roger Strasser
10:30–11:20am in MSB.4.02 or join online waikato.ac.nz/go/wha
Immersive Community Engaged Education (ICEE) developed as a mechanism for achieving social accountability in health professions education. After a brief presentation on the development and implementation of community engaged education, participants will share their experiences to distil the key principles of ICEE. Successful ICEE requires the participation not only of community-based healthcare providers, but also active involvement of the wider community through partnerships with local government, health service administration, education institutions and local business organisations.
Roger Strasser has a background in Australian rural general practice. He recently joined Te Huataki Waiora School of Health at the University Waikato as Professor of Rural Health, following 17 years as Founding Dean of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine in Canada (NOSM). NOSM is a socially accountable academic institution that has been successful in producing healthcare providers who have the skills and commitment, and choose to serve people living in remote, rural and Indigenous communities.
Breakout 1: 11:30–11:50am
What does it mean to be non-Māori? Unpacking the complexities and specificities in tertiary education spaces 🎤
David Taufui Mikato Fa'avae, Joshua Wetere, Olivera Kamenarac & Jessica Cira Rubin
This kōrero brings together Māori and non-Māori teacher educators to critically consider their socio-political and socio-cultural locatedness in tertiary education spaces. Although the non-Māori identities are a necessary reminder of our obligations as settler communities, such a social grouping requires further unpacking of the specificities within. Realising the potentialities within such a diverse grouping and articulating the complexities within is essential if we are to make sense of our collective partnership.
David Taufui Mikato Fa'avae is the son of Sio Milemoti Fa'avae and Fatai Onevai Fa'avae. David is Tongan and was born in Niue, with heritage links to Samoa. He currently teaches in Te Kura Toi Tangata, Education Division, University of Waikato.
Joshua Wetere is of Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Paoa, and Ngāti Hikairo. He currently teaches in the Kakano Rua programme within Te Kura Toi Tangata, Education Division.
Olivera Kamenarac is a lecturer in Division of Education at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. Her research interests include philosophy in/of education, educational policies and politics, critical pedagogies, education for social justice, teachers' identities, advocacy and activism.
Jessica Cira Rubin is a lecturer in the Division of Education at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. Her research interests include teacher education and the literacy practices of children and adolescents, particularly as those topics relate to priorities of nonviolence and social and ecological justice.
Creating a children's literature MOOC
Dianne Forbes & Nicola Daly
In this presentation we will describe the development of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in children's literature for the FutureLearn platform with a focus on the methods used to create dialogic spaces. Regular reflections and conversations between the two course developers (and authors) form the data for this research. Findings are described showing the way in which dialogic interpersonal connections were achieved in teacher-student and student-student communication.
Nicola Daly is a senior lecturer in the Division of Education at the University of Waikato. She teaches and researches in the area of children's literature and languages. In 2019-20 she was a Fulbright New Zealand Scholar based at the University of Arizona.
Dianne Forbes is a senior lecturer in the Division of Education at the University of Waikato. She teaches and researches in the area of digital learning and online pedagogies, with an emphasis on the perspectives and experiences of tertiary students and teachers.
Academic integrity in online assessments
Nicole Pepperell, Stephanie Gibbons & Rachel Fulton
This session will explore academic integrity in online assessments.
Nicole Pepperell is Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Tertiary Teaching & Learning (CeTTL) at the University of Waikato.
Stephanie Gibbons is a Senior Tutor in the Philosophy Programme at the University of Waikato. She has a particular interest in the effective use of technology in teaching.
Rachel Fulton is an Academic Integrity Advisor in the Academic Office at the University of Waikato.
Engaging lectures for online delivery using Moodle
Kirsty Dempster-Rivett & Ryan Bentham
During trimester A, Covid-19 triggered a sudden shift to online delivery of our programmes with no time to prepare. Coming into B trimester, we knew in advance we had to adopt a blended and flexible approach to teaching. This approach was an opportunity for lecturers to get creative in developing materials to meet student needs. In this presentation, we discuss the strategies we used to create interesting and engaging materials for Moodle.
Kirsty Dempster-Rivet (she/her) is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist. She has been a Teaching Fellow at Te Kura Whatu Oho Mauri School of Psychology at the University of Waikato for the last five years. Kirsty enjoys the challenge of bringing to life the interplay between psychological practice and academic knowledge by drawing on a wide variety of resources and teaching methodologies.
Ryan Bentham (he/him) is a PhD candidate in Psychology at the University of Waikato with research interests in mental health, gender, and sexuality. Ryan is also a teaching assistant in Te Kura Whatu Oho Mauri School of Psychology for papers that include topics such as research methods, personality, intelligence, and psychometric measurement.
Breakout 2: 12:00–12:20pm
Tales (or confessions) of FutureLearn providers 101 ⚡
Nicola Daly, Clive Pope & Dan Weijers
12:00–12:20pm in MSB.1.20 or join online waikato.ac.nz/go/rua
Since the New York Times labelled 2012 'The Year of The MOOC' - the MOOC (Massive, Open On-line Course), this landscape has taken on rapid and unprecedented growth. Several players are now key to that expansion. One of those players is FutureLearn, a platform based at The Open University that includes several affiliated universities from around the globe, including the University of Waikato. In recent times staff have proposed and constructed courses to feature on FutureLearn. The cocktail of content, pedagogy and technology throw out challenges to staff as the construction process ensues. In this session three staff, Dan Weijers, Nicola Daly and Clive Pope, will share their experiences of learning to work in the MOOC world.
Will MOOC's cater to the best interests of student learners?
What specialized pedagogies will MOOC's promote?
Has this latest example of the collision of teaching and technology prompted a rethink of how education could be characterized on a global, institutional and social level?
We hope the session will address the question: "Should I make a MOOC?"
Clive is an Associate Professor in Te Huataki Waiora School of Health. He teaches in the area of Sport pedagogy and coaching analysis. Clive has been teaching on-line since the days of Top Class and has more frequently worked with iTines U and now FutureLearn.
Dan Weijers is a senior lecturer in philosophy. He is the recipient of two University of Waikato Teaching Excellence awards and an Academic Excellence award. Dan is currently the Coordinator of the Teaching Excellence Awards, the Teaching Advocate, and the Deputy Convener of the Academic Planning Committee for D-ALPSS.
Making group work work: Challenges with Chinese students and the online environment
Lucy Campbell & Sheila Busteed
12:00–12:20pm in MSB.1.21 or join online waikato.ac.nz/go/toru
After receiving a negative review of a group work project in an Academic English for Engineering paper taught at Hebei University of Science & Technology in China, research into the Chinese perspective on group work was undertaken to adjust the curriculum and assessment. Because of Covid-19, the assessment was transferred to the online environment. This presentation will trace the changes made, the group work strategies presented, the results gained, and future improvements needed.
Lucy Campbell is a Senior Tutor in the Centre for Tertiary Teaching & Learning (CeTTL) at the University of Waikato.
Sheila Busteed is a Teaching Fellow in the University of Waikato's international joint programme with Hebei University of Science & Technology (HEBUST).
Using reflective assessments across disciplines 💻 🎤
Alison Jolley
12–12:20pm in MSB.4.02 or join online waikato.ac.nz/go/wha
This session discusses how to integrate reflections into your assessments, using examples from geoscience and tertiary teaching and learning. Reflecting on and about learning develops student metacognitive skills and provides useful instructional feedback for the lecturer. Reflective assessments are appropriate for any discipline and come in many forms, spanning short add on questions through to semester long portfolios or journals.
Alison Jolley (AJ) is a Lecturer at Te Puna Ako – Centre for Tertiary Teaching & Learning (CeTTL) at the University of Waikato. AJ is passionate about staff development and provides one-to-one support, runs workshops, and teaches postgraduate papers in tertiary teaching and learning for staff in all disciplines. Her research interests span student learning and staff development, particularly focusing on the emotional and attitudinal impacts of field education in geoscience and related disciplines.
Breakout 3: 1:00–1:20pm
Diversity and inclusion: Learnings from Pacific and Indigenous pedagogies and concepts of wellbeing
Dassia Watkins-Matavalea
1:00–1:20pm in MSB.1.03 or join online waikato.ac.nz/go/tahi
In this session, I will lay out some basic principles and pedagogies which research suggests are effective when teaching Pacific learners. I argue that these translate into beneficial pedagogies of inclusion when utilised in diverse tertiary learning contexts.
Dassia Watkins-Matavalea has worked as a bridging and foundation educator since 2003 and is currently doing a doctorate in this area. Dassia's research concerns what can be learnt from Pacific and Indigenous pedagogies and concepts of wellbeing to inform culturally inclusive teaching in diverse tertiary contexts.
What's new with English language development at the University? 🎤
Chelsea Blickem
1:00–1:20pm in MSB.1.20 or join online waikato.ac.nz/go/rua
There are a number of student cohorts within higher education who may benefit from ongoing English language development and support. CeTTL has long supported students with writing, study skills and academic literacy needs, and specific and targeted English language development is a recent addition to CeTTL's services to both students and staff.
