Lecturer and Assistant Research Professor Erin McCave will serve as interim director for the Jerry E. Stoneking engage Engineering Fundamentals program, effective August 1.

She replaces Senior Lecturer and Research Assistant Professor Rachel Ellestad who stepped down from the role to take the position of Associate Dean for Student Success in the Swenson College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

“Given Erin’s prior administrative experience and deep knowledge of the faculty and staff in EF, we will be in good hands with her leadership,” said Interim Associate Dean for Academic and Student affairs Toby Boulet. “I also want to thank Dr. Ellestad for her service to the program. During her time as director, she has managed and grown a vibrant community of lecturers and teaching assistants that give our beginning students a firm foundation for academic success in their majors. She will be missed by the many faculty and staff who have had the privilege of working with her. We wish her great success in her new venture.”

McCave arrived at UT almost three years ago and during that time has worked with Lecturer Darren Maczka to develop and refine the EF 141/142 course sequence for non-calculus ready engineering students. 

McCave earned her bachelor’s degree from Michigan Technology University in biomedical engineering in 2003 followed by a PhD in Bioengineering from Clemson in 2014. She is an expert in engineering education research focusing on underrepresented students’ identity development, faculty agency, and student success and wellbeing.

“I’m very excited to get the opportunity to lead the EF program,” McCave said. “I look forward to continuing to move the student-centered, success-based program forward with the help of my colleagues. We currently provide innovative and engaging courses for all incoming engineering students. I look forward to continuing this great work and expanding the focus on student success and wellbeing to provide a more supportive and sustainable learning experience for our students.”

She is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education and along with Maczka was awarded funding last fall from the Office of the Provost and the Division of Student Success to support a grant targeted at increasing student’s scholars’ self-efficacy regarding math and physics and developing students’ skills related to academic stress management and self-regulated learning strategies.

A search for a new permanent EF director will soon begin.

---

Contact

Melissa Callahan (865-974-9387, mander38@utk.edu)