Abstract: The AMPLIFY Institute project seeks to make visible the experiences of engineering instructional faculty (EIF) at Hispanics Serving Institutions (HSIs), and to design, implement, and evaluate a leadership development model for EIF by equipping and supporting these faculty at their institutions and beyond. This multi-year project uses a variety of qualitative, quantitative, and participatory research methods embedded in a series of action research cycles to provide a richer understanding of the successes and needs of EIF to implement and promote the use of culturally responsive, evidence-based teaching approaches at HSIs. Using data from the AMPLIFY Institute, the goals of this thesis work are 1. to promote effective resource utilization to deliver successful projects on time and on a budget 2. to support the creation of self-sustaining programs rich in economic and human capital and 3. to generate a change in social behavior to achieve the recovery, conservation, and preservation of the environment through the good use of resources of grant funded programs in engineering education. To achieve these goals, this research aims to develop a sustainability plan for an NSF funded research project involving the social, economic, and environmental aspects of the project using Self-Determination Theory and The Triple Bottom Line framework to answer the question: What factors make professional development sustainable (E.g, accessibility, implementation following PD, etc.) for EIF’s at HSIs? The model for sustainable educational events developed in this thesis would help to fulfill the requirements established by funding agencies and contribute to ensure the self-sustaining status of projects after the award period ends.
