{"id":1179,"date":"2026-01-05T22:16:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T22:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T06:09:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T06:09:14","slug":"chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapman Engineering Faculty's Research on Education for Visually Impaired STEM Learning Secures National Science Foundation Funding"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the<\/span> Fowler School of Engineering (FSE)<\/span><\/a>, research opportunities extend beyond the classroom. For many students, research projects can take more than one semester to progress. For faculty, special topics may be studied and examined for years to come. This year, two incredible engineering faculty demonstrated the breadth and depth of their passion for assistive technology: Dr. Maryam Etezadbrojerdi and Dr. Franceli Cibrian.<\/span><\/p>\n

This year, <\/span>Dr. Etezadbrojerdi<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Dr. Cibrian<\/span><\/a> secured more than $400,000 in<\/span> National Science Foundation<\/span><\/a> (NSF) grant funding for their project, \u201c<\/span>Advancing STEM Learning with Interactive Educational Games for Blind and Visually Impaired Children<\/span><\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For this project, the Fowler faculty\u2019s research team consisted of <\/span>Assistant Professor Rajeev Joshi<\/span><\/a>, Grand Challenges Initiative (GCI) Postdoctoral Fellow Ariel Han, and undergraduate researchers Daniel Tsivkovski, Dylan Ravel, and Brandon Foley. Through the NSF grant funding, Dr. Cibrian and Dr. Etezad hope to revolutionize education for blind and visually impaired children by designing accessible braille displays, specifically for teaching STEM topics in elementary school.<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding Blind and Visually Impaired Education<\/b><\/h3>\n

Dr. Etezad and Dr. Cibrian originally conceived the project after they noticed a need for updated educational tools for blind and visually impaired children. \u201cI became increasingly aware that blind and visually impaired students still lack access to educational tools that match what sighted students use every day,\u201d Dr. Etezad said. \u201cThat gap motivated me to focus on solutions that could genuinely improve their learning experience rather than just accommodate it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, Dr. Cibrian highlighted the difficulties of traditional assistive tools for their project\u2019s demographic. \u201cEven when assistive tools are available, refreshable braille displays (RBDs) are often extremely expensive, difficult to obtain for classrooms, and not designed with STEM learning in mind,\u201d Dr. Cibrian said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recognizing the growing need for advanced yet accessible technology for blind and visually impaired children, Dr. Etezad and Dr. Cibrian worked together to conceptualize RBDs that could translate complex topics in educational settings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This topic drew the attention of Dr. Han and Dr. Joshi, whose research specialties closely aligned with the project\u2019s respective goals. \u201cIt was a great opportunity for me to expand my research in the broader field, have overall experience designing the hardware parts, and learn more about human-centered computing,\u201d Dr. Joshi said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Han also had experience in educational settings, which she applied to the project. She said, \u201cI have experience working in educational settings, but lack experience working with students with special needs. That brought my research to consider diverse learners and their needs into the design of educational systems.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After finalizing their research goals and objectives, the team set out to conduct research beyond Fowler and advance research in RBDs for STEM topics in education.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, the goal was to create technology that could truly level the playing field,\u201d Dr. Etezad said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Impact and Importance of Funded Research<\/b><\/h3>\n

Thanks to the funding provided by the NSF, Dr. Etezad and Dr. Cibrian were able to recruit undergraduate student researchers for their project. \u201cThis grant allowed us to engage undergraduate students in meaningful research with social impact, giving them hands-on experience in accessibility, Human-Computer Interaction, and inclusive STEM education,\u201d Dr. Cibrian said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dylan Ravel, who has been an undergraduate researcher on the project since the 2024-2025 academic year, also assisted the team with coding, testing, and iteration of the system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We\u2019re making a website, kind of like an interactive web app with accounts and lots of lessons. I’m working on the integration between the curricula that our research advisors are kind of all working on,\u201d<\/span> Ravel said. \u201c<\/span>We\u2019re creating more of an equitable space for visually impaired students to learn at the same pace as students who aren’t visually impaired.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While explaining the project\u2019s impact on education for blind and visually impaired demographics, Ravel also offered insight into the academic and professional benefits of working on the research project.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to learn how to use Google Cloud and Google Firebase and all these kinds of higher level programs companies use, has been super valuable to learn,\u201d Ravel said. \u201cI can go into a job interview and if recruiters ask, \u2018have you used these cloud-based tools?\u2019 I can answer that I actually have, and I built this whole web app in an environment that allows me to fail and keep working.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, Ravel offered insights on how this experience has shaped his professional and academic growth while continuing his education in Fowler.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI realized how valuable it is and how much fun it is to just work with people of all different backgrounds. Working with our research advisors, hearing their perspectives on these things, they also have a lot of training on the education side. That’s been really valuable,\u201d he said. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>At the end of the day, we’re working with enterprise level tools that I wouldn’t necessarily have access to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Dylan Ravel (left) and Daniel Tsivkovski (right) presenting their NSF research at the Fall 2025 Student Scholar Symposium.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maximizing Opportunities with the NSF<\/b><\/h3>\n

