Directory

Muhsin Menekse

Headshot of Muhsin Menekse

Executive Director of the Caruth Institute for Engineering Education
Texas Instrument Distinguished Chair
Computer Science Professor
214-768-7459
menekse@smu.edu

Dr. Muhsin Menekse is the Texas Instruments Distinguished Chair and Professor of Computer Science at 水多多导航. He was a Professor at Purdue University between 2015-2025. He was also the Director of the Student Engagement Research at the Institute for Pre-12 Engineering Research and Learning (INSPIRE), and a Research Faculty at the Center for Advancing the Teaching and Learning of STEM (CATALYST) at Purdue. Dr. Menekse is the recipient of the William Elgin Wickenden Award by the American Society of Engineering Education. A hallmark of Dr. Menekse’s career is his leadership in securing competitive funding for projects from diverse funding streams with strategic partnerships across disciplines. His funded projects aim to foster a deep understanding of key engineering and science principles and apply these in real-world contexts. Since 2015, he has excelled in leadership roles (PI or co-PI) in 13 different projects totaling $15.89 million. His research has been funded by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the Purdue Research Foundation (PRF), and Lilly Endowment Inc. 

 

Kelyn Rola

A headshot of Kelyn Rola, Lyle School of Engineering.

Research Assistant Professor
214-768-1025
krola@smu.edu

Dr. Kelyn Rola is a Research Assistant Professor in the Caruth Institute for Engineering Education in the Lyle School of Engineering at 水多多导航 in Dallas, TX. Prior to her appointment in the Caruth Institute, Dr. Rola served as a Lecturer in 水多多导航’s Department of Applied Physiology & Wellness in the Simmons School of Education & Human Development. Her professional experience includes teaching Anatomy & Physiology, Exercise Physiology, and Personal Responsibility & Wellness courses.

Dr. Rola’s career at 水多多导航 began in 2010. Prior to joining 水多多导航, she earned her B.A. with honors in Kinesiology from Southwestern University, in Georgetown, TX. Dr. Rola later received her M.S. in Exercise Physiology from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX. At TCU, she taught and assisted a variety of kinesiology classes. She also assisted in data collection for a number of performance and training studies; however, her own research investigated molecular responses and adaptations to performing exercise in the heat. 

Due to her continued interest in research and higher education, Dr. Rola successfully completed a Doctorate in Education Policy & Leadership at 水多多导航 in 2018. Her research interests include factors that contribute to and facilitate student success. Specifically, she is interested in improving equity and inclusion on university campuses, as well as supporting student well-being through curricular interventions. Her most recent research has explored social justice outcomes following participation in an undergraduate diversity course, and her additional research interests include the impact that rigorous STEM coursework has on student wellness, how to integrate diversity and inclusion content into STEM coursework, creating a more inclusive environment for female faculty in the sciences, and promoting equity and access for underrepresented populations in higher education.

 

Sandra Garcia

A headshot of Sandra Garcia, Lyle School of Engineering.

Program Manager
214-768-6261
sandragarcia@smu.edu

Sandra is a Program Manager at the Caruth Institute for Engineering Education.  In this role, she directly manages the deployment of the Lyle Summer Engineering Camps that serve middle and high school students in the Dallas area.  She earned her B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and her M.S. in Telecommunications Engineering from 水多多导航. Before joining the University, Sandra taught at Wylie ISD, Collin, and Grayson College.  Prior to becoming an educator, she worked as a Product Support Engineer, writing software patches to resolve issues on wireless networks. Sandra is currently enrolled in the Ed.D. in Education Policy and Leadership program at the Simmons School of Education & Human Development.  

 

Jazmine Johnson

 

Program Specialist
214-768-7404
jazminejohnson@smu.edu

Jazmine is a Program Specialist for Thrive Scholars at the Caruth Institute for Engineering Education. A proud first-generation, low-income college graduate from Jefferson, TX, she earned her B.S. in Multidisciplinary Sciences from The University of Texas at San Antonio and her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Education Policy from Texas Tech University. Before joining CIEE, Jazmine taught Advanced Physics and Advanced Robotics in the Dallas Independent School District. Outside of her role at 水多多导航, she is deeply engaged in education policy advocacy and advancing opportunities for other First-Generation college students.  