This kōrero will give an overview of the range of activities and initiatives underway to support English language development, and will provide an opportunity to find out more, to look at what is planned - and to talk about what else might work to enhance our students' experience, progress and success.
Chelsea Blickem has a background in applied linguistics and second language acquisition, and was Director of Waikato Pathways College at the University of Waikato for 8 years. Since mid-2019, she has been working in her new role as Director, English Language Development, where she works with students and staff to identify and address a range of language needs.
Is Wikipedia OK after all? An innovation in assessment
Frances Edwards
1:00–1:20pm in MSB.1.21 or join online waikato.ac.nz/go/toru
Recently greater emphasis is being placed on meaningful assessment in higher education. I will share my research into an assessment method I trialed this year. Students were asked to examine and update publicly available online information (e.g., a Wikipedia entry) giving a rationale for the changes. Their responses provided rich evidence of learning. Additionally, they took some professional responsibility for the provision of better information to the public. This research offers useful insights to aid in the development of assessment.
Frances Edwards is a senior lecturer in the Division of Education at the University of Waikato. She teaches in initial teacher education and postgraduate education programmes. Her research interests include assessment and teacher development.
Moodle forums: What more can they do? 💻
Laura Gurney
1:00–1:20pm in MSB.4.02 or join online waikato.ac.nz/go/wha
Although Moodle forums are often used to host discussions, they have a range of other functions. I present possibilities for using Moodle forums for teaching and learning (particularly with NET cohorts), including experimenting with layout, hyperlinking, and embedding a variety of file types.
Laura Gurney is a Senior Lecturer in Te Kura Toi Tangata School of Education at the University of Waikato. She specialises in languages education and applied linguistics.
The impact of Covid-19 on the Student to Student Tuakana-Teina programme
Marion Tahana & Tania Oxenham
Semester one this year was not business as usual. During the Covid-19 Lockdown, support departments at Wintec kicked into full online responsiveness. Within this milieu of change and heightened anxiety, the Student to Student Tuakana-Teina programme continued and quickly adapted to meet the demands of their students. This presentation focuses specifically on how the everyone responded under these stressful conditions, the issues and surprising outcomes.
Tania Oxenham is a Senior Māori Academic Learning Advisor in Te Kete Kōnae at WINTEC.
Marion Tahana is a Senior Academic Learning Advisor in the Student Learning Services team at WINTEC.
Developing Moodle quiz activities during the Lockdown
John McDonald-Wharry
This presentation will share experiences on the development of Moodle quizzes for an engineering science paper during Lockdown. Moodle quiz activities were introduced for use as both learning tools and as assessment items for this paper. This talk will cover aspects such as quiz formats and question design, along with strategies to deter and detect cheating.
John McDonald-Wharry is a Lecturer in Materials in the School of Engineering at the University of Waikato. His research interests include sustainable materials, biobased polymer composites, and 3D printing. He has been a lecturer in a range of materials science and engineering papers since late 2019.
Transforming teaching: Key elements and outcomes
Karyn Rastrick, Victor Fester & Abby Pinkerton
The Division of Management have been championing many new initiatives in changing our practices and driving digitally-enabled, student focused learning experiences. Karyn, Victor and Abby will reflect on key elements, learning and outcomes from this process, as well as our response to Covid-19 and the unprecedented move to teaching online.
Karyn Rastrick is the Director of Digitisation Strategy for the Division of Management at the University of Waikato. She led the development of the WMS Digital Strategy and champions new initiatives to ensure that colleagues are supported in delivering high quality, digitally-enabled teaching and learning experiences. Prior to this Karyn has developed vast experience in teaching and learning in her role as a lecturer for the Division of Management.
Victor Fester is an e-learning designer in the Centre for Tertiary Teaching & Learning (CeTTL) at the University of Waikato where he supports academic staff based across the university's multiple campuses, both in New Zealand and overseas, in the design and delivery of blended and online courses. He has recently worked closely with Karyn and Abby in the implementation of the WMS Digital Strategy aimed at enhancing online and blended learning in the Division of Management.
Abby Pinkerton has previously worked as an eTut in the Centre for Tertiary Teaching & Learning (CeTTL) at the University of Waikato. She is now an Educational Technologist at Waikato Management School. Abby is a core part of the WMS Digital Innovation Team supporting the development of online courses and digital teaching and learning resources with a key focus on video work.
Perusall: Engaging students to read academic texts 💻
Jason Bednarz
Getting students engaged with (and understanding) required readings can be a challenge, particularly as we work increasingly with offshore students. Perusall, "the only truly social e-reader," takes a constructionist approach to education and enhances it with a boost of social network style technology. In this session I will show you how we have used this tool (in Moodle) and what the students have to say about it.
Jason Bednarz is an English language specialist based in Vietnam supporting the Centre for Tertiary Teaching & Learning (CeTTL) and the International Office at the University of Waikato. His position has been focussed on collaboration with the University of Waikato's partners in Vietnam, and on supporting the online delivery of English as a Second Language (ENSLA) papers, as well as supporting the development of digital English language resources.
Drawing on whakataukī in teaching and learning
Leisa Moorhouse
This session will provide an insight into, and opportunity for discussion on, ways whakataukī (Māori proverbs) can be used in teaching and learning. My kōrero will highlight ways I draw on Māori narratives and values in whakataukī, giving examples of how this can create a richer, deeper understanding and discussion on a range of topics. Space will be given for attendees to share their actual or perceived application of whakataukī to their teaching and learning.
Ko Leisa Moorhouse ahau (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Pākehā). I am an experienced social work practitioner, educator and supervisor. My private practice includes professional supervision and project work, mainly in Māori spaces. Based on the Tauranga campus, my teaching and learning interests centre around mātauranga Māori and inspiring practice that is authentically grounded on mātauranga and tikanga Māori. I have recently developed a card-based resource tool using whakataukĪ which has grown organically from this mahi.
How to break up with your textbook
Jess Howie & Stephen Harlow
It is no secret that students' access to, and use of textbooks is problematic. Textbook costs have risen by over 400% over the last 40 years, and a recent NZ study found that 56% of students with an assigned textbook simply went without. This session will provide easy and practical steps towards implementing more affordable and accessible course materials.
Jess Howie is the Research Services Librarian at the University of Waikato.
Stephen Harlow is a Senior Tutor, Learning Design based at the Centre for Tertiary Teaching & Learning (CeTTL) at the University of Waikato.
Google Assignments: The easier alternative to Turnitin
Roy Larke
The University of Waikato now has access to Google Assignments, which also integrates with Google Classroom. It is an excellent grading, plagiarism and feedback tool, and a good and quicker alternative to Turnitin.
Roy Larke is a senior Lecturer in marketing in Waikato Management School at the University of Waikato and a Japanese scholar.
Lightning talks session
Talk 1: The rise of the fake reference ⚡ - Stephanie Gibbons
A student gives a bogus reference when they attribute to an author a point the author does not make. This presentation gives some pointers for spotting fake references, and makes suggestions for how to combat what seems to be a rising phenomenon.
Talk 2: Mahara ePortfolio: What's new? ⚡- Stephen Bright
A brief overview of the new features in Mahara v.20.4 recently installed for University of Waikato staff and students.
Talk 3: Moodle 3.9: What has changed this time? ⚡ - Tracey Morgan
This session will give an overview of the changes you will see in Moodle 3.9
Connection: How can a teacher help students to stay connected?
Myra Williamson
This session will discuss the things I tried during 2020 to keep my students connected with each other, with the paper, and with me as their teacher during the transition to online learning and their sudden loss of physical connection on campus. I found that connection is the most important thing to learning - it is more important than transmitting material/information. If students do not feel connected they will not only stop engaging with the material, but their mental health will also suffer, then no learning will be able to take place. Lecturers can do some simple things to help students feel connected. I will use Xorro with my audience (assuming that they have their own device with them) to get them involved from the beginning of the session and to invite them to contribute their thoughts.
Myra Williamson is a Senior Lecturer of Law and Convenor of the BA major in Law in Te Piringa Faculty of Law at the University of Waikato. In legal education, Myra is interested in all aspects of legal pedagogy, academic integrity, contract cheating, assessment practices and rubrics. In law, Myra is interested in public international law, comparative law, gender justice, citizenship and statelessness, GCC states' laws, amongst other things.
Free for all! A panel discussion about creating, adapting, and using OER textbooks
Anne Ferrier-Watson, Jaimie Veale, Richard White & Fiona Tyson
Open Educational Resources (OERs) are teaching, learning and research resources that are free to use and adapt. OERs challenge the copyright and profit driven paradigm of academic publishing, AND they can save you time! Panelists from the Universities of Waikato (Dr Jaimie Veale), Otago (Richard White) and Canterbury (Fiona Tyson) discuss how they have created, adapted, used or promoted OER textbooks in teaching, and how this has positively impacted student learning.
Anne Ferrier-Watson has been a Librarian at University of Waikato Librarian for 13 years. She loves Open Educational Resources (OERS) - teaching, learning and research resources that are free to use and adapt - not just because they challenge the copyright and profit driven paradigm of academic publishing, but because they make taxpayer funded scholarship freely accessible, which is good for everyone.
