March 28, 2017

Purdue announces new head for School of Engineering Education

Donna Riley Donna Riley
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue’s College of Engineering has selected a new head to lead the School of Engineering Education.

Leah Jamieson, the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering, announced Tuesday (March 28) the next Kamyar Haghighi Head of the School of Engineering Education will be Donna Riley, a professor at Virginia Tech.

Riley currently is interim head of the Engineering Education department at Virginia Tech. She takes on the leadership of Purdue’s School of Engineering Education on July 1.

“Donna brings to the position a strong record of excellence and innovation, a strong commitment to the field of engineering education as a discipline, and great passion and energy,” Jamieson said. “I know that Engineering Education will thrive under her leadership, and that Purdue will continue to play a leadership role in the field engineering education.”

Riley worked as program director for Engineering Education at the National Science Foundation. Prior to that, she spent 13 years as a founding faculty member of the Picker Engineering Program at Smith College, the first engineering program at a U.S. women’s college.

Jamieson called Riley a “thought leader in the field” and cited her achievements in both research and teaching.

Most recently, Riley received the 2016 Alfred N. Goldsmith Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Professional Communications Society. She is the author of two books and a 2005 recipient of a CAREER award from NSF.

Purdue’s School of Engineering Education was created in 2004, under the leadership of Professor Kamyar Haghighi. It was the first department or school of its kind in the nation.

Riley succeeds Professor David Radcliffe, who served as head from 2009-2016. Audeen Fentiman, associate dean of Graduate Education and Interdisciplinary Programs and Crowley Family Professor in Engineering Education, served as interim head of Engineering Education this year. 

Writer: Brian L. Huchel, 765-494-2084, bhuchel@purdue.edu 

Source: Leah Jamieson, 765-494-5346, lhj@purdue.edu

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