Associate Professor, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, and Castleman Term Professor in Engineering Innovation
M.A.Ed, Educational Psychology - Research Methods, Measurement, & Evaluation, UConn (2023)
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, MIT (2003)
M.S., Chemical Engineering Practice, MIT (2000)
B.S.E., Chemical Engineering, Lehigh University (1998)
Current Research
- Engineering Education
- Ethics Education for Engineering Students
- Game-Based and Game-Inspired Education
- Chemical Vapor Deposition
Professional Activities
Director, AIChE Education Division, 2017-2019, 2019-2023
Publication Board, Chemical Engineering Education, 2018-2021
Past Program Chair, Chemical Engineering Education Division, ASEE, 2016-2017
Member: American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
Member: American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE)
Research Group
| Current: | |||
| Arpita Kurdekar | Ph.D Student | ||
| Tori Wagner | Ph.D. Student | ||
| Former: | |||
| Daniel Anastasio | Ph.D. 2015 | Associate Professor | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology |
| Courtney Pfluger | Ph.D. 2011 | Associate Teaching Professor | Northeastern University |
| Landon Bassett | M.S. 2021 | STEM Coach | UConn |
| Nicole Beauregard | M.S. 2017 | Ph.D Candidate | Srivastava Lab |
Active Research Projects
Game-based and game-inspired educational techniques: Our team seeks to use game-based and game-inspired educational techniques to study and improve both student engagement and student learning. We use multiple platforms, including card games, digital games, and narrative games to expose students to complex engineering topics in novel and engaging ways.
Ethics education for engineering students: How students develop from freshmen with little domain-specific knowledge to practicing engineers during the course of their collegiate experience is an area of interest, especially with respect to what some call “professional skills” – including their professional development of an ethical code and moral development. We seek to study students’ thinking with regard to ethical reasoning and determine best practices for instruction.
Process safety education: Chemical process safety education is an important intersection between academia and industrial practice. Our team works on the combining our above research areas – game-based education and ethical reasoning – and applying it to understanding how students (who typically have minimal process safety experience) think about process safety questions. We seek to develop educational best practices and assessments that positively contribute to process safety education.
Surface modification via chemical vapor deposition: Initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) is a powerful technique for creating functional nanoscale coatings on various substrates that have the ability to modify interactions with the environment. Our most recent work in this area has focused on using iCVD techniques for modification of electrospun membrane materials to improve performance in water purification applications.
Previous Positions
| 2013-Present | Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Diversity, UConn College of Engineering |
| 2010-2013 | Associate Head, Chemical Engineering Program, UConn College of Engineering |
| 2008-2010 | Senior R&D Engineer, GVD Corporation, Cambridge, MA |
| 2003-2008 | Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA |
Awards & Honors
| 2023 | David Himmelblau Award for Innovations in Computer-Based Chemical Engineering Education (AIChE CAST Division) |
| 2022 | Castleman Term Professor of Engineering Innovation |
| 2021 | Corcoran Award (ASEE Chemical Engineering Division) |
| 2020 | Innovation in Chemical Engineering Award (AIChE Education Division) |
| 2020 | Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering |
| 2018 | University Teaching Fellow |
| 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019 | AIChE Teacher of the Year (UConn Chapter) |
| 2006, 2008, 2009 | OXE Professor of the Year (Northeastern Chapter) |
| 2007 | Martin W. Essigmann Outstanding Teaching Award |
Selected Publications
“Let’s Play! Gamifying Engineering Ethics Education Through the Development of Competitive and Collaborative Activities,” M.F. Young, L. Bassett*, D.D.Burkey, S. Streiner, J. B. Reed*, Proceedings of the 128th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, (2021). DOI: https://peer.asee.org/37452
