News

Photos of Professor Chrysochoou giving a presentation about the INCLUDE Project and a photo of the audience watching the presentation. Minimalistic vector drawings of people putting together colorful puzzle pieces frames the two photos.

Radical Inclusion

ASEE Prism Magazine, by Mary Lord

"One of the nation’s most ambitious initiatives—dubbed INCLUDE—is unfolding at UConn. Fueled by a $2 million Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (RED) award from the National Science Foundation, the five-year extreme makeover aims to transform the civil and environmental engineering undergraduate experience, from admission to advising to job search, and create a campus-wide ecosystem that “supports  diverse learning styles and cultivates the potential of neurodivergent students to contribute to innovations in engineering.” Read the full article.


Professional headshots of Professors Alexandra Hain and Arash Zaghi

CEE Department Scores Two New Grants to Expand on Neurodiversity Programs

UConn Today, by Eli Freund

Two new grants from the National Science Foundation, totaling just shy of $1M, have been awarded to Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty Alexandra Hain and Arash Zaghi for work they will carry out in undergraduate research opportunities and new programs for graduate students, who both fall in the neurodiversity spectrum. The grants focus on the talents of students with ADHD and dyslexia in STEM fields. Read the full article.


Informational card of Shawn Smith as Startup Canada Awards' 2017 Winner for Entrepreneurship Icons. Shawn Smith smiles while wearing a shirt that says "Don't dis-my-ability"

Fredericton's Shawn Smith Joins $2-Million Project With U.S. University

Huddle.com, by Alexandre Silberman

Entrepreneur and neurodiversity consultant Shawn Smith will join UConn's INCLUDE program as a guest lecturer and advisory board member. Read the full article.


Black and white headshot of Shawn Smith.

'Modern Day X-Men': Discussing the neurodiversity movement

The Daily Campus, by Meghan Shaw

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering welcomed Shawn Smith to the Neurodiversity Fall Discussion Series to kick off the four-part series aimed at bringing the conversation about neurodiversity to the UConn community. Read the full article.


Colorful silhouettes of human side profiles with a cutout in the brain region that is filled with art depicting various interests such as a line graph, molecular structure, flowers, or puzzles.

Engineering A New Learning Environment for Neurodiversity

UConn Today, by Eli Freund

"When it comes to educating the most diverse student pool possible, University of Connecticut Civil and Environmental Engineering Department Head Maria Chrysochoou thinks the system might be broken." Read the full article at UConn Today.


Professor Chrysochoou behind a podium as she gives a presentation about neurodiversity initiatives.

CEE INCLUDE Team Kicks Off $2M NSF Grant

by Connie Syharat

Dr. Maria Chrysochoou delivered a lightning talk highlighting key features of the program, which is aimed at improving the educational experience and learning outcomes for neurodiverse students, changing the way courses are delivered, and building an ecosystem on campus that supports neurodiverse students throughout their college years. Read the full article.

Newsletter Archive

Welcome to "INCLUDE in the classroom," a monthly newsletter for faculty and TAs.

This newsletter aims to increase awareness of neurodiversity and enhance teaching
and learning to improve outcomes for neurodiverse students.

screenshot of december 2020 include newsletter

December 2020