Sheri D. Sheppard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sheri D. Sheppard
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|---|---|
| Born | 1956 |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Awards | U.S. Professors of the Year award |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | engineering design |
| Institutions | Stanford University |
Sheri D. Sheppard, born in 1956, is a respected professor at Stanford University. She teaches students about engineering design, which is all about creating and improving things. She helps both undergraduate and graduate students learn how to design new products and systems.
In November 2014, Dr. Sheppard received a very special honor. The Carnegie Foundation gave her the U.S. Professors of the Year award. This award recognized her amazing teaching skills.
Early Life and Education
Sheri Sheppard grew up in Racine, Wisconsin. She finished high school at William Horlick High School in 1974. At first, she wanted to study law.
However, her father encouraged her to study engineering instead. He said he would help pay for law school if she first got an engineering degree. She earned her bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1978. By then, she had fallen in love with engineering.
She continued her studies at the University of Michigan–Dearborn. She earned her master's degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1980. Later, she received her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1985.
Career Highlights
Before becoming a professor, Dr. Sheppard worked in the car industry. She held jobs at Chrysler Corporation and Ford Motor Company in Detroit.
In 1986, she joined Stanford University as an assistant professor. She became an associate professor in 1993 and a full professor in 2005. From 2006 to 2007, she was the chair of Stanford's Faculty Senate. This means she led meetings and discussions for all the professors.
From 1999 to 2008, she also worked as a Senior Scholar at the Carnegie Foundation. There, she helped with a big study about how engineers are taught.
Research and Studies
Dr. Sheppard has done important research on how materials break down over time. She has written many papers and textbooks about how things like welds can fail.
She has also led many studies about engineering education itself. One of her big projects was called Educating Engineers: Designing for the Future of the Field. This study looked at how to best prepare future engineers.
Dr. Sheppard has also received grants from the National Science Foundation. These grants helped her explore new ways to teach engineering. She helped start important centers like the Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Sheppard has received many awards for her work and teaching.
- In 2004, she won the Chester F. Carlson Award from the American Society for Engineering Education. This award recognized her as an "innovator in engineering education."
- Stanford University gave her the Walter J. Gores Award in 2010. This is Stanford's highest award for excellent teaching. It celebrates professors who are great at lecturing, tutoring, and leading discussions.
- In 2012, she received the Ralph Coats Roe Award. This award recognized her important contributions to the engineering field.
- Stanford also honored her in 2014 with the President's Award for Excellence Through Diversity. This award celebrated her as a role model for women in engineering.
The Carnegie Foundation named her the 2014 U.S. Professor of the Year. They praised her for her "innovative approach to teaching." She turned large classes into small group learning labs, helping students learn by solving problems together.
She is also a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering and the American Society for Engineering Education. Being a "fellow" means she is recognized as a top expert in these organizations.
