Advisors: Dr. Grace Panther, Dr. Logan Perry

Areas of Research and Professional Interest

• Broadening Participation in Engineering
• Workforce Development in Civil Engineering
• University to Industry Transition
• Instructor-Student Interactions and Student Supports
• Instructor Adaptability

Projects

• Engineering Preparedness Reimagined: Bridging Stakeholder Perspectives to Shape the Future Workforce, National Science Foundation, June 2026 - present
• Investing in Talent for Next Generation Transportation Engineering, Mid-America Transportation Center for Transportation Safety and Equity, May 2025 - June 2026
• Evidencing Epidemic Change in Engineering Education: Shedding Light on Instructor Adaptability and Course Complexity for Sustained Change, National Science Foundation, August 2023 - May 2025

Awards

• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP), National Science Foundation (2026)
• 2025 Best Professional Interest Council (PIC) II Paper, ASEE Annual Conference (2025)
• Best Paper Award - First Place, ASEE Annual Conference - New Engineering Educators Division (2025)
• Best Diversity Paper Award - Third Place, ASEE Annual Conference - New Engineering Educators Division (2025)
• UNL Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences (UCARE) Funding Award (2024 - 2025)
• UNL College of Engineering Undergraduate Research Scholarship (2025)
• Outstanding Engineering Education Poster, Nebraska Summer Research Symposium (2024)

Peer-Reviewed Conference Publications

• Kerr, G., Perry, L., Jones, L., & Hawkins, J. (2026). Civil engineering students' perceptions of public sector transportation roles during search for full-time employment. 2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Charlotte, NC, USA.
• Kerr, G., Wulf, H.J., & Panther, G. (2025). Student supports and instructor transparency identified in engineering syllabi over nine semesters. 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Montreal, QC, CAN.

Poster Presentations

• Kerr, G., Perry, L., Jones, L., & Hawkins, J. (February 2026). Student perceptions of public sector transportation roles and job search considerations in civil engineering. UNL College of Engineering Graduate Student Symposium, Lincoln, NE, USA.
• Kerr, G., Wulf, H., Panther, G., & Diefes-Dux, H. (April 2025). Instructional change in engineering undergraduate courses: Evidence-based scoring of syllabi and LMS feature use. UNL Student Research Days Undergraduate Poster Session, Lincoln, NE, USA.
• Kerr, G., Panther, G., & Diefes-Dux, H. (August 2024). Variation in instructional and personal supports for engineering students identified in syllabi over five years. Nebraska Summer Research Program Symposium, Lincoln, NE, USA.
• Wulf, H., Kerr, G., Panther, G., & Diefes-Dux, H. (March 2024). Use of Syllabi to Determine Changes in the Facilitation of Learning in Engineering. UNL Student Research Days Undergraduate Poster Session, Lincoln, NE, USA.

Service and Professional Experience

• Graduate Mentor, UNL Engineering Education Research, June 2025 – August 2026
• Graduate Research Assistant, UNL Engineering Education Research, May 2025 – August 2026
• President, UNL Engineering Student Advisory Board, April 2024 – May 2025
• Undergraduate Research Assistant, UNL Engineering Education Research, August 2023 – May 2025
• FE Quiz Bowl Planning Co-Lead, 2025 ASCE Mid-America Student Symposium, July 2024 – April 2025
• Vice President of Administration, UNL Engineering Student Advisory Board, April 2023 – April 2024
• Structural Estimator Intern, Kiewit Infrastructure Engineering, Lone Tree, CO, USA, June 2023 – August 2023
• Vice President, Primary Programmer, & Design Team Lead, UNL Theme Park Design Group, April 2022 – April 2024
• Engineers' Week Committee Chair, UNL Engineering Student Advisory Board, April 2022 – April 2023
• Structural Engineer Intern, Kiewit Infrastructure Engineering, Omaha, NE, USA, June 2022 – August 2022

Professional Memberships

• American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)