PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (October 13, 2025) – Prairie View A&M University is taking bold steps to enhance teaching and learning in engineering education through a collaborative research initiative supported by the National Science Foundation.
Emmanuel U. Nzewi, Ph.D., P.E., professor of water resources systems and interim department head of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has received nearly $10,000 from Jackson State University as part of a broader NSF-funded project aimed at improving how STEM students learn and are assessed.
Emmanuel U. Nzewi, Ph.D.
As principal investigator for PVAMU’s portion of the project, Dr. Nzewi will lead efforts to develop standardized academic tools—including quizzes, assignments, and grading rubrics—to promote fairness, consistency, and clarity across engineering courses. The initiative will give students a better understanding of expectations while strengthening their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
The project also emphasizes reflection and self-assessment. Students will complete pre-tests, structured assignments, and learning analyses to identify challenges and measure progress. Faculty will use detailed rubrics to evaluate student writing, ensuring consistency and objectivity in grading. Regular team meetings will help refine the tools and assess overall impact.
This work is part of the NSF’s Enhancing Intelligence for STEM Learning (ISL) initiative, an interdisciplinary effort involving researchers from Jackson State University, PVAMU, and Stony Brook University. The project explores how artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) can be used to evaluate students’ understanding, learning behaviors, and problem-solving processes.
Running through 2026, this initiative underscores PVAMU’s dedication to academic excellence and innovation in engineering education. By integrating cutting-edge AI research into classroom practice, Dr. Nzewi and his collaborators are helping to transform how future engineers learn, think, and succeed.
By Joe McGinty