Congratulations to Professor Joanne Dera, Rutgers University-Newark, in partnership with Professors Jill Lagerstrom and Ashish D. Borgaonkar at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, for publishing a new paper, “Engineering Librarians’ Strategic Role: Bridging Industry AI Expectations and Educational Practice,” as part of the 2026 American Society for Engineering Education’s Annual Conference & Exposition.
Abstract
Engineering educators face a critical question: which AI competencies do engineering industries expect from graduates? While engineering programs increasingly incorporate AI tools and machine learning concepts, they focus primarily on technical proficiency rather than the critical evaluation, validation, and ethical reasoning that industry practitioners prefer. Academic engineering librarians are uniquely positioned to bridge this gap through their expertise in critical evaluation, information literacy, and embedded instruction. This study identifies the competency gap through parallel analysis of industry practice and current educational approaches. Our methodology employs a two-stage comparative analysis: (1) We conduct a qualitative analysis of case studies, technical reports, and internal documentation from civil, mechanical, and chemical engineering sectors, documenting how AI is deployed in both R&D and professional practice. (2) We systematically examine recent literature to assess current AI-related instruction in engineering curricula. This approach enables us to identify specific gaps between industry expectations and educational practice. We then synthesize these findings into a competency-to-intervention framework that maps identified industry needs to specific librarian instructional capabilities, including embedded course modules on AI validation and ethics, discipline-specific workshops using case studies, and collaborative development of AI literacy instruction with engineering faculty. This framework provides engineering librarians with both evidence-based justification for expanded instructional roles and practical tools for immediate curricular integration, thereby preparing students for an AI-enabled workforce.
Citation
Dera, J., & Lagerstrom, J., & Borgaonkar, A. D. (2026, June), Engineering Librarians’ Strategic Role: Bridging Industry AI Expectations and Educational Practice Paper presented at 2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Charlotte, North Carolina. 10.18260/1-2–59337