Research

Supporting Cross-Boundary Design Work

Building theory and methods to improve design across cultural, organizational, and knowledge group boundaries

image credits: TechnipFMC/Lean Enterprise Institute, 2017, USA  (top); Eric Brubaker, 2016, Zambia (bottom)

Publications

Brubaker, E.R., Sheppard, S.D., Hinds, P.D., Yang, M.C. Objects of Collaboration: Roles of Objects in Spanning Knowledge Group Boundaries in Design. (2023). Journal of Mechanical Design. (link)

Brubaker, E.R., Sheppard, S.D., Hinds, P.D., Yang, M.C. Objects of Collaboration: Roles of Objects in Spanning Knowledge Boundaries in a Design Company. (2022). ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences, St. Louis, MO. ASME Design Theory & Methodology Best Paper of the Year. (link)

Brubaker, E.R., Carl Jensen, Silungwe, S., Sheppard, S.D., & Yang, M.C. (2017). Co-Design in Zambia: An Examination of Design Outcomes. Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED). (link)

Brubaker, E., Bellesia, F., Mattarelli. E., & Hinds, P. Co-Creative Boundary Management: How Co-Creative Capacity is Developed in an Open Innovation Community. (Under review).

Select Presentations

Brubaker, E.R., Sastry, M.A., Bernal, M.A., (2016). When and When Not to Co-Create? Precursors for Co-Creation. VentureWell Conference.

Expanding Conceptions of Design Expertise

Building more expansive and inclusive theories of design expertise

Credit: Robert Shimaingo and Stephen Mvula, Kafue Innovation Centre, Zambia

Select Presentations

Brubaker, E.R. Situated design expertise: An expert-expert think-aloud study with Kenyan and American designers. (2021). Invited abstract and presentation at the International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED) AFRICA-DESIGN Workshop. (link to abstract)

Brubaker, E.R. "In being worked on" A spoken word poem. (2019). 14th Annual Engineering, Social Justice, and Peace (ESJP) Conference. (link to abstract)

Advancing Equity in Design Education

Examining disparities in access to learning resources and supporting equitable practices in engineering learning environments

image credit: Theo St. Francis, 2018, USA

Publications

Brubaker, E.R., Mbaezue, C.G., & Sheppard, S.D. Access to Help: Help-Asking Frames and Disparities in Help Received in a Makerspace. (Under review).

Brubaker, E.R., Trego, M., Cohen, S., & Taha, K. (2022). Partnerships Compass: Guiding questions for equitable and impactful engineering community-engaged learning. Advances in Engineering Education. (link)

Brubaker, E. R., Kohn, M. D., & Sheppard, S. D. (2019). Comparing Outcomes Of Introductory Makerspace Courses: The Roles of Reflection And Multi-Age Communities of Practice. International Symposium on Academic Makerspaces (ISAM). (link)

Intellectual Communities

The Design Society

American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME)

Engineering, Social Justice, & Peace Network (ESJP)

Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) 

American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE)