Jennifer Detlor Teaches with Added Intention

Mechanical Engineering Assistant Teaching Professor Jennifer Detlor officially began her new role this January. The Teaching Professor position is an exciting one, and Detlor plans to focus her attention on pedagogical research, with particular interest in recruitment and retention of underserved students.

“Much research has been conducted on the pursuit of engineering degrees for underserved students,” Detlor shares. “This research is generally focused on women, students of color and low-income students. However, rural students are also vulnerable to exiting the engineering pipeline. As a first-generation college student from a small town in Wisconsin, I have particular interest in the aspiration and pursuit of engineering degrees for rural students. I plan to conduct research to better understand the challenges and barriers rural students face in realizing, pursuing, and obtaining engineering degrees. In addition to this research, I plan to propose and implement programs to assist students in progressing through their programs.”

In the classroom, Detlor plans to enhance clarity, incorporate relatable examples, and provide practice for students to develop intuition and confidence. “I am interested in developing interactive lectures and text, as well as the gamefication of course content.”

For outreach, Detlor hopes to increase awareness that mechanical engineers work on projects with strong societal purpose. She plans to promote this by further developing outreach programs to schools in Wisconsin where current students visit for demonstrations and discussions.

Detlor currently teaches ME 306 (Mechanics of Materials) and will teach ME 364 (Heat Transfer) over the summer.