Jaimie Veale is a senior lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Waikato.
Richard White is the manager of Copyright and Open Access at the University of Otago.
Fiona Tyson is a subject librarian who supports students and staff in the College of Education, Health and Human Development at the University of Canterbury.
When the student has to draw their answer: Assessing logic online
Stephanie Gibbons
In symbolic logic, students have to draw diagrams when they solve problems. This generates challenges in an online environment, both for learning and for assessment. I present my solutions: open answer questions, including diagrams, which can be successfully assessed through Moodle without specialist software, and without unduly taxing the technical ability of students.
Can you teach entrepreneurship to undergraduate engineers?
Nick Pickering
Engineers are often seen as the group of people you hand your smart idea over to for manufacture and delivery, then cross your fingers and hope they do not ruin it. As engineers, we often fuel this stereotype by not stepping outside of our specialist box. At the University of Waikato, we believe that engineers, with a little training in creativity, human centred design and business, can start their journey to becoming talented entrepreneurs. To test this belief, we sourced over 20 diverse real world problems from leading Waikato and Bay of Plenty businesses, organised a group of 180 second year students into small groups, taught them Systems Thinking, Design Thinking, Lean Canvas, Project Management, Investment Analysis, Request For Proposal (RFP) and business case writing, then watched the magic happen.
Nick Pickering is a passionate technology leader and educator in the Engineering Programme at the University of Waikato. He thrives on solving complex problems using a systems approach. Nick's career spans 20 years of international industrial experience within avionics, finance, logistics and manufacturing. His current research interests include: Agritech, Smart Cities, IoT and Digital Twins.
Closing keynote: 3:00–3:20pm
Reflections on a career in tertiary educational computing
Dr Marcia Johnson
Director, Centre for Tertiary Teaching and Learning (CeTTL), University of Waikato
3:00–3:20pm in PWC or join online waikato.ac.nz/go/tahi
With a career of over 35 years in university environments, Dr Marcia Johnson has experienced and reflected on many of the key technological trends in tertiary education. Since 2012 she has been the Director of the Centre for Tertiary Teaching & Learning (CeTTL) at the University of Waikato. Coming from a background in eLearning and evaluation (University of Toronto) and Applied Linguistics (Japan and New Zealand), Marcia has conducted research into the potential of technology to transform tertiary teaching and learning processes.
Dr Marcia Johnson has a PhD in educational computing from the University of Toronto. She has taught both computers in education and applied linguistics in Canada, Japan, and New Zealand. Originally from Canada, Marcia joined Student Learning as its Director in January 2008 and then was appointed Director to the Centre for Tertiary Teaching and Learning (CeTTL) in October 2012. Marcia and the CeTTL team have introduced a number of cross-disciplinary, cohort-based initiatives to improve the student experience of learning. In particular, the Doctoral Writing Conversation programme has facilitated the development of a range of strategies to help thesis students become successful writers.


Brake Designs is a small family owned/operated business. As such, a focus on family, friends, and God is at the core of the people that make the company what it is. Our goal is not to get rich or to build a corporate empire, but to provide. To provide for our families, our futures, and our clients.
A lot of our competitors have the same tools at their disposal as we do. So what makes us unique?
The main goal we come to work with every day is to convey the sense of pride in our work and a dedication to providing our clients with something that is truly representative of them as an individual, a business, or an organization. You're not just a number to our staff. You are a business partner that is valuable to us! We wouldn't have it any other way!
Honesty and integrity are not just words in the dictionary that sound good, but they are the backbone of our business plan. You can't build anything that will last if you build on less than a solid foundation. When working with Brake Designs, rest assured knowing that you are not only getting quality work from dedicated staff, but that you are also being treated fairly and respectfully! After all, we can't exist without our clients. You are the reason we are open for business!
So, more than just a cliché, we truly are not happy with our work, until you are happy with it! That is the Brake Designs promise!


There are many superstitions, myths, and legends about hammerheads. Some Africans tell stories about how the birds have magical powers to bring bad luck to people. Some say that hammerheads can tell who will be the next person to die just by looking at the person's reflection in the water. When the bird spots the unlucky person, it supposedly calls out three warning cries over the person's home, and then the person dies. Another belief is that something bad will happen to people if hammerheads fly over them. It is also said that a hammerhead can cause a house to melt or be struck by lightning, and that it can cause cattle to become sick. One story says that if a pregnant woman imitates the sound of a hammerhead, her baby will cry continuously with the same sound.
When hammerheads are feeding, sometimes they stop eating and skip around each other, opening and closing their wings and uttering a weird cry. These antics remind people of wicked witches chanting spells. Because of all these legends, people have given hammerheads great respect and have tried to stay away from them.


Dr Kabir Kabo, Director-General, Centre for Management Development (CMD), says the centre has accredited over 1,000 management consultants in eight years to promote quality in management training in the country.
CMD, a parastatal agency of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, was established to drive the vision, plans and training programmes of Federal Government.
Kabo disclosed at a valedictory news conference in Abuja that the centre had accredited the consultants and 200 firms by giving them licences to practise for five years renewable period.
The goal of the accreditation is to enhance quality and ensure that clients get value for their money.
The exercise is process-driven, with steps to verify that the services offered by various training outfits meet, or if possible, exceed customer expectations.
It is also aimed at providing appropriate capacity to drive national growth and development.
The director-general said the centre had trained over 4,000 participants in the civil service, particularly from the office of Head of Service of the Federation.
Kano, whose eight-year tenure of office at the centre would end on Feb. 15, said the centre had recorded modest achievements on e-learning and online study.
"We have conducted impact assessment for over 2,000 participants; we have conducted Needs Assessment Survey for the computation of state Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
" We have developed both strategic and implementation for the centre as regulatory body. We regulate management consultants and firms across the country.
"CMD operates like CBN as it relates to commercial banks,'' he said.
In addition, the director-general said the centre sent over 100 staff to overseas training to Ghana, China, Japan, UK, USA, India, Kenya, Dubai, Australia, South Korea, Singapore and Ethiopia.
Usman said that the centre also sent 48 staff on Post Graduate programmes both locally and abroad.
"We established fully six zonal offices in Uyo, Ibadan, Owerri, Kano, Gombe and Makurdi; we have also recruited 200 staff.
"We have trained over 300 staff as certified management consultants,'' he said.
According to him, the centre bought befitting office in Abuja at N250 million which is worth N1.3 billion now.
He further said that the centre regained its corporate headquarters land in Abuja and also set up Public Private Partnership (PPP) process to build it.
"We have completed construction of digital centre in Lagos office and ensured its furnishings and also increased the number of the departments from five to eight.
Usman, however, thanked the media for making CMD visible to the needs of skilled manpower in the country.


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Summer Bridge: Engineering Technology Education
Gateway or Gatekeeper: Engineering Technology as a Pathway for African Americans into the Field of Engineering
Learning about Engineering Technology Education
Engineering Technology Education in the United States: Summary
Analyzing the Engineering Technician and Technologist Workforce: Data Coverage and Gaps
Educational Pathways for Engineering Technicians: High Schools and Community/Technical Colleges
See More Items Learning about Engineering Technology Education Engineering Technology Education in the United States: Summary Analyzing the Engineering Technician and Technologist Workforce: Data Coverage and Gaps Gateway or Gatekeeper: Engineering Technology as a Pathway for African Americans into the Field of Engineering Educational Pathways for Engineering Technicians: High Schools and Community/Technical Colleges An Interview with...Ioannis Miaoulis
July 1, 2017 Volume 47 Issue 2
The vitality of the innovation economy in the United States depends on the availability of a highly educated technical workforce. A key component of this workforce consists of engineers, engineering technicians, and engineering technologists. Much has been written about the role of engineers, their academic preparation, and their value to the nation. This issue of The Bridge sheds light on the relatively underappreciated roles and contributions of engineering technicians and technologists.
Author: Ron Dempsey
A workforce with technological knowledge and expertise is vital to the continued growth of the US economy. Given the importance of the technological workforce to modern society's economic growth and sustainability, the acquisition of technological knowledge and expertise should provide a pathway to upward mobility for all—and there are some indications that it does:
Recent engineering graduates are paid higher salaries (NSF 2014) than recent graduates from science, mathematics, and psychology and other social sciences.
Individuals with degrees in engineering are employed at higher rates (Gearon 2012; NSF 2014).
More chief executive officers of leading US corporations have degrees in engineering than in other fields (SpencerStuart 2004).
The field of engineering has provided upward mobility for individuals from lower economic classes (Noble 1977; Reynolds 1991).
The exception, however, has been the experience of people of color, especially African Americans, who are disproportionately underrepresented in the field of engineering. The problem exists not so much for the African Americans who do gain access to the field as in the comparatively small number who do.
My research examines the role of engineering technology (ET) education in an engineering career, possible mechanisms that maintain racial exclusion from engineering, and whether engineering technology is a pathway or gatekeeper for African Americans into the field of engineering. My findings suggest that engineering technology provides a pathway to engineering for African Americans, but not without obstacles.
