Rachel Ellestad is returning to her role as the director of the Jerry E. Stoneking engage Engineering Fundamentals program after having served in the position from 2021 to 2023.
Ellestad spent the last three years as the associate dean for student success in the Swenson College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She replaces Erin McCave, whose dedicated leadership helped guide the EF program through a period of remarkable enrollment growth, ensuring a high-quality educational experience for an increasing number of first-year engineering students.
“I am very excited to be rejoining the Engineering Fundamentals team this fall. The staff and faculty that make up EF are wonderful to work with and truly dedicated to the success of all students in the Tickle College of Engineering,” Ellestad said. “There is nothing like seeing the excitement of students as they come to their first engineering classes. It is wonderful to see their enthusiasm and creativity during their first year as a TCE Vol.”
Ellestad first joined the UT faculty in 2014 as a lecturer and research assistant professor in engineering fundamentals. She was promoted to senior lecturer in 2020 and took over as director of engineering fundamentals in 2021.
Ellestad graduated from UT with bachelor’s (2006) and master’s degrees (2008) in mechanical engineering. She also obtained an MBA in operations management from UT in 2008. Ellestad earned her PhD in engineering education from Virginia Tech, where her research focused on studying the metacognitive behaviors of undergraduate engineering students.
“I am excited to welcome Rachel as director of Engineering Fundamentals. She brings a strong commitment to student learning, collaboration, and innovation in engineering education,” said Michael Danquah, TCE’s associate dean for academic and student affairs. “I look forward to working with her to build on the strong foundation of the program and explore new ways to enhance the learning experience and prepare our students for success.”
Ellestad hopes to use her experience to help the EF program grow and expand to meet student needs. She will strive to strengthen existing relationships with campus partners and forge new ones to provide more pathways for success.
“While I learned a lot in my previous position, I have missed the amazing student body that comes into TCE each year and the incredibly dedicated faculty and staff unit in EF,” she said. “Professionally, I’ve experienced some of my most creative times while working in EF. It is inspirational to see a group that is never satisfied with how things are and continually want to improve and try new things. That type of working atmosphere is very professionally satisfying for me.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey ([email protected])