“Work in Progress: Let’s Talk About Ethics! A Qualitative Analysis of First-Year Engineering Student Group Discussions Around Ethical Scenarios,” L. Bassett*, J. Pascal, R.T. Cimino, K.D. Dahm, D.D. Burkey, S. Streiner, Proceedings of the 128th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, (2021). DOI: https://peer.asee.org/38177
“Engineering Ethics Through High-Impact Collaborative/Competitive Scenarios (E-ETHICCS),” S. Streiner, D.D. Burkey, M.F. Young, R.T. Cimino, J. Pascal, Proceedings of the 128th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, (2021). DOI: https://peer.asee.org/37059
“’Mapping’ the Landscape of First-Year Engineering Students’ Conceptualizations of Ethical Decision Making,” J.B Reed*, S. Streiner, D.D. Burkey, R.T. Cimino, J. Pascal, M.F. Young, Proceedings of the 128th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, (2021). DOI: https://strategy.asee.org/36534
“Impact of Immersive Training on Senior Chemical Engineering Students’ Prioritization of Process Safety Decision Criteria,” J. Stransky*, C. Hill*, R. J. McErlean*, J. Willets*, L. Bassett*, D.D. Anastasio, D.D. Burkey, M. Cooper, C.A. Bodnar, Proceedings of the 128th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, (2021). https://peer.asee.org/37283
“A Retrospective Analysis on the Impacts of an Immersive Digital Environment on Chemical Engineering Student’s Moral Reasoning,” J. Stransky*, L. Bassett*, C. Bodnar, D. Anastasio, D. Burkey, and M. Cooper, Education for Chemical Engineers, 35, 22-28 (2021). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2020.12.003
“Enhancing iCVD Modification of Electrospun Membranes for Membrane Distillation using a 3D Printed Scaffold,” N. Beauregard*, M. Al-Furaiji, G. Dias*, M. Worthington*, A. Suresh, R. Srivastava, D.D. Burkey, & J. R. McCutcheon, Polymers, 12, 2074-2085, (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12092074
“Authentic Process Safety Decisions in an Engineering Ethics Context: Expression of Student Moral Development Within Surveys and Immersive Environments,” J. Stransky*, C.A. Bodnar, M. Cooper, D. Anastasio, and D.D. Burkey, Australasian Journal of Engineering Education, 1-10, (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/22054952.2020.1809881
“Findings and Critique of an Extracurricular Program in Learning Science to Improve Educational Outcomes for Engineering Students,” T. Van Hoof, S. Walsh, J. Missal*, & D.D. Burkey, Journal of STEM Education, 20(2), 32-38, (2020). DOI: https://www.jstem.org/jstem/index.php/JSTEM/article/view/2419/2137
“Revealing the Decision-Making Processes of Chemical Engineering Students in Process Safety Contexts,” C. Bodnar, B. Butler*, E. Dringenberg, D. Anastasio, D.D. Burkey, & M. Cooper, Chemical Engineering Education, 54(1), 22-30, (2020). DOI: https://journals.flvc.org/cee/article/view/107720 *Corcoran Award Winner
“Collaborative Research: Designing an Immersive Virtual Environment for Chemical Engineering Process Safety Training,” D.D. Anastasio, L. Bassett*, J. Stransky*, C.A. Bodnar, D.D. Burkey, M. Cooper, Proceedings of the 127th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, (2020). DOI: https://peer.asee.org/34301
“Exploring Student Decision Making Trends in Process Safety Dilemmas Using the Engineering Process Safety Research Instrument,” J. Stransky*, L. Bassett*, D.D. Anastasio, M. Cooper, D.D. Burkey, C.A. Bodnar, Proceedings of the 127th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, (2020). DOI: https://peer.asee.org/34645
“Towards Understanding the Moral Reasoning Process of Senior Chemical Engineering Students in Process Safety Contexts,” B. Butler*, C. Bodnar, M. Cooper, D. D. Burkey, & D. Anastasio, Education for Chemical Engineers, 28, 1-12, (2019). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2019.03.004
“Entrepreneurial Engineering Education – A Research Experience for Undergraduates focused on Entrepreneurship and Technical Innovation,” D.D. Burkey, H. Bozorgmanesh, M. Srivastava, & R. Mendes*, Proceedings of the 126th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Paper 32754, (2019). DOI: https://peer.asee.org/32754
“Work in Progress: Content Validation of an Engineering Process Safety Decision-Making Instrument (EPSRI)”, B. L. Butler*, D. D. Anastasio, D.D. Burkey, M. Cooper, & C. A. Bodnar, Proceedings of the 125th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Paper 21146, (2018). DOI: https://strategy.asee.org/31279
“Work-in-Progress: A ‘Cards Against Humanity’-style Card Game for Increasing Engineering Students’ Awareness of Ethical Issues in the Profession”, D. D. Burkey and M. F. Young, Proceedings of the 124th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Paper 18520, (2017).
“Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition Polymers for High Peak-Power Laser Targets”, S. H. Baxamusa, X. Lepró, T. Lee, M. Worthington, P. Ehrmann, T. Laurence, N. Teslich, A. Suresh and D. D. Burkey, Thin Solid Films, 635, 37-41 (2017). Impact Factor: 1.790
“Complex, multi-scale small intestinal topography replicated in cellular growth substrates fabricated via chemical vapor deposition of Parylene C”, A. Koppes, M. Kamath, C. Pfluger, M. Dokmeci, D. D. Burkey, L. Wang, & R. Carrier, Biofabrication, 8(3), 035011, (2016) Impact Factor 4.289
“Engineers at Play: Use of Games as Teaching Tools for Undergraduate Engineering Students”, C. A. Bodnar, D. D. Anastasio, J. Enszer, & D. D. Burkey, Journal of Engineering Education, 105(1), 147-200, (2016). Impact Factor: 2.717
“Photo-oxidation of polymers synthesized by plasma and initiated chemical vapor deposition”, S. Baxamusa, A. Suresh, P. Ehrmann, T. Laurence, J. Hanania*, J. Hayes, and D. D. Burkey, Chemical Vapor Deposition, 21(10-11-12), 267-274, (2015). Impact Factor: 1.703
“A First-Year Project-Based Design Course with Management Simulation and Game-Based Learning Elements”, D. D. Anastasio, M. Chwatko*, D. D. Burkey, and J. R. McCutcheon, Proceedings of the 122nd ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Paper 12397, (2015).
“Impact of Narrative, Character Creation, and Game Mechanics on Student Engagement in a Game-Based Chemical Engineering Laboratory Course”, D. D. Anastasio, A. Suresh, and D. D. Burkey, Proceedings of the 122nd ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Paper 12396, (2015).
“A New Take on Kinetics: Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition as a Chemical Engineering Capstone Laboratory”, D. D. Burkey, D. Anastasio, and A. Suresh, Chemical Engineering Education, 48(2), 98-106, (2014). Impact Factor: 0.50
“Photoinitiated chemical vapor deposition of cytocompatible poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) films”, B. J. McMahon, C. A. Pfluger, B. Sun, K. S. Ziemer, D. D. Burkey, & R. L. Carrier, Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, Part A, 102(7), 2375-2382, (2014). Impact Factor: 2.841
“Potential of Hexyl Acrylate Monomer as an Initiator in Photo-initiated CVD”, A. Suresh, D. D. Anastasio, & D. D. Burkey, Chemical Vapor Deposition, 20(1-2-3), 5-7, (2014). Impact Factor: 1.796
“Improving student attitudes toward the capstone laboratory course using gamification”, D. D. Burkey, D. D. Anastasio, and A. Suresh, Proceedings of the 120th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Paper 5876. (2013).
“Precise, Biomimetic Replication of the Multiscale Structure of Intestinal Basement Membrane using Chemical Vapor Deposition”, C. A. Pfluger, B. J. McMahon, R. L. Carrier, and D. D. Burkey, Tissue Engineering Part A, 19(5-6), 649-656. (2012). Impact Factor: 4.254
“Technology in the Classroom: Transitioning Lab and Design to an All-Digital Workflow”, D. Anastasio, A. Suresh, and D. D. Burkey, Chemical Engineering Education, 47(1) 65-70 (2012).
“Precise, Biomimetic Replication of the Multi-Scale Structure of Intestinal Basement Membrane using Chemical Vapor Deposition”, C. A. Pfluger, B. J. McMahon, R. L. Carrier, and D .D. Burkey, Tissue Engineering Part A, 19(5-6), 649-656 (2012).
“Biocompatibility of Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposited Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) Films for Biomimetic Replication of the Intestinal Basement Membrane”, C. A. Pfluger, D. D. Burkey, L. Wang, B. Sun, K. S. Ziemer, and R. L. Carrier, Biomacromolecules, 11(6) 1579-1584 (2010).
| daniel.burkey@uconn.edu | |
| Phone | (860) 486-5466 |
| Mailing Address | 191 Auditorium Road, Unit 3187, Storrs, CT 06269-3187 |
| Office Location | EII-304 |