Kristen Wendell, Ph.D.

Kristen Wendell, Ph.D.

Kristen Wendell, Ph.D., is an associate professor of mechanical engineering and education at Tufts University. She received a B.S. in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University, an M.S. in aeronautics and astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and a Ph.D. in science education from Tufts University. Dr. Wendell’s teaching and research interests include teacher education in science and engineering, the integration of engineering design into children’s learning experiences, and knowledge building communities in undergraduate engineering education. An NSF CAREER award winner, she serves as PI or co-PI on NSF-funded projects that investigate curriculum and instructional supports for inclusive knowledge construction by engineering learners. Major projects emphasize community-based engineering curricula and professional development, engineering classroom discourse, design notebooking, undergraduate learning assistants, and responsive teaching for engineering. Kristen is an associate editor for the Journal of Engineering Education. She teaches courses in design, mechanics, electronics, and engineering education. Wendell previously served as Assistant Professor in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She was a graduate policy fellow at the National Academy of Engineering in Washington, D.C. and a research assistant in aerospace engineering at the Man-Vehicle Lab at MIT.