Crucial as engineering is to economic growth and innovative competitiveness in the global economy, it must become more diversified. Evidence shows that "businesses and other organizations see a significant return on their investment when diversity is achieved" (Bordonaro et al. 2000, p. 12). More generally, research indicates that "a society's exposure to cultural diffusion, which leads to greater cultural heterogeneity through the introduction of external cultural influences, played a significant role in the promotion of innovation and technological creativity throughout its history" (Ashraf and Galor 2011, p. 75).
Yet historically, engineering has not embraced diversity, which suggests that its impact on economic growth and innovative competitiveness has been hampered. One study reports that the underrepresentation of minority groups in science and engineering fields affects the economic ability of the United States to be globally competitive (Leggon and McNeely 2012). There is even evidence that its impact is actually negatively affected by the "social destabilizing effect of cultural polarization" (Ager and Brückner 2013, p. 96).
Exclusive Engineering Culture
Government reports (e.g., Bordonaro et al. 2000, p. 1) have consistently implored the United States
to cultivate the scientific and technical talents of all its citizens, not just those from groups that have traditionally worked in SET (science, engineering, technology) fields. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities currently constitute more than two thirds of the US workforce. But just when the US economy requires more SET workers, the largest pool of potential workers continues to be isolated from SET careers.
If engineering is vital to the nation's economic health and engineers have higher salaries and occupational prestige, why are African Americans not pursuing engineering as a pathway to economic success and increased quality of life? Although African Americans have been successful in using higher education for upward mobility (Kozol 2005), they still represent a small share of bachelor's degree recipients in engineering (NSF 2013).
I posit that (1) African Americans are stymied in their pursuit of an engineering degree by structural obstacles such as educational pedagogy/methods, mathematical expectations, cost, and scheduling, and (2) they find that an ET program reduces those obstacles. Nonetheless, although engineering technology can provide an alternative pathway to a career as an engineer, obstacles still exist for those with ET degrees. For example, ET degrees are considered inferior to engineering degrees.
Dual Pathways to an Engineering Degree?
In 1955 the American Society for Engineering Education's Grinter Report on US engineering education recommended a single pathway to an engineering degree that included increased requirements in science and mathematics courses as well as a move away from applied engineering to theoretical engineering (ASEE 1955). But the report ignored the committee's original recommendation (ASEE 1953), which called for dual pathways to an engineering degree: a scientific/theoretical path and a practical/applied path.
In earlier discussions (ASEE 1951), members had reasoned that only a select number of engineering schools needed to offer the "professional-scientific" degree program and that the "professional-general" program would provide the necessary education required for engineers in industry. In rejecting the "professional-general" pathway, the ASEE leaders created a vacuum in engineering education. Engineering technology filled that vacuum and satisfied the committee's intent for a practical/applied/general educational pathway into engineering. It is not, however, a parallel and equal pathway into engineering.
The Stratification of Engineering
In this article I review findings from my dissertation research (not yet published), which used a three-tiered, stratified structure as the conceptual framework of the field of engineering. The three tiers are represented by those with 4-year engineering degrees, those with 4-year engineering technology degrees, and those with 2-year ET degrees (who typically work as technicians and laborers). Postgraduate employment access for each tier is based on criteria such as degree completion, licensing, accreditation standards, discipline choice. These criteria are determined by groups such as accrediting bodies, university engineering programs, and state licensing agencies.
The tiered structure of engineering emerged from the formation of the technical institutions in the United States. The three tiers were articulated in 1959 by Henninger (pp. 27–28), who recommended that, to supply adequate personnel
[for] the three-part engineering-scientific team, we shall require a three-part educational program: (1) The university-collegiate program for engineers and scientists, (2) the technical institute program for the engineering and scientific technicians, and (3) the vocational-trade programs for the craftsmen and apprenticeship.
The second tier became engineering technology and remains an understudied area of the field of engineering, but its impact on the three-tiered structure of engineering is significant. The new NAE report on US engineering technology education (Frase et al. 2017, pp. 106–107) estimates that ET graduates working as engineering technologists and technicians make up 17 percent of the engineering workforce. The report also notes that many ET graduates work under the title of engineer, so the percentage could be higher (pp. 126, 127, 134).
African Americans have found it difficult to establish proportional numbers in science and engineering careers compared to their White American counterparts, especially White males. Research on underrepresented minorities in STEM fields sheds light on the mechanisms behind this discrepancy (e.g., Hurtado et al. 2009; Kaba 2013).
Limited educational resources at the secondary level (Denson et al. 2010; Moore et al. 2003) impede some Black (and other minority) students in their mathematical and scientific intellectual development and thus put them at a disadvantage in terms of both being accepted into engineering programs and, if accepted, successfully completing them (Slaton 2010).
Preparation in mathematics is key to success in engineering (Denson et al. 2010; Moore 2005; Pearson and Miller 2012). Lack of such preparation, coupled with low expectations among teachers and counselors about Black students' academic abilities, leads to lower standardized test scores as well as lower participation rates in advanced scientific courses than their White and Asian counterparts (Maton et al. 2012). In addition, there is evidence that mathematics and other engineering concepts taught through abstract pedagogies may not be conducive to the learning styles of some Black students (McDougal 2009; NACME 2011b; Tsui 2007).
Black students face isolation in engineering programs because of the lack of peers and role models (Beasley and Fischer 2012; Maton et al. 2012). And, in part because of their token levels of representation, many face blatant discrimination from professors who hold stereotypical attitudes and expectations that Black students will fail or simply don't "belong" in engineering (Carlone and Johnson 2007; McGhee and Martin 2011; Varma et al. 2006).
No research has been published on the relationships between African Americans and ET studies or careers, but enrollment and graduation data point to a positive relationship. ASEE data indicate that, in terms of their representation in the general population, African Americans are significantly underrepresented in engineering but more proportionally represented in engineering technology (table 1). The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering reports that African Americans account for 10.7 percent of the total US workforce but only 2.5 percent of engineering managers and 4.5 percent of engineers (including individuals with an ET degree who are hired as engineers). In contrast, they account for 7.0 percent of engineering technicians (NACME 2011a).
My research explores the following questions:
What is the role of engineering technology in providing a pathway for Black students into the field of engineering?
What mechanisms act as gatekeepers to the advancement of ET-degreed graduates in the field of engineering?
Combining quantitative and qualitative methods, my research draws on graduation data from the national Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) dataset, state licensing criteria and requirements for the Principles and Practices in Engineering (PE) exam, and surveys and semistructured interviews of ET alumni from two institutions that are among the top 10 producers of ET graduates in the United States.1
I used IPEDS data2 to examine and compare the percentages of African Americans who graduated from engineering and ET programs. This national dataset yields a comprehensive picture of the racially stratified field of engineering in the United States.
The data are analyzed at the national, state, and institutional levels using both the Pearson Chi-square Test of Independence and percentage tables.
The IPEDS graduation data show that Black students graduate at a much higher rate from engineering technology programs than from engineering programs. In 2014 they accounted for nearly 11 percent of ET degrees (Frase et al. 2017, p. 60); in contrast, they earned less than 4 percent of engineering degrees—less than half the rates of Asians, Hispanics, and nonresident aliens.
A similar pattern emerges at the institutional level. The chi-square test showed the same strong evidence of differences between Black and Asian students at US institutions (N=128) that offered both engineering and ET degrees.
At the state level, the IPEDS data reveal that 29 of 37 states had much higher rates of Black students who graduated from 4-year ET programs than from 4-year engineering programs.3 In the other 8 states Black students graduated at a higher rate from ET programs as opposed to engineering programs but at a less significant percentage.
Survey and Semistructured Interviews
I focus here on three questions from the survey and semistructured interviews:
Why did you choose an engineering technology program over an engineering program?
Have you been hindered or encountered obstacles in your career because you graduated with an engineering technology degree?
What is the future of engineering technology?
Analysis of the responses is summarized below.4
(1) Why did you choose an engineering technology program over an engineering program?
The primary reason given for choosing engineering technology was the hands-on, applied pedagogy of the program. In addition to laboratory time, many ET programs embed advanced mathematics in a particular course where the engineering concept calls for it.
Other reasons for choosing engineering technology were related to access. Many ET graduates worked while they attended college and found that, compared to engineering programs, engineering technology offered more flexibility and an orientation toward adult learners. They mentioned both the flexibility of taking courses in the afternoon or at night and the costs—ET programs were offered at institutions where tuition was less than at those offering strictly engineering programs.
African American respondents in particular cited these practical reasons for choosing engineering technology (cost, flexibility, and hands-on, applied learning). They said they worked either part-time or full-time while pursuing their ET degree, and they voiced a perception that most Black students need to work while obtaining their degree and therefore look for options that are less expensive and allow them to work during the day and attend class in the evening. As one African American noted, "I think that engineering technology schools tend to see themselves as needing to serve that after-hours crowd."
In addition, most of the African American respondents felt that their learning styles were better served by a more applied, experiential pedagogy. The lecture/lab instruction in the ET programs allows students to make concrete applications in the lab of the abstract concepts presented in the lecture.
