Alyshia Bustos, Engineering

Name:

Alyshia Bustos

Title:

Lecturer III

Department:

Engineering (First Year Integrative Engineering)

Describe your research in about 200 words.

My research explores the intersection of engineering education, human-computer interaction (HCI), design, and computing to create engaging learning experiences that broaden participation in engineering and computer science. I investigate how physical computing, digital fabrication, interactive systems, and creative technologies can foster technical learning, collaboration, and engineering identity. A central focus of my work is designing learning environments that connect engineering with community, culture, and authentic problem solving. Using design-based research and learning sciences methodologies, I examine how project-based experiences, emerging technologies, and human-centered design influence student engagement, motivation, identity development, and learning. My work includes the creation of interactive public installations and collaborative STEAM experiences that encourage learners to see engineering as both a technical discipline and a creative practice with meaningful societal impact. As a Lecturer in the First-Year Integrative Engineering program at UNM, I am particularly interested in first-year engineering experiences, interdisciplinary curriculum design, and inclusive pathways that support diverse and first-generation students. My long-term research aims to develop evidence-based educational practices that cultivate creative, collaborative engineers equipped to design technologies that positively impact their communities.

What’s the most interesting thing you have learned from a student?

My students have taught me that some of the best ideas come from perspectives different from my own. Time and again, they have approached engineering challenges in ways I never would have considered, reminding me that creativity and problem-solving look different for everyone. Those experiences have changed how I teach. Rather than presenting a single “correct” way to solve a problem, I strive to give students multiple ways to approach it. I encourage them to build on their own strengths and experiences. Watching students learn from one another has reinforced my belief that engineering is strongest when it embraces diverse ways of thinking. These experiences have also allowed me to continue growing as an educator by remaining open to learning alongside my students.