Rate Professor Sheri Sheppard

Professor Sheri Sheppard is not affiliated with Harvard University but is a prominent figure at Stanford University, where she holds the title of Richard W. Weiland Professor in the School of Engineering, Emerita. Her professional profile is distinguished by her expertise in mechanical engineering, with a focus on fracture mechanics, applied finite element analysis, and engineering education. Sheppard has significantly influenced how engineers are trained, emphasizing hands-on learning and design thinking. She also served as the Burton J. and Deedee McMurtry University Fellow in Undergraduate Education and Associate Vice Provost of Graduate Education at Stanford, showcasing her leadership in academic administration.

Academic Experience: Sheppard’s academic journey began with a B.S. in Engineering Mechanics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1978), followed by an M.S. (1980) and Ph.D. (1985) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan–Dearborn and Ann Arbor, respectively. She joined Stanford in 1986 as an assistant professor, rising to full professor by 2005. From 1999 to 2008, she was a Senior Scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, leading the "Educating Engineers" study. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses on design and mechanics, chaired Stanford’s Faculty Senate (2006-2007), and advised groups like MEwomen, fostering inclusivity in engineering education.

Awards and Achievements: Sheppard’s contributions to engineering education have earned her widespread recognition. Key accolades include:

• Named the 2014 U.S. Professor of the Year for Doctoral and Research Universities by the Carnegie Foundation and CASE, for her innovative teaching methods.
• Received Stanford’s Walter J. Gores Award (2010), the university’s highest teaching honor, for excellence in education.
• Awarded the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Chester F. Carlson Award (2004) and Ralph Coats Roe Award (2012) for outstanding contributions to engineering education.
• Honored with Stanford’s 2014 President’s Award for Excellence Through Diversity, recognizing her as a trailblazer for women in engineering.

Publications: Sheppard has authored over 216 publications, cited more than 6,059 times according to ResearchGate, spanning technical engineering and educational research. Notable works include:

1. "Enabling Engineering Student Success: The Final Report for the Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education" (2010, with Cynthia Atman et al.) – A comprehensive study on improving engineering education outcomes.
2. "Educating Engineers: Designing for the Future of the Field" (2008) – A Carnegie Foundation report co-authored during her tenure as Senior Scholar.
3. "Sequential innovation, patents, and imitation" (RAND Journal of Economics, 2009, with James Bessen) – Examines innovation dynamics, cited 441 times.
4. "Students Improving: Identifying Factors That Seem to Matter" (2010, with E. Otto and Helen Chen) – Focuses on student persistence in engineering.

Impact: Sheppard’s work has reshaped engineering education by integrating active learning and real-world problem-solving into curricula, notably through projects like the Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education (CAEE) and the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter). Her research on how people become engineers has informed retention strategies, particularly for women and minorities, addressing the field’s diversity gap. Her industry experience at Ford, GM, and Chrysler enriches her teaching, while her mentorship—evidenced by former student Samantha Brunhaver’s tribute—has inspired new generations of educators and engineers. Though not at Harvard, her influence extends globally through publications, awards, and educational reforms.