Previous research (Denson et al. 2010; Moore et al. 2003) suggests that many Black students lack adequate mathematical preparation in high school. All ABET-accredited ET programs require students to take up to Calculus II, normally through standard mathematics courses, but many ET courses embed advanced mathematics, connecting the engineering concepts with the required mathematics. Such embedding helps students who are more experiential learners apply the necessary mathematics to the concepts they are studying.
(2) Have you been hindered or encountered obstacles in your career because you graduated with an engineering technology degree?
Most of the respondents reported that graduates of engineering technology programs are hired as engineers, and the large majority of African American respondents said that their ET degree has not hindered them in their careers. Observations were based on personal experience, experience in hiring at companies, and interaction with engineering colleagues during their careers. A substantial number of the respondents said that they had never even encountered the position of engineering technologist in their careers.
Respondents mentioned that their ET degree came up when applying for a position or during the interview process—they had to explain what the degree program entailed or describe work done in previous positions. Several respondents added, however, that once they explained the hands-on experiential learning they received with their ET degree, the employer actually preferred them. One study interviewee said, "I'm in marketing now, and the guys I work with today in the shops and services, they favor the technology degree more than they do the engineering degree."
Respondents noted, however, that obstacles do exist at the state and federal levels as well as in corporations and individuals. At the state level, more than half do not allow ET degree holders to take the professional engineering (PE) exam. Only 22 states allow a graduate with an ABET-accredited ET bachelor's degree to sit for the PE exam, and they all require 5–8 years of work-related engineering experience, whereas the standard for graduates with an ABET-accredited engineering bachelor's degree is 4 years.
At the federal level, the Office of Personnel Management oversees the recruiting of individuals for federal jobs and sets policy for hiring. The policy for engineers who work for the federal government (GS-0800) states that the basic requirement is a bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited program. By omitting engineering technology from this qualification standard, the federal government, as a legal and authoritative national entity, delegitimizes it as a qualified degree program.
At the corporate and individual levels, obstacles include unequal job titles (and likely corresponding pay scales) and prejudice from individuals with engineering degrees. In the words of one survey respondent, "I've held engineer positions in my career stints, however there is considerable resentment from the engineering school graduates when they find out about engineering technologist graduates working as engineers. [They] make it impossible to succeed as an engineer under their management and direction."
(3) What is the future of engineering technology?
The majority of the respondents were positive about engineering technology's future, although they qualified that outlook with suggestions for the creation of equally recognized dual tracks in the field of engineering or the need to focus on applied fields. A minority believed that engineering technology was obsolete, would eventually merge with engineering, or would remain subordinate to engineering.
Almost all the respondents believe that engineering technology's inability to distinguish itself from engineering is a major hindrance to its development, and that a clear distinction between the two programs would benefit both engineering technology and the field of engineering, especially in the area of diversity. They specifically stressed the need for equality: The programs should operate as two equal options in the field of engineering—a more scientific/theoretical option and a more applied/practical option.
Scholars, activists, corporate leaders, and government officials have sought multiple means to increase the number of African Americans in engineering.5 Unfortunately, these attempts have not significantly increased the percentage of African Americans in engineering degree programs or the field of engineering.
The data reviewed in this article demonstrate that a significantly higher percentage of Black students enroll in and graduate from engineering technology degree programs than engineering programs. My study findings show that engineering technology is a viable pathway to a career as an engineer, although regulatory and reputational obstacles sometimes keep ET graduates from acceptance as full-fledged engineers by their engineering-degreed peers.
Maybe it is time to revisit the original recommendation of the Grinter Report and develop a dual-track engineering education. The advantages of such an approach include accommodation of multiple learning styles (applied versus theoretical, abstract versus embedded mathematics), an educational system that is more correctly aligned with industry, a flattening of the engineering hierarchy, and, most importantly, a legitimized and equal pathway into engineering that better aligns with the life experiences of African Americans.
I would like to acknowledge Cameron Fletcher for her very helpful editing of this article.
Ager P, Brückner M. 2013. Cultural diversity and economic growth: Evidence from the US during the age of mass migration. European Economic Review 64:76–97.
ASEE [American Society for Engineering Education]. 1951. Minutes of General Council Meeting, Houston, November 14. Copy at ASEE Headquarters, Washington.
ASEE. 1953. Minutes of the Executive Board and of the General Council, Washington, for the period 1952–1953. Copies at ASEE Headquarters, Washington.
ASEE. 1955. Summary of the Report on Evaluation of Engineering Education. Republished in the Journal of Engineering Education 83(1):74–94.
Ashraf Q, Galor O. 2011. Cultural Diversity, Geographical Isolation, and the Origin of the Wealth of Nations. NBER Working Paper No. 17640. Cambridge MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Beasley MA, Fischer MJ. 2012. Why they leave: The impact of stereotype threat on the attrition of women and minorities from science, math and engineering majors. Social Psychology of Education 15:427–448.
Bordonaro M, Borg A, Campbell G, Clewell B, Duncan M, Johnson L, Johnson K, Matthews R, May G, Mendoza E, Sideman J, Winters S, Vela C. 2000. Land of Plenty: Diversity as America's Competitive Edge in Science, Engineering, and Technology. Report of the Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development, Opportunities in Science and Engineering, Washington.
Carlone HB, Johnson A. 2007. Understanding the science experiences of successful women of color: Science identity as an analytic lens. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 44:1187–1218.
Denson C, Avery Z, Schell J. 2010. Critical inquiry into urban African-American students' perceptions of engineering. Journal of African American Studies 14:61–74.
Frase KG, Latanision RM, Pearson G, eds. 2017. Engineering Technology Education in the United States. Washington: National Academies Press.
Gearon CJ. 2012. You're an engineer? You're hired. US News and World Report, March 22.
Henninger G. 1959. The Technical Institute in America. New York: McGraw Hill.
Hurtado SS, Cabrera NL, Lin MH, Arellano LL, Espinosa LL. 2009. Diversifying science: Underrepresented student experiences in structured research programs. Research in Higher Education 50:189–214.
Kaba A. 2013. Black Americans, gains in science and engineering degrees, and gender. Sociology Mind 3:67–82.
Kozol J. 2005. The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America. New York: Three Rivers Press.
Leggon C, McNeely C. 2012. Promising policies. In: Blueprint for the Future: Framing the Issues of Women in Science in a Global Context. Didion C, Frehill L, Pearson W Jr, eds. Washington: National Academies Press.
Maton KI, Pollard SA, McDougall Weise TV, Hrabowski FA. 2012. Meyerhoff Scholars Program: A strengths-based, institution-wide approach to increasing diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine 79(5):610–623.
McDougal SI. 2009. Break it down: One of the cultural and stylistic instructional preferences of black males. Journal of Negro Education 78(4):432–440.
McGhee E, Martin D. 2011. You would not believe what I have to go through to prove my intellectual value! Stereotype management among academically successful African American mathematics and engineering students. American Educational Research Journal 48(6):1347–1389.
Moore J. 2005. Undergraduate mathematics achievement in the Emerging Ethnic Engineers Programme. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology 36:529–537.
Moore JL, Madison-Colmore O, Smith DM. 2003. The prove-them-wrong syndrome: Voices from unheard African-American males in engineering disciplines. Journal of Men's Studies 12:61–73.
NACME [National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering]. 2011a. 2011 NACME Data Book. White Plains NY.
NACME. 2011b. Beyond the Dream: From Developmental Mathematics to Engineering Careers. NACME Research & Policy Brief (March) 1:1–2.
Noble DF. 1977. America by Design: Science, Technology, and the Rise of Corporate Capitalism. New York: Knopf.
NSF [National Science Foundation]. 2013. Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering. Special Report NSF 13-304. Arlington VA. Retrieved from www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/.
NSF. 2014. Science and Engineering Indicators. Retrieved from www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind14/content/chapter-3/c03.pdf.
Pearson W, Miller JD. 2012. Pathways to an engineering career. Peabody Journal of Education 87:46–61.
Reynolds TS, ed. 1991. The Engineer in America: A Historical Anthology from Technology and Culture. University of Chicago Press.
Slaton AE. 2010. Race, Rigor, and Selectivity in US Engineering: The History of an Occupational Color Line. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Slaughter JB, Tao Y, Pearson JW. 2015. Changing the Face of Engineering: The African American Experience. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
SpencerStuart. 2004. 2004 CEO Study: A Statistical Snapshot of Leading CEOs. New York. Available at www.antolin-davies.com/research/ceos.pdf.
Tsui L. 2007. Effective strategies to increase diversity in STEM fields: A review of the research literature. Journal of Negro Education 32:2–13.
Varma R, Prasad A, Kapur D. 2006. Confronting the socialization barrier: Cross--ethnic differences in undergraduate women's preference for IT education. In: Women and Information Technology: Research on Underrepresentation. Cohoon JM, Aspray W, eds. Cambridge: MIT Press. pp. 301–322.
1The two institutions are Purdue University and Southern Polytechnic State University (GA) (now Kennesaw State). The study received approval from the Georgia Institute of Technology's Institutional Review Board to conduct surveys and semistructured interviews (IRB Protocol 14261).