Dr. Etezad mentioned the opportunities made possible by the NSF funding, which greatly benefited their research, such as \u201csupporting travel to partner schools for interviews, observation, and user testing,\u201d giving them the \u201ctime and structure to run a real research cycle with data collection and evaluation.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For this project, Dr. Etezad and Dr. Cibrian focused on gathering data from K-12 schools that implemented braille education. The grant supported faculty researchers Dr. Joshi and Dr. Han in their data collection while traveling to those partner schools. \u201cWe collected some data from the schools, and then we turned that data into a journal. After that, we were thinking of adding the software,\u201d Dr. Joshi said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The NSF funding provided resources such as prototype materials for the team\u2019s RBDs and equipment for hardware development. Shortly after gathering the necessary data, Dr. Joshi collaborated with Dr. Han to implement the hardware and software required to produce their RBDs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI worked more on designing the software, conducting research, and writing the paper,\u201d Dr. Han said. \u201cIt\u2019s important to create adaptive and understandable curricula for those age groups.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOverall, the grant transformed our idea into a tangible, testable product,\u201d Dr. Etezad said.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Fowler Fortifies Intensive Research<\/b><\/h3>\n

Dr. Cibrian and Dr. Etezad noted the contributions made possible by Fowler\u2019s support for the project, including lab space, fabrication tools, and student research support.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Fowler Engineering provided access to shared lab space and fabrication resources needed to prototype and test our braille display,\u201d Dr. Cibrian said. \u201cFSE also provided the visibility for our work through internal communications and events, which helped us connect with new collaborators and participants.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Cibrian deemed the institutional support from Fowler Engineering as \u201ccritical\u201d due to their assistance in \u201claunching and sustaining [their] accessibility research\u201d while integrating it into opportunities for both teaching and student mentoring.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Fowler Engineering provided the infrastructure we needed to carry out the work, from lab space to fabrication tools. Fowler\u2019s culture of hands-on learning aligned perfectly with our goals for developing and testing prototypes,\u201d Dr. Etezad said.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Looking Towards the Future<\/b><\/h3>\n

With 2025 slowly coming to a close, Dr. Etezad and Dr. Cibrian hope to continue their research into the new year. Additionally, they\u2019ve reflected on how this project has impacted their professional development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis project has opened doors to new collaborations, both within Chapman and with external partners, which has broadened my network and enriched the quality of my research,\u201d Dr. Etezad said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe data from our user studies will highlight opportunities for improving refreshable braille displays and braille-based STEM tools,\u201d Dr. Cibrian said. \u201cThe project has strengthened our track record in assistive technology and positioned us as leaders in accessibility-focused computing research at our institution.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Reflecting on his own experiences, undergraduate researcher Ravel shared advice for students who are pursuing similar opportunities. \u201c<\/span>Remember you are just as much part of this project as your advisors are, who are doing this full-time,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Etezad, Dr. Cibrian, and their team of undergraduate and graduate researchers look forward to fulfilling their project\u2019s mission and improving the technological standards for blind and visually impaired education.<\/span><\/p>\n

