Kristen Wendell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kristen Bethke Wendell is an American scholar of engineering education. She is a professor of mechanical engineering and education at Tufts University,[1] where she co-directs the Institute for Research on Learning and Instruction in the Tufts University School of Engineering.[2] A major theme of her research has been the integration of engineering engineering into the elementary school curriculum.[3]
Wendell has a 2003 bachelor's degree from Princeton University,[2] in mechanical and aerospace engineering.[4] Initially intending to continue in aerospace engineering,[3] she received a 2005 master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,[2][4] with research on spacesuit design.[3][4] After changing her focus to engineering education,[3] she completed her Ph.D. at Tufts University in 2011,[2] working under the supervision of Chris Rogers.[5]
Next, Wendell became an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston, in 2011.[5] She returned to Tufts as an assistant professor in 2016.[1] As an assistant professor at Tufts, she also held the title of McDonnell Family Professor in Engineering Education.[5][6] In 2026, she was promoted to full professor.[1]