2 The IPEDS data were retrieved from the Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, at http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/datafiles.aspx.
3 Thirteen states were not included because they had fewer than 10 Black students graduate from any engineering/engineering technology program.
4 The survey and demographic data are available on request.
5 The most recent summary of such opportunities is in Slaughter et al. (2015).
About the Author:Ron Dempsey is vice president for university advancement, Winona State University.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Monolith Soft designed custom flutes for Xenoblade 3's soundtrack
Nintendo is sharing a series of interviews with Monolith Soft to celebrate the launch of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. In the second part of three, they talk about the importance of the flute in the game, used by the lead characters to send off the dead, and how they even constructed custom flutes for the soundtrack.
According to producer/director Koh Kojima, Yasunori Mitsuda (the composer behind the music for Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, among others) said that "by making the flutes from scratch, you can create a sound that hasn't been heard before." You can see a video of someone playing the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 flutes on Twitter.
That's not all, though, as they also shared character art and other tidbits in part two of the ask the developer series, which you can read here. We've got a roundup of the first part of the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 developer interview, too, so you can get up to speed on all in the interesting stories therein.
One of my personal favourite things in the interview is the original character art, shared alongside anecdotes of the creative process. Kojima described it as "a hellish process of trial and error" with creator Tetsuya Takahashi-san often saying "no, this isn't it" when looking at design ideas for the lead character Noah.
Takahashi expanded on this, saying "Saito-san (Masatsugu Saito, a freelance character designer and illustrator who designed the main characters for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Xenoblade Chronicles 3) came up with all kinds of illustrations, but somehow none of them quite looked like Noah… I think I mentioned earlier that I wanted Noah, the main protagonist, to be positioned as a philosopher or poet, but I didn't want him to be seen as a weak-willed character. However, I also didn't want him to look too pompous."
Takahashi was similarly exacting when it came to the music. "From the beginning, I wanted Noah's flute and Mio's flute to be different sizes and tuned to different scales, so I had two types of flutes prepared and used in the music." This then led them to construct their own flutes, giving each off-seer a unique musical voice.
It's great stuff for any Xenoblade fan. If you count yourself in that club, check out our Xenoblade Chronicles 3 review to see why we love it so much.
Coachella 2022 Star Sightings: See Hollywood Take Over the Festival
Professor calls the police on two tardy Black students


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Eric Meyer @photobymeyer
How Viper Fans Crowdfunded the Nurburgring Record Dodge Never Attempted
Meet the grassroots crew that took the Viper to the most challenging race track on earth.
By Bob Sorokanich
Dominik Farnbacher isn't satisfied with setting the third-fastest production-car lap ever recorded at the Nurburgring.
He's not satisfied with caveats, either. His 7:03.45 run is the fastest manual-transmission lap, the fastest rear-drive lap, and the fastest time ever set with an American car at the harrowing German circuit. It's also the first 'Ring lap he's driven in the 2017 Dodge Viper ACR without traffic. As first attempts go, it's a good one, nearly nine seconds faster than Farnbacher's 2011 record in that year's Viper.
But he didn't come here for third. Nor did the nearly 20 Viper devotees gathered around the blue striped ACR radiating heat in the Nurburgring paddock. They all have a lap time in their heads, a number they think the ultimate Dodge Viper can achieve, and it starts with a six.
"There's more in the box," Farnbacher tells me. But the privateer team's opportunities are dwindling. The plan was to have two professional racers in two identical Vipers chase the record on Monday; it's now Wednesday afternoon, and, with one Viper damaged and one driver unavailable, they've only made their first full-speed run. It's been a long road from the United States to the Nurburgring, and like the track itself, the journey has had some wild ups and downs.
The Vipers at Mintgen Motorsport
"I wanted to see the Viper go out on top," Russ Oasis tells me. In 2016, when Fiat Chrysler announced it would discontinue the model, the media entrepreneur turned Viper racer was inspired. He wanted to give the car a proper sendoff, one that would settle internet arguments and bench-racer boasts once and for all: A Nurburgring lap time. "To me, Nurburgring is a badge of international honor," Oasis says. "This is where all the 'prestige' car brands come to prove their mettle. I wanted to prove that the Viper is indeed the greatest street-legal race car produced."
So Oasis got in with Bernie Katz, co-founder of . Together they launched what is, as far as I can tell, the first self-funded group in Nurburgring history to attempt a production car lap record without OEM support.
Dodge had decided against bringing the fifth-generation Viper ACR to the Nurburgring years ago, opting instead to set 13 production-car lap records at circuits across the United States. "I called them on numerous occasions asking for support," Katz tells me.
Russ Oasis (left) and Bernie Katz at the Nurburgring.
Their plan came together swiftly. Katz plucked two brand-new, identical GTS-Rs from his inventory to ship to Germany. (The GTS-R Edition is mechanically identical to the Viper ACR Extreme, with a paint scheme paying tribute to the 1997 Le Mans-winning Viper.) He didn't blink at the idea of risking two $145,000 cars at the notorious circuit. "If they wad a car up, we end up having to pay for it," he told me. "There's so many people so passionate for this car, including ourselves, we thought it was well worth that opportunity."
The duo cold-called Kumho, supplier of the ACR's bespoke ultra-high-performance tires, scoring a marquee sponsor and unlimited rubber. Another out-of-the-blue conversation brought on Prefix, the Michigan firm that paints every new Viper. The rest of the funds were raised by Oasis through , bolstered by his huge social media following and Viper fans worldwide.
Luca Stolz (left) and Dominik Farnbacher
More than a dozen people gathered in Germany for the July effort, Viper luminaries among them. Dick Winkles, father of the car's V10 engine and now a chief engineer at Prefix, joined as driveline expert. Matt Bejnarowicz, a Riley Motorsports race engineer with 15 years of Viper motorsports on his resume, came to handle chassis setup. Michael Mintgen, whose German race shop specializes in Vipers, brought an expert crew of mechanics and technicians. Farnbacher, formerly with the SRT factory Viper team and now competing in International GT Open, and Luca Stolz, a 22-year-old Nurburgring expert racing in the ADAC GT Masters series, joined as the wheelmen.
With their dealership-fresh cars, straight-from-the-factory full-tread production tires, and a hastily-assembled crew of experts, they ended up embarking on the most transparent Nurburgring lap attempt I can recall.
I meet the Viper crew on Sunday afternoon at Mintgen Motorsports. Stolz and Farnbacher have been running practice laps all week at the 12.9-mile circuit, helping the crew hone in on the ideal suspension setup. Once the work is done, I hop in a Viper with Katz for the 30-minute drive to the circuit, where a Kumho tire facility will be their home base throughout the week. The twin Dodges wear Texas license plates, a curious sight in the hinterland.
The Viper is up against stiff competition: In March, Lamborghini claimed a 6:52.01 'Ring time with the new Huracan Performante, pushing the longtime production car king, the 6:57.00 Porsche 918 Spyder, into second place. "I'd love to do a 6:51 and walk away with my head held high," Katz says over the V10's bawl. "I think that's a tall order, to be honest with you. Our goal, really, is to be a sub-seven-minute car."
With the second Viper following close behind, the combined wail of 20 cylinders echoes through the villages. The ACR holds the production car lap record at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California; that circuit is depicted in a center console cubby, a wink from FCA designers. I look down at the passenger door panel. In a little inset on the armrest, there's an outline of the Nurburgring.
Katz, right, speaks with Stolz in the Nurburgring paddock.
The plan, devised far in advance with painstaking preparation, was to have Stolz and Farnbacher run both cars during an exclusive hour of track access on Monday afternoon. It's abandoned almost immediately. Monday morning brings rain, a frustrating drizzle broken by brief glimpses of sunshine. Even when the sun peeks through, it's no guarantee: A single lap of the gargantuan circuit can have numerous weather patterns, the dense forests and elevation changes (1000 feet in total) creating microclimates unseen at the starting line.
Less than 40 minutes before Farnbacher and Stolz are supposed to take to the track, Katz makes the call: The flying laps are off. Their 60 minutes of access becomes a photo opportunity, the two American cars glowering around the famed Karussell under a brooding sky. Between track fees, taxes, and the intricacies of the exchange rate, this rained-on parade will cost the Viper team roughly $13,000.
Securing this track time was the single biggest challenge of the whole effort. When it's not being used for racing, or the famous open-lapping "tourist sessions," the Nurburgring is a research and development track used by nearly every major performance automaker. Industry pool sessions, where OEMs run test laps in camouflaged prototypes, dominate the 'Ring calendar; individual lapping opportunities are scheduled entire seasons in advance. Oasis started lighting up the phone lines around Thanksgiving, 2016. "I was calling them every day for months, waiting to hear if someone cancelled," he says. Weather frustration coils through the team.
At 1pm, industry pool laps begin. Automakers and suppliers pay an annual fee for track access; Kumho's support for the Viper effort includes free use of its July pool time. With nothing else to do, Stolz and Farnbacher join the parade of prototypes for lapping practice.