Visit Chapman Engineering\u2019s <\/span><\/i>Undergraduate Research and Opportunities website<\/span><\/i><\/a> for more information on how to get involved in engineering research.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cOverall, the grant transformed our idea into a tangible, testable product,\u201d – Dr. Etezadbrojerdi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5564,"featured_media":1181,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"custom_author_name":"","chapman_pin_hero_slider":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nFowler School of Engineering | Chapman Blogs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chapman Engineering Faculty's Research on Education for Visually Impaired STEM Learning Secures National Science Foundation Funding - Fowler School of Engineering\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cOverall, the grant transformed our idea into a tangible, testable product,\u201d - Dr. Etezadbrojerdi.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Fowler School of Engineering\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-05T22:16:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-20T06:09:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/12\/Franceli-and-Etezadbrojerdi-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Owen Lucas Agbayani\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Owen Lucas Agbayani\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/05\\\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/05\\\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Owen Lucas Agbayani\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/be543619a6415cc3776f6780ce98fd52\"},\"headline\":\"Chapman Engineering Faculty's Research on Education for Visually Impaired STEM Learning Secures National Science Foundation Funding\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-05T22:16:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-20T06:09:14+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/05\\\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1395,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/05\\\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/72\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Franceli-and-Etezadbrojerdi-1.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Research\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/05\\\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/05\\\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\\\/\",\"name\":\"Chapman Engineering Faculty's Research on Education for Visually Impaired STEM Learning Secures National Science Foundation Funding - Fowler School of Engineering\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/05\\\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/05\\\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/72\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Franceli-and-Etezadbrojerdi-1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-05T22:16:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-20T06:09:14+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/05\\\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/05\\\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/05\\\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/72\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Franceli-and-Etezadbrojerdi-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/72\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Franceli-and-Etezadbrojerdi-1.png\",\"width\":600,\"height\":300},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/05\\\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Chapman Engineering Faculty's Research on Education for Visually Impaired STEM Learning Secures National Science Foundation Funding\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/\",\"name\":\"Fowler School of Engineering\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Fowler School of Engineering\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/72\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/MasterBrand_000-scaled-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/72\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/MasterBrand_000-scaled-1.png\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":435,\"caption\":\"Fowler School of Engineering\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/be543619a6415cc3776f6780ce98fd52\",\"name\":\"Owen Lucas Agbayani\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/63a0ddeaf599d8063644d450931908369e570ca188ba1e96a047606dad063597?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/63a0ddeaf599d8063644d450931908369e570ca188ba1e96a047606dad063597?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/63a0ddeaf599d8063644d450931908369e570ca188ba1e96a047606dad063597?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Owen Lucas Agbayani\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.chapman.edu\\\/engineering\\\/author\\\/oagbayanichapman-edu\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Fowler School of Engineering | Chapman Blogs","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Chapman Engineering Faculty's Research on Education for Visually Impaired STEM Learning Secures National Science Foundation Funding - Fowler School of Engineering","og_description":"\u201cOverall, the grant transformed our idea into a tangible, testable product,\u201d - Dr. Etezadbrojerdi.","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/","og_site_name":"Fowler School of Engineering","article_published_time":"2026-01-05T22:16:11+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-07-20T06:09:14+00:00","og_image":[{"width":600,"height":300,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/12\/Franceli-and-Etezadbrojerdi-1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Owen Lucas Agbayani","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Owen Lucas Agbayani","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/"},"author":{"name":"Owen Lucas Agbayani","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/#\/schema\/person\/be543619a6415cc3776f6780ce98fd52"},"headline":"Chapman Engineering Faculty's Research on Education for Visually Impaired STEM Learning Secures National Science Foundation Funding","datePublished":"2026-01-05T22:16:11+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-20T06:09:14+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/"},"wordCount":1395,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/12\/Franceli-and-Etezadbrojerdi-1.png","articleSection":["Research"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/","name":"Chapman Engineering Faculty's Research on Education for Visually Impaired STEM Learning Secures National Science Foundation Funding - Fowler School of Engineering","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/12\/Franceli-and-Etezadbrojerdi-1.png","datePublished":"2026-01-05T22:16:11+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-20T06:09:14+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/12\/Franceli-and-Etezadbrojerdi-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/12\/Franceli-and-Etezadbrojerdi-1.png","width":600,"height":300},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/2026\/01\/05\/chapman-engineering-facultys-research-on-education-for-visually-impaired-stem-learning-secures-national-science-foundation-funding\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Chapman Engineering Faculty's Research on Education for Visually Impaired STEM Learning Secures National Science Foundation Funding"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/","name":"Fowler School of Engineering","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/#organization","name":"Fowler School of Engineering","url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/03\/MasterBrand_000-scaled-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/03\/MasterBrand_000-scaled-1.png","width":2560,"height":435,"caption":"Fowler School of Engineering"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/#\/schema\/person\/be543619a6415cc3776f6780ce98fd52","name":"Owen Lucas Agbayani","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/63a0ddeaf599d8063644d450931908369e570ca188ba1e96a047606dad063597?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/63a0ddeaf599d8063644d450931908369e570ca188ba1e96a047606dad063597?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/63a0ddeaf599d8063644d450931908369e570ca188ba1e96a047606dad063597?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Owen Lucas Agbayani"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.chapman.edu\/engineering"],"url":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/author\/oagbayanichapman-edu\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5564"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1179"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1179\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1299,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1179\/revisions\/1299"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}