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2026 Joint Conference: Christian Engineering Society (CES) and Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences (ACMS)
2026 Joint Conference: Christian Engineering Society (CES) and Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences (ACMS)
We are excited to be working with ACMS to plan the 2026 joint CES/ACMS conference. This conference will be hosted at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, May 27-30. Look for the Call For Papers for this conference to be coming out in a couple months, with abstracts due November 1, 2025. Keynote speakers are already lined up: Matt Heun (Engineering Professor, Director, Sustainability Designation, Calvin University), Emily Wenger (Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University), Tai Danae Bradley (Research mathematician at Sandbox AQ, visiting Professor of Mathematics, The Master’s University), and Randall Pruim (Professor, Department Chair of Mathematics and Statistics, Contributing Faculty of Computer Science, Calvin University).
Conference Planning Committee: The CES portion of the conference planning committee consists of Program Chair Cory Hixson (Colorado Christian University), Deputy Chair Steve Vander Leest (The Boeing Company, squishLogic), and General Chair Gayle Ermer (Calvin University). Thanks to Cory, Steve, and Gayle for taking up this work!
Previous CES meeting at Calvin: The 2026 conference is a bit of a full-circle moment for CES, since the very first CEC conference took place at Calvin in 1992. We’d love to dig up some information from that first meeting! If anyone has photos, agenda, minutes, or any other records from this first meeting, please reach out to Derek Schuurman, email: derek.schuurman@calvin.edu . Thanks!
Christian Engineering Leaders Summit 2024, 2025 and 2026: The Christian Engineering Leaders Summit held its first meeting in-person at the 2024 Christian Engineering Conference in Newberg, Oregon. The inaugural group consisted of engineering Deans, Chairs, Program Directors and other leaders from more than 20 institutions offering engineering degrees. Numerous topics were discussed, including ABET accreditation, teaching quality, and productive ways for our institutions to collaborate, as attendees spent time in fellowship and getting to know one another and their respective programs. This summer (July 2025), the group will hold its second meeting virtually, with an agenda that includes discussion of the current challenges and opportunities for Christian engineering programs, formulating input toward a Christian Engineering Teaching Workshop, and planning for a third meeting in-person in conjunction with the 2026 CES/ACMS Conference in Michigan. For more information or to inquire on how your institution can participate, please contact Brian Swartz (Christian Engineering Society Board Member) at bswarts@messiah.edu or Michael McGinnis (Summit Organizer) at MichaelMcGinnis@letu.edu.
Christian Engineering Teaching Workshop: Currently available teaching workshops such as ExCEED (discipline-specific) and NETI (general engineering) are delivered within a secular framework and seek to equip novice and mid-career engineering educators with a more effective portfolio of teaching techniques, frameworks and knowledge. While many Christian engineering programs lament the difficulty of both hiring and preparing engineering faculty to teach well, we seem currently to lack an authentically Christian teaching workshop with the aim of equipping Christian engineering educators to ‘teach Christianly.’ CES is uniquely suited to deliver such a workshop and is contemplating offering the first (of perhaps a bi-annual series) such program in the Summer of 2026, in conjunction with the 2026 CES/ACMS Conference. The proposed two-day workshop would focus on the following five areas: (1) Faith Integration (effective practices for integrating faith within the engineering discipline), (2) Mechanics of Teaching (effective practices for organizing courses and classes within today’s digital age), (3) Effective Mentoring and Relationship Building (practices leading to more impactful interactions with students), (4) Teaching Demonstrations (with seasoned educators illustrating a broad array of effective teaching techniques), and (5) Teaching Practicum (forming a ‘hands-on laboratory’ experience where attendees practice and receive feedback from seasoned mentors). Workshop participants will be grouped in pods to facilitate deeper interactions, and the entire workshop is being structured to create lasting relationships and fellowship across Christian institutions. With the above as background, the following survey has been created to solicit additional information from leaders of Christian engineering programs in order to deliver the most impactful workshop possible. Please take a moment to give us valuable input during the workshop planning stages!
Survey link: https://qualtricsxmzrbdd4nvh.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3WWlxaHOBbHHLDw
2025 ASEE
2025 ASEE
Often, an informal dinner gathering has taken place at ASEE Annual Conferences that have taken place in the off-years between CEC conferences. This year’s ASEE Annual Conference is just that, taking place in Montreal, Canada, in just a couple weeks (June 22-25). The CES board is currently unaware of any CES folks who will be attending in Montreal; if you are attending and would be willing to facilitate a casual dinner gathering during your time there, please contact Justin Vander Werff (justin.vanderwerff@dordt.edu).
Prayer Breakfasts: While not directly associated with CES, we are happy to promote two prayer breakfast gatherings that will be taking place at this year’s ASEE Annual Conference. For both sessions, feel free to bring your own coffee/beverage and light breakfast items if you like. There is no catering for these sessions to eliminate the cost and make the gatherings accessible to all.
Monday, June 23, 2025, 7-8 AM, 516D, Palais des congres de Montreal: Bernie Van Wie will talk about how to connect with colleagues – both in general and during the ASEE meeting – with a goal of praying for and having a meal or interaction with one or more colleagues during your time at the conference.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025, 7-8 AM, 516D, Palais des congres de Montreal: Lisa Bullard will share what the book of Ecclesiastes has taught her about living and working with intention. This will also be a great time to share about your interactions during the conference!
CES Local and Student Chapters
CES Local and Student Chapters
The first two local CES chapters (the Harrisburg PA Chapter in the vicinity of Messiah University, and the Upper Midwest Chapter in the vicinity of Dordt University and Northwestern College in northwest Iowa) have been piloted over the past year. Both chapters hosted a few different gatherings and book discussions and have enjoyed participation from both academics and practicing engineers. In addition, the first official student chapter of CES has been formed at Florida State University. We are excited for the potential for local and student chapters to broaden CES’s engagement into both the industrial and academic engineering spheres. If you are interested in forming or being involved with either a local or student chapter, contact Philip Tan (ptan@messiah.edu).
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