It's almost painful to watch. OEMs test all sorts of vehicles at the 'Ring; today, the conga line holds a preponderance of luxury SUVs. As they wallow around the track, punishing their tires for cornering data no human buyer will ever replicate, these behemoths make it impossible for the Viper duo to get the flow of a full-speed lap. The racers are hemmed in like speed skaters at a rink full of kids.
The Vipers are the only things out there that look like they belong on a racetrack. The ACR Extreme aero package brings a cable-mounted front splitter, dive planes, wide-open hood extractors, deep undertray diffusers, and that outrageous bi-level rear wing. In a strange way, they're guilty of looking faster than they are. "The car has so much downforce, we only get up to around 283 km/h [176 mph] top speed," Farnbacher tells me. "The [non-ACR] Viper would easily run over 300 [186] here, I think." That much downforce is great for normal-length road courses, he says, but at the 'Ring, where entire sections are run flat-out, it's a hindrance. The crew ends up adjusting the rear wing to its least aggressive setting, putting the balance of downforce on the front axle to combat understeer. "If Ralph [Gilles, head of design at Fiat Chrysler] builds another Viper, I will call him and tell him, 'a little smaller wing.' And paddle shifters," Farnbacher quips. The professional racer is sweating the time lost to manual gear changes, a five-second disadvantage by his reckoning.
The rain tapers off. Stolz and Farnbacher cycle through the paddock, giving feedback to chassis guru Bejnarowicz. The cars get more suspension rake and more front splitter, last-minute tweaks to improve front-end traction. Just after 2pm, the crew decides to head back to the shop for the day. By the time we've reached Kumho, the sun is blazing, the pavement nearly dry as the pool prototypes circle the track.
Tuesday morning I arrive at the Viper home base. With Oasis still scrambling to find replacement track time, this will be a day of practice laps. The crew worked into the early morning pulling a differential, chasing a troubling vibration discovered yesterday. It's the second major repair they've undertaken since arriving. A set of rear hubs went bad over the weekend, replaced with parts borrowed from a brand-new Viper in Michigan and stashed in Prefix founder Kim Zeile's suitcase mere hours before his flight. Hubs and diffs aren't generally weak points on the fifth-gen Viper, but with less than 500 miles on their odometers, these cars are being broken in on the most challenging circuit on earth.
In automaker-backed Nurburgring attempts, that's no big deal. Many European OEMs begin 'Ring testing early in the design process, logging thousands of laps. They can chew through tires, components, or entire vehicles as they perfect their tuning, learning the vehicle's behavior over every inch of the gargantuan circuit. With vehicles and technicians always nearby, they can wait out the fickle Rineland-Palatinate weather and, when the moment is right, install a driver who's known the vehicle since it was a schematic on an engineer's laptop.
Piles of fresh Kumho tires.
Theoretically, they can also cheat. There's no governing body for 'Ring times, no mutually-agreed definition of what makes a "production" car. An automaker decides an impressive lap will help sell cars; that same company publishes the time. Supporting evidence, when it's provided, can be frightfully incomplete. Even in-car lap video, the internet's gold standard, doesn't settle every suspicion. Speaking with Nurburgring veterans and car industry observers, I hear stories of hot-rodded engines, gumball tires, hollowed-out interiors with dashboard buttons connected to thin air—none of which is visible on YouTube. Perhaps these rumors are baloney, and every automaker 'Ring lap is squeaky clean. You can't blame an OEM for chasing ideal conditions. But in the village barrooms around the Nurburgring, you hear varying definitions of "ideal."
The Viper privateers certainly don't exhibit the organized precision of a complex, covert cheat. Among their spare parts, they've mistakenly packed five rear wheels and three fronts. Kumho provides an unlimited supply of production street-legal tires, and the team takes advantage—Farnbacher's camber and downforce preferences overcook the front tires after a few laps, leaving the crew constantly in search of new, full-tread-depth rubber. Ring locals tell tales of OEM engineers taking pavement temperatures, selecting the ideal tire compound from a truck stocked with ringers. In the Viper camp, tires are pulled from piles at random; the only selection criteria is new versus used.
I keep searching the cars for evidence of mechanical trickery; I find none. Air conditioning, power windows, and dashboard touchscreens function normally. Seatbelt reminders chime incessantly, unaware of the racing seat and five-point harness installed for each driver. The roll cage, Bejnarowicz tells me, is the same design used by Chrysler engineers during Viper development, adding 68 lbs. to the car without altering torsional rigidity. Despite having Winkles on hand—the man who saw the Viper V10 through from the first late-1980s prototype to the 645-horsepower behemoth in front of us—I never see anyone plug into an OBDII port. When one of the Vipers develops a rough idle, Winkles diagnoses it by ear as a variable cam timing issue. Handbuilt prototypes, he explains to me, never show the quirk, but the factory occasionally turns out a slightly misshapen cam. The offending microns of metal wear away after about 1500 break-in miles—an odometer reading the brand-new Viper in front of us will need 80 more 'Ring laps to achieve.
Farnbacher prepares for his lap.
Wednesday morning we're back at the track, the crew abuzz with anticipation. Nurburgring officials, taking pity on the Viper crew's rainout, have arranged a 15-minute slot of exclusive track time at the end of industry testing this afternoon. It'll be a solo attempt by Farnbacher. Stolz, present throughout the testing and setup process, will be gone before the lap attempt, his busy racing schedule calling him back to duty. The two drivers run practice laps with the industry pool, giving feedback to the crew to fine-tune the chassis and aero for the afternoon's flyer.
"The Viper has so much potential, with the aerodynamics, the horsepower, the grip," says Bejnarowicz. "A lot of places on the track aren't car limited, they're driver limited. It all depends on [Farnbacher's] confidence to be able to use it to the limit. It takes some really big talent to be able to navigate this place as fast as he does, and it's all down to his comfort level. So you focus on the things that are going to make him fast, that in a perfect world may not make the car the fastest or produce the highest grip. He's the one that's got to get it done, and if he's not comfortable and confident, it's never going to happen."
Of course, with a suspension that's as tweakable as a race car's, finding the perfect Viper setup requires a ton of trial and error. "The car almost has too much adjustability," Winkles says, slightly exasperated, after another round of damper and aero changes. The team begins fiddling with one car while Farnbacher laps the other, swapping cars every 20 minutes.
During pool sessions, all vehicles park in the same open paddock, engineering prototypes from competing OEMs lined up side by side. Next to the camouflaged hatchbacks, sedans and SUVs, the twin Vipers, be-winged and slathered in sponsor decals, are impossible to miss. There's an agreed etiquette among poolers—gawking at another automaker's vehicles is sternly forbidden, and don't even think of taking a photo—but the Americans have clearly made an impression. The Dodges even show up in the local newspaper.
So when two engineers in a European test car roll up to the Viper crew and shout nervously in German, it's an unusual break from protocol. Moments later, we discover what worried them. Farnbacher rolls into the paddock on a flat tire, grass plugging the grille and dirt spattering the doors.
Even after cleaning, the Viper that went off had a mouth full of dirt.
The damaged wheel and tire.
"All of a sudden it went straight," he told the crew. Barreling into the fast Kallenhard chicane, the right-front tire gave out. "First I thought a suspension upright or something broke, but then I looked and the tire pressure gauge was at zero." Farnbacher plowed a tall, steep curb, launching airborne before cantering into the wet grass. How fast? "End of third gear, around 120 mph," he says.
Driving all the way back to the paddock on a flat tire trashed the wheel; the splitter cable is bent, and there's a gash in the lower front fascia. As the crew discusses what to do next, a track attendant walks over holding a piece of black composite smeared with mud. It's a brake cooling duct, jostled loose from the wheelwell during Farnbacher's off-road jaunt.
If the German driver is rattled by his foray in the field, he isn't letting on. Minutes after he limped the first Viper back to the pits, he's out in the second one. Farnbacher still has some light traffic to contend with, but he's clearly hit the sweet spot with the car. Industry pool rules prohibit timing, so there's no way of knowing exactly how fast he's going. But as a pool non-member with a halfway decent sense of time, I can tell you his pace would make a Nissan GT-R Nismo driver sweat.
At 5:10 that afternoon, with the track cleared, Farnbacher embarks on his first full-speed Nurburgring lap in the 2017 Viper ACR. Seven minutes and a hair over three seconds later, he returns. He's pleased, as is everyone in the Viper crew: They've just put the Viper among the top five production car lap times in Nurburgring history.
But it wasn't a perfect lap. Farnbacher, whose race cars all have paddle shifters, gets tripped up by the Viper's manual transmission. "Second to third gear is quite a strange movement for me," he says after the lap. He's doing the gentlemanly thing, assigning himself the blame, but it's not just user error: The gearbox is fighting him, unwilling to go into gear on full-throttle upshifts. Farnbacher estimates he gave up two seconds to the uncooperative transmission.
He also admits to a rather simple goof-up: A few corners into his lap, Farnbacher realized the traction and stability control were turned on. He prefers to run with everything off, but he'd shut off the engine in the pits. When he turned the car on again, the electronic nannies reset. Toggling through the traction control menu while navigating the 'Ring at full speed, he was eventually able to get the system into Track mode (its most permissive setting; the system can only be turned completely off with the car stopped), but he figures the electronic intervention—and the moments spent jabbing at steering wheel buttons—added another second to his time.
