Angela “Angie” Minichiello

Biography

I am an associate professor of engineering education at Utah State University, a registered professional mechanical engineer, and a U.S. Army Aviation veteran. I received undergraduate and graduate degrees in mechanical engineering from the United States Military Academy and Georgia Institute of Technology, respectively, and a Ph.D. in engineering education from Utah State University. Broadly, my research centers on workforce preparation and the professional formation of engineers, comprised of the formal and informal processes and value systems by which people become practicing engineers. My projects focus on broadening participation of student veterans and service members in engineering, realizing situated learning in engineering through educational technologies, and expanding access to engineering learning in pre-college and informal spaces. As Co-director of Engineering Workforce Development (EWD) for the NSF sponsored ASPIRE Engineering Research Center (ERC), I work closely with the EWD Director, Diversity and Culture of Inclusion Team, and other ERC leadership to establish an equitable and inclusive EWD ecosystem that advances engineering diversity through seamless transitions across the education continuum: pre-college education, the trades, technology education and certification programs, 2- and 4-year undergraduate education, professional education, graduate education, and life-long learning. As an ERC, ASPIRE aims to equip the engineering workforce with contemporary technical competencies, including systems of systems thinking and transdisciplinary practice, and vital professional and affective skills needed to address complex environmental, societal, and technical challenges and achieve equitable and sustainable public infrastructure and transportation on a national scale.