Drs. Yiyi Wang, Zhuwei Qin, and Collaborators Receive National Science Foundation Grant Developing an AI- Driven Platform to Support Neurodiverse Students in Engineering Teamwork

Civil Engineering Associate Professor Yiyi Wang, Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Zhuwei Qin, and Special Education Associate Professor Mary Requa have been awarded a National Science Foundation grant. It is titled “Supporting Neurodiverse Students in Engineering Teamwork through an AI- Driven Platform.” This is a three-year grant worth $399,979. 

This project uses a two-pronged approach to ameliorate the social-emotional and sensory challenges for neurodiverse students participating in classroom teamwork. First, they will plan to develop a prototype of an artificial intelligence-driven teamwork platform for coaching students’ executive function and self-regulation and assess its impacts on students. Second, they will investigate its feasibility to assist instructors providing neurodiverse-focused mentorship while building a community of practice. The study will be implemented among the social-economically diverse student population in the School of Engineering.