The Engaging Classroom

Russell Dirgo, Adam Davidson, Dr. Hannah Glisson

Join us, Adam Davidson, Russell Dirgo, and Dr. Hannah Glisson — engineering educators exploring what it means to teach and inspire in the 21st century. We share real stories from the classroom, practical advice for building industry partnerships, and conversations with professionals who are redefining STEM education. Our mission is to bridge the gap between education and industry by showcasing authentic learning experiences that prepare students for the real world. We believe in empowering teachers, engaging students, and connecting schools with the experts and opportunities that bring learning to life. Follow along as we explore innovation in teaching, creativity in engineering, and the future of hands-on education.

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    Engaging Women in Education - Part 2

    Join us, Adam Davidson and Russell Dirgo — two engineering educators exploring what it means to teach and inspire in the 21st century. Follow along as we explore innovation in teaching, creativity in engineering, and the future of hands-on education. In this episode, Dr. Hannah Glisson continues sharing her journey through engineering, engineering education, and research focused on belonging among undergraduate women in engineering. She discusses her doctorate in Engineering Education, the role of mentorship and student support, what her dissertation revealed about belonging in engineering, and how her current work helps K-12 teachers create meaningful engineering experiences for students.

    Engaging Women in Education - Part 2

  2. Aug 13

    Engaging Women in Education - Part 1

    Join us, Adam Davidson and Russell Dirgo — two engineering educators exploring what it means to teach and inspire in the 21st century. Follow along as we explore innovation in teaching, creativity in engineering, and the future of hands-on education. In this episode, Dr. Hannah Glisson shares her experience as a woman in STEM. She begins walking us through her journey to become a Senior Research Analyst by way of earning an undergraduate degree in Industrial Systems Engineering (ISE), two masters degrees—one in Higher Education and one in ISE, and a doctorate in Engineering Education. Her experiences and challenges were the just the start of her research into how to help people understand their contributions, inclusion, and impact in and of the world of engineering and STEM fields. Hannah's Dissertation The Dynamics of Belonging Among Undergraduate Women in Engineering https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/items/ff75d048-e258-4fdc-8270-962a9b12ec8f

    Engaging Women in Education - Part 1

  3. Aug 11

    Collaborative Perspective

    Join us, Adam Davidson and Russell Dirgo — two engineering educators exploring what it means to teach and inspire in the 21st century. Follow along as we explore innovation in teaching, creativity in engineering, and the future of hands-on education. In this episode, we talk with Bill Vincent — an experienced lateral entry engineering educator. We discuss how a collaboration perspective in the education setting has benefited our students learning and given us professional opportunities we otherwise wouldn't have. We share our thoughts on how to engage students with enduring experiences and how we have collaborated with each other and industry to provide those opportunities for our students.

    Collaborative Perspective

  4. Aug 11

    Clubs: Extracurricular Engagement

    Join us, Adam Davidson and Russell Dirgo — two engineering educators exploring what it means to teach and inspire in the 21st century. Follow along as we explore innovation in teaching, creativity in engineering, and the future of hands-on education. In this episode, we discuss our thoughts on what it means to engage with students through three different types of clubs, AKA extracurricular engagement: 1. Formal/Academic clubs 2. Fun and entertaining clubs 3. A hybrid Club, merging the formal and fun

    Clubs: Extracurricular Engagement

  5. Aug 11

    Classroom Visits

    Join us, Adam Davidson and Russell Dirgo — two engineering educators exploring what it means to teach and inspire in the 21st century. Follow along as we explore innovation in teaching, creativity in engineering, and the future of hands-on education. In this shorter episode, we get Russell's perspective on visiting classrooms as a teacher. We discuss how, as a teacher, he was able to engage with students in way that built the foundations of a relationship that modeled professionalism collaboration, intellectual curiosity, and that asking questions isn't taboo. Russell also gives us some insight into his position at The Friday Institute where he observes teachers in an effort to collect information about their progress with professional development and coach them in ways to implement the strategies they learn as part of that PD.

    Classroom Visits

  6. Aug 11

    Industry Perspective

    Join us, Adam Davidson and Russell Dirgo — two engineering educators exploring what it means to teach and inspire in the 21st century. Follow along as we explore innovation in teaching, creativity in engineering, and the future of hands-on education. In this episode, we talk with Joe Waters, the Senior Manager of Laboratory Safety and Sustainability for UL Solutions. We revisit the successful partnership discussed in our first episode to get the perspective of Adam's longest-running industry partner and dive into how Joe began his part of the journey through a call to action by the NC Public Schools superintendent. We discuss how UL Solutions ultimately worked with Adam at Riverside High School on the way to branching out to other high schools in the area and working with first year design students at Duke University.

    Industry Perspective

  7. Aug 11

    Powerful Partnerships

    Join us, Adam Davidson and Russell Dirgo — two engineering educators exploring what it means to teach and inspire in the 21st century. Follow along as we explore innovation in teaching, creativity in engineering, and the future of hands-on education. In this episode, we talk about building industry partnerships. Using Riverside High School’s successful partnerships as an example, we dive into how to make initial contacts, building relationships, and collaborating to create successful and engaging events for students.

    Powerful Partnerships
  • 7 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Join us, Adam Davidson, Russell Dirgo, and Dr. Hannah Glisson — engineering educators exploring what it means to teach and inspire in the 21st century. We share real stories from the classroom, practical advice for building industry partnerships, and conversations with professionals who are redefining STEM education. Our mission is to bridge the gap between education and industry by showcasing authentic learning experiences that prepare students for the real world. We believe in empowering teachers, engaging students, and connecting schools with the experts and opportunities that bring learning to life. Follow along as we explore innovation in teaching, creativity in engineering, and the future of hands-on education.

Information

  • Creator
    Russell Dirgo, Adam Davidson, Dr. Hannah Glisson
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    The Engaging Classroom