MA in Art Education student Kate Lallement presented at the American Society of Engineering Education conference research from her Capstone course about the parallels and benefits of art and art education in engineering.
Lallement presented her research with her father, Dr. Dennis Fallon, a professor and founding dean of engineering at the Citadel, who sparked her interest in the benefits of art education in engineering. After he expressed a real need in engineering for more creative and innovative students, the two began their research together. This research examines the ways that art-related skills and techniques are relevant in engineering undergraduate programs of study.
“It reveals connections between practices of art and engineering, highlighting the value of art-making methods and inquiry processes as facilitative of innovation and ingenuity in the engineering professions,” Lallement says.
Her research includes the creation of a website that houses original art works created in her study, a blog that shares evolving insights, curated collections of resources in Pinterest and Scoopit and an electronic picture book created in ISSUU that features images and conversations with three engineering professors at the Citadel in Charleston, S.C.
Although a little apprehensive at first because of her lack of experience with engineering, Lallement found the presentation to be rewarding and encouraging to her research. She was asked by several professionals to present at next year’s conference at UF.
“I cannot express in enough words how the Dr. Roland, the professors and faculty in the Art and Art Education program have changed my life and given me the courage to pursue this research with my father,” says Lallement.
