Southern Illinois University Edwardsville assistant professor Dr. Jenna Gorlewicz has been selected to attend the National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) Symposium. She is a new faculty member in the School of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.
The FOEE Symposium will be held on Sunday, Oct. 27 – Wednesday, Oct. 30, at the National Academies’ Beckman Center in Irvine, Calif. It brings together some of the nation’s most engaged and innovative engineering educators in order to recognize, reward and promote effective, substantive and inspirational engineering education through a sustained dialogue within the emerging generation of innovative faculty.
Gorlewicz will present her research efforts on the creation, integration, and assessment of haptic (touch) devices and associated curriculum in enhancing student learning in engineering education.
“Dr. Gorlewicz’s participation will positively impact the quality of both present and future teaching and courses in our department,” said Majid Molki, distinguished research professor and chair of the SIUE Department of Mechanical Engineering. “Her involvement will strengthen future courses such as mechatronics and robotics, and will bring a host of new ideas to our program.
“Her work on haptic devices has the potential to revolutionize teaching and learning, and help include all types of students, especially the visually impaired. Being a first-year assistant professor at SIUE, her expertise and interest in the educational aspects of engineering is an invaluable asset to our program.”
“Being selected to attend is both personally fulfilling and professionally valuable to me as an engineering educator,” Gorlewicz said. “I will have the opportunity to share my engineering education research efforts, learn from best practices and network with many innovative engineering educators.
“The innovations discussed and developed at FOEE will be used to enhance our engineering classrooms and the student learning experience at SIUE. I am humbled and excited to participate in enhancing and sustaining excellence in engineering education for all students. It is tremendous to be a part of this effort and also to represent SIUE’s commitment to education.”
Selection into the symposium is a competitive process, involving both a nomination and an application phase.
A Bartelso native, Gorlewicz earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from SIUE in 2008. She achieved a doctorate in mechanical engineering in 2013 from Vanderbilt University.
Photo: SIUE’s Dr. Jenna Gorlewicz.