Dr. Shane Brown received his B.S. and PhD. Degrees in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University and his M.S. Degree from the University of California at Davis. He is a licensed professional engineer with more than five years experience designing water and wastewater treatment facilities in central California.

Dr. Brown’s research is related to learning and cognition, with a particular emphasis on conceptual change and situated cognition. He investigates student, faculty, and practicing engineer ways of knowing engineering concepts, their misconceptions, and theoretical rationale for similarities and differences in understanding between these groups. One of his current National Science Foundation projects is a longitudinal study of civil engineers conceptual understanding and personal epistemology from their sophomore year in college to the second year in the engineering workplace.

In five years Dr. Brown has secured more than $2.5 million dollars in external funding as principal investigator and an additional $5.0 million as co-principal investigator, a large portion of which is from the National Science Foundation. He is the author of 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, 33 peer-reviewed conference proceedings, and a book on conceptual exercises in mechanics of materials published by Prentice Hall.

Dr. Brown is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Engineering Education and the recipient of numerous research, teaching, advising and service awards. In 2010 he received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award and in 2008 the American Society of Civil Engineers ExCEEd National New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. He is also the recipient of four American Society for Engineering Education best paper awards.

Center Projects:

• ESTEME@OSU: Enhancing STEM Education at OSU (2014-2016)

Research areas