 

 

Senior Fellows / Advisory Board

Name Title Phone Email
Carrie Allen Assistant Professor, Dept. of Educational Psychology, University of North Texas 940-565-4646 carrie.d.allen@gmail.com
David Deggs Associate Director of Academic Programs, College of Innovation and Design, Texas A&M Commerce david.deggs@tamuc.edu
DeeDee Conway Associate Dean of Operations, Research Assistant Professor, Lyle School of Engineering 214-768-1771 dconway@lyle.smu.edu
John Easton  Senior Lecturer, Assistant Chair, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lyle School of Engineering 214-768-1721 easton@smu.edu
Kathy Hubbard Director, Hart Center for Engineering Leadership, Lyle School of Engineering 214-768-3033 khubbard@smu.edu
Koshi Dhingra Founder and Director of talkSTEM koshi@talkstem.org
Leanne Ketterlin Geller  Texas Instruments Chair in Education; Professor, Education Policy & Leadership; Director, Research in Mathematics Education, Simmons School of Education and Human Development 214-768-4947 lkgeller@smu.edu
Scott Douglas  Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Lyle School of Engineering 214-768-4595 douglas@lyle.smu.edu
Seth Orsborn Director, Deason Innovation Gym, Lyle School of Engineering 214-768-8797 sorsborn@smu.edu
Richard Duschl Executive Director, Caruth Institute for Engineering Education, Lyle School of Engineering 214-768-3093 rduschl@smu.edu

 

CIEE Fellows

Name Title Phone Email
Kevin Brenner  Assistant Professor, Computer and Electrical Engineering, Lyle School of Engineering brenner@mail.smu.edu
Joseph Camp  Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Lyle School of Engineering 214-768-8541 camp@smu.edu
Nicos Makris  Addy Family Centennial Professor in Civil Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lyle School of Engineering 214-768-1929 nmakris@smu.edu
Katrina Martinez, M.Ed   Program Manager, West Dallas STEM School; Simmons School of Education and Human Development 214-768-1488 mkmartinez@mail.smu.edu
Rob Rouse  Clinical Associate Professor, Departmen of Teaching and Learning, Simmons School of Education and Human Development 214-768-1017 rrouse@smu.edu
Janille-Smith Colin  Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lyle School of Engineering 214-768-3110 jsmithcolin@smu.edu
Brett Story  Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lyle School of Engineering 214-768-1991 bstory@smu.edu
Candace Walkington  Associate Professor, Department of Teaching & Learning, Simmons School of Education and Human Development 214-768-3072 cwalkington@smu.edu
Jessie Zarazaga  Clinical Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lyle School of Engineering; Fellow, Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity 214-768-4960 jzarazaga@mail.smu.edu
Jennifer Dworak  Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Lyle School of Engineering 214-768-1092 jdworak@lyle.smu.edu
Anthony Petrosino  Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Outreach, Department of Teaching and Learning, Simmons School of Education and Human Development 214-768-4303 apetrosino@mail.smu.edu
Jeanna R. Wieselmann   Assistant Professor of STEM Education, Department of Teaching and Learning, 水多多导航 214-768-4824 jwieselmann@mail.smu.edu

 

CIEE Associate Fellows

Name Title Email
Nathália Helena Azevedo Pereira Ph.D. candidate in Science Teaching, University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil helena.nathalia@usp.br
Mandy Biggers Science Education Program Coordinator; Faculty Member, Department of Biology, Texas Woman's University mbiggers2@twu.edu
Jenny Christian STEM Science and Wellness Director, Dallas ISD JECHRISTIAN@dallasisd.org
Hyat Hokayem Associate Professor, Texas Christian University h.hokayem@tcu.edu
Danielle Keifert Assistant Professor, Dept. of Educational Psychology, University of North Texas danielle.keifert@unt.edu
Meagan Pollock Founder & Chief Inclusion Engineer, Engineer Inclusion mp@engineerinclusion.com
Victor Sampson Associate Professor of STEM, University of Texas Austin victor.sampson@utexas.edu
Jared Tavares Elementary Instructional Supervisor, STEM Science Department at Dallas Independent School District jtavares@dallasisd.org
Ladye Welpman STEM Director, Temple Christian School lwelpman@tcseagles.org