Samantha Corcoran

Academic Interests and Expertise

• M.S. in Industrial Engineering, Wichita State University, USA (2010)
• B.S. in Industrial Engineering, Wichita State University, USA (2004)

Areas of Research Interest

• Engineering Education
• Entrepreneurial Mindset
• Service Learning
• Interdisciplinary Programs
• Assistive Technology

Areas of Teaching Interest

Program Development

• Service Learning in Engineering course, 2015-2020
• Co-founded WSU GoBabyGo, 2016-present
• Created two first-year seminar general education courses in engineering: 
  Introduction to Technology & Innovation (2016) and Innovations of World War II 
  (2019-present)
• Program Manager of the Koch Innovation Challenge, 2016-present
• Created an Accessible Design course with applied projects, 2019-present
• Created the interdisciplinary Assistive Technology & Accessible Design certificate 
  program, 2019-present

Professional Experience

• Associate Engineering Educator, 2015-present, Wichita State University
• Assistant Dean, Scholarship Coordinator, 2009-2014, Wichita State University 
• Lecturer, 2008-2010, Wichita State University College of Engineering, IME Department
• Industrial Engineer, 2002-2009, Hawker Beechcraft Corporation 
  
  

Awards and Honors

• Wallace Scholar 2000-2014; now a Wallace Scholar alumna
• 1st place Technical Paper Award, IISE Student Paper Competition, 2004
• Recipient of WSU Ventures Catalyst Award, ENGR 101 course, 2016
• Recipient of Brenton Myers Innovation in Engineering Education Award, 2016
• Recipient of WSU Ventures Community Partner, WSU GoBabyGo, 2017
• Finalist, WSU Interdisciplinary Program Award for certificate in Assistive Technology & Accessible Design, 2018
• Tilford Faculty Fellow, 2019-2020
• Wallace Excellence in Teaching Award, 2019

Other Interests

• WSU GoBabyGo Program – The Wichita State University College of Engineering sponsors WSU GoBabyGo, a program that modifies off-the-shelf ride-on toy cars for kids with disabilities. Students from engineering collaborate with physical therapy students to customize each car and deliver them at no cost to the family. Our program serves children birth to 5 years old.
• Assistive Technology and Accessible Design – Wichita State’s undergraduate certificate in assistive technology and accessible design is an interdisciplinary program useful for any major wanting to create innovations that improve learning, working and daily living for people with disabilities. Courses in the program include an introductory course in innovation, Accessible Design (ENGR 302), applied anatomy, ergonomics/human factors psychology, and sociology course on disability. Students complete a multidisciplinary applied assistive technology project in partnership with local non-profits to design and build an assistive device for a member of the community with a disability. Past projects have included a custom 3D-printed conductive stylus for a teenager with cerebral palsy to access an iPad to communicate, an all-terrain jogging wheelchair for a boy with cerebral palsy, custom 3D-printed push gloves for wheelchair track athletes in Wichita Adaptive Sports, and many more.
• Koch Innovation Challenge – The Koch Innovation Challenge, sponsored by Koch Industries, is an annual competition that will support the WSU College of Engineering in fostering a culture of creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and teamwork among students. Cross-disciplinary teams of new freshmen and transfer students studying engineering, art and design, business, and other disciplines will compete for funding and scholarships to invent products and technologies via a freshman introductory course. The grand champions of the competition will compete nationally at a collegiate entrepreneurs’ conference. The goal is to immediately begin preparing students the moment they join WSU to become real world-ready graduates with an entrepreneurial mindset.