And this being Farnbacher's first full-speed, no-traffic lap, he had no reference point for where to start braking for Turn 1. During industry pool laps, this is where cars enter and exit the circuit, making it a mandatory slow point on the course. "When I approached at full throttle I'm like, where is the braking point," he chuckles, estimating that the botched corner added another second to his lap time.
Farnbacher figures he can improve by four seconds if he can avoid these errors. He'll have tomorrow to try. Nurburgring officials have offered the Viper crew a 15-minutes slot at the start of Thursday's industry pool sessions.
Bejnarowicz talks with Farnbacher ahead of his lap attempt.
Thursday morning and conditions are nearly perfect. The air is cool, the sun bright; the rain that dogged the team early in the week is long gone. The Viper idles anxiously in the Nurburgring paddock, the clock on the dashboard showing a quarter 'til 8AM.
The crew worked on the car late into the night, swapping in the transmission from the dirt excursion car in hopes it will cope better with full-throttle shifts. Sitting on a brand-new set of full-tread-depth Kumhos, the car is, at this moment, perhaps the most painstakingly prepared Viper in the world. Farnbacher pulls onto the track to run a brief warm-up behind the safety car.
It's a poignant scene. Beloved sports cars, like athletes and musicians, tend to slip away into old-age irrelevance, their greatest achievements far behind them. As Farnbacher drives toward the start of his flying lap, we're five weeks away from the final Viper rolling off the assembly line; after that, they'll shut the doors at Conner Assembly Plant for good. If Dodge had run a Nurburgring lap in 2013, when this car was introduced, it would be a distant memory today.
That gives this independent, crowdfunded, social media-powered effort a sense of urgency—they want a record in the books before the car is history. It also makes this a delightful up-yours to the Nurburgring royalty. These Viper fans are bidding farewell to this old-school American brute by putting its name alongside the fastest hybrid, all-wheel drive, active-aero snobmobiles in the world. The Viper may be dying, but not without one last knockout fight.
Bejnarowicz, who's watched countless Vipers lap circuits around the world, turns to Winkles, the man who heard the Viper V10 take its first breath. "It's been a long run, huh?"
"It sure has," Winkles replies.
Then Farnbacher comes wailing across the line that starts the in-car timer, that odd-fire V10 snarling through side pipes like it's done since 1992.
"Now begins the longest six minutes and 50 seconds of your life," says Oasis.
But six minutes turns to seven with no sight of the car. The adrenaline excitement burns off, leaving shaky foreboding. "Something is wrong," Mintgen says, straining to overhear a track staffer talking into his radio in German. "There's a problem with the car."
The Viper comes into earshot, but it sounds wrong, not charging toward redline like it should. Farnbacher enters the pits, kills the engine, coasts to a stop. The crew swarms the car as he flings his door open.
"There's something in the brake pedal," Farnbacher calls out.
Any car on a timed lap of the Nurburgring has to carry a walkie talkie to communicate with the track's safety staff. Whoever tossed the radio in Farnbacher's car didn't look to make sure it was properly secured. By the second corner, g-force had flung the thing into Farnbacher's footwell. His five-point harness meant he couldn't lean down to grab it; his helmet and HANS device prevented him from even looking down far enough to see it. But he felt it—especially when it slid forward and jammed under his brake pedal. "It's such a weird feeling when you can't brake," he tells Bejnarowicz, exasperation in his voice.
Once Farnbacher wrestled the car down to a controllable speed, he had no choice but to complete the lap. For more than 10 miles, he coasted the 645-horsepower Viper around the Nurburgring with no way of stopping. Amazingly, he came in well under eight minutes.
"Obviously I'm a little disappointed," Oasis tells me after the walkie talkie mix-up. "Everything looked really good. Dom is such a great driver, he managed to bring the car back in one piece. This was just a crazy thing." He shrugs. "In racing, this kind of crazy stuff happens."
Among the disappointment, there's one small breath of relief: Farnbacher tells the crew that, before the radio slid into his footwell, he could already tell the track was too damp for a fast lap. The cool morning mist was still hugging the pavement at the lowest points of the track.
Unfortunately, there won't be another run. Farnbacher has already stuck by the side of the Viper crew longer than he'd originally planned. Now it's Thursday afternoon, and with coming up, he has to hit the road.
"I didn't anticipate having to return," Oasis says. "I knew it would be expensive,"—all told, more than $200,000—"but I didn't know that we'd need to raise more money if we have to return. Commitment-wise, we're all-in. We want to see this happen. We've worked this hard to get to this point, I don't want to just say 'I'm tired,' even though I am tired. I'm not gonna let it go that easily."
The full crew on hand to watch the Viper make history.
And he won't. As of this writing, Oasis has already arranged more Nurburgring track time at the end of August. ; the twin blue-striped Vipers wait patiently in Germany for their next chance to challenge history.
It's a passion project, an undertaking that, to the typical person, might seem unfathomably frivolous. But in its 25 years, the Viper was never built for the typical person. Everyone involved in the 'Ring endeavor talks about how this car got under their skin, how its capabilities—and idiosyncrasies—won them over. Some of these folks, assuredly, can afford hypercars that add a zero to the Viper's sticker price. Others work at the bleeding edge of automotive performance, a field where stick-shift grunt-buckets with 700-lb engines have been old-fashioned for a decade.
They all still love the Viper. And so do we. It represents the last of the hairy, challenging performance cars that reward expertise. Everyone tells us these cars are dead, victims of changing technologies and tastes. And then the Viper, with its five-year-old chassis, goes and muscles its way past some of the most cutting-edge cars out there today.
Farnbacher's first attempt has already crowbarred the Viper into the top three production car Nurburgring lap records. Later this month, the Viper crew will give it one more go. Road & Track will be there.
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2013 has been a big, wonderful year for supercars. Lamborghini, McLaren, Ferrari, and others were all at the top of their games, producing over-the-top cars priced for millions of dollars.
Covered in carbon fiber and going from 0 to 60 mph in under three seconds, these rides make the average Mercedes S Class owner look like Scrooge McDuck.
Here's a look back at the best cars the vast majority of people will never spot on the road, let alone drive or own.
Let's start with the best. This year, the McLaren P1, the long-awaited successor to the F1 (in its day the fastest production car on the planet) finally hit the road. All 375 units of the $1.15 million beauty have already sold out — no surprise, considering the P1 is one of four production cars to run the famed Nurburgring-Nordschleife circuit In under seven minutes.
2013 marked 50 years of Lamborghini, and the Italian automaker kept itself busy to mark the occasion. The owners of nearly 350 cars got together for a tour of Italy, at the end of which Lamborghini revealed the absurd, single-seat "Egoista" concept car.
In the closing weeks of the year, we saw the last Gallardo ever roll off the production line and the unveiling of its successor, the Huracán. The company also officially debuted the totally over-the-top Veneno — on an aircraft carrier in Abu Dhabi, of course. Lambo will make only three units of the Veneno, but it will sell each for $4.5 million, before taxes.
Back in January 2013, deliveries of the Pagani Huayra finally got going. The $1.2 million supercar comes with a hand crafted twin turbo V12 engine that will send it from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. The instrument cluster looks like a jet's cockpit and each side view mirror is like "a woman's eye looking back at you," in Jay Leno's words.
Ferrari had quite a good 12 months as well. It rolled out its most powerful and fastest production car ever, the stupidly-named LaFerrari. All 499 units, worth $1.4 million each, sold out earlier this month. And not just anyone could buy one — Ferrari North America CEO Marco Mattiacci told us prospective buyers should have 20 to 30 Ferraris in their collection to be considered as customers.
Also this year, Ferrari's 458 Italia made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, greeting visitors with the ability to go from 0 to 60 mph in three seconds flat.
Porsche didn't go crazy in 2013, but it did give us a good look at the terrific 918 Spyder. The plug-in hybrid generates a whopping 770 horsepower, and it circled the Nurburgring-Nordschleife in an incredible 6 minutes, 57 seconds — the best time ever for a production car.
Not every supercar came from a well-known automaker. The Chinese-Italian Icona Vulcano was the star of the Shanghai Auto Show in April, then made a splash at Pebble Beach this summer. Out of the Netherlands came the Vencer Sarthe, a mid-engined ride with a 6-speed manual transmission.
Bugatti spent most of 2013 celebrating itself with a series of special edition Veyron Grand Vitesse cars, each dedicated to a man from the automaker's history. The bad news is that it's nearly time to say goodbye to the Veyron, the fastest production car on the planet: Bugatti announced earlier this month there are only 50 units of the model left for sale.
Of course, supercars are no good locked up in some secret millionaire's underground garage. So we give thanks to the police of Dubai, who assembled a ridiculous fleet of cars to chase down bad guys. They've got a Lamborghini Aventador, Ferrari FF, Aston Martin One-77, and a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG — supercars so awesome we almost wouldn't mind being arrested just to ride in one.