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Riley inducted into ASEE Hall of Fame

November 15, 2023 - by Kim Delker

Photo: Donna Riley
Donna Riley

Donna Riley, Jim and Ellen King Dean of Engineering and Computing at The University of New Mexico, has been inducted into the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Hall of Fame.

The first class of ASEE Hall of Fame members in 30 years was announced last month in Washington, D.C., at the 130th Anniversary Gala of ASEE.

Riley is a longtime member and fellow of ASEE. Her research focuses on engineering education, especially the integration of ethics, communication, social analysis, lifelong learning and how those skillsets help in the formation of engineering professionals.

She made an impact on the discipline by building a first-in-the-nation program at Smith College that employs feminist and critical pedagogies, integrates engineering and the liberal arts, and roots curriculum in a context of sustainability. She also led the effort to develop a National Science Foundation program that focused on structural and cultural change in engineering and computer science departments.

Riley, who has been dean of the School of Engineering since April 1, was the former head of the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University, which had several scholars also inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.

The Hall of Fame honors engineering and engineering technology education standouts. The honorees were selected for work that has made a significant impact on engineering education. This can be in the areas of pedagogy, broadening participation (equity, access and inclusion), research, service or leadership, commercialization/entrepreneurship, making significant contributions to engineering or engineering technology education, or reflecting the evolving nature of engineering/engineering technology education over the past several decades.

Earlier this year, Riley was elected as ASEE’s first vice president of scholarship, which oversees ASEE’s Scholarly Publications Committee and serves as the point of contact for all scholarly products affiliated with ASEE, such as journals, conference proceedings and new media products like podcasts.