Contact Us

James McCormick Family Engineering Teaching Excellence Institute (MTEI)

Kathryn Dimiduk, Director, Rhodes Hall 190, klc78@cornell.edu

Since its founding in 2008, Kathy has created a robust program for creating better teachers in the college. Her work has included leading teaching workshops for new faculty, course redesign assistance, teaching consultations and problem solving, classroom design and enhancement, mid-semester feedback, and revising end-of-semester course evaluations. Kathy has also assisted faculty with planning and assessment of teaching and outreach projects associated with multiple grants and been co-PI on two of the resulting grants. Kathy has been on the board of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) St. Lawrence Section since 2010 and co-hosted several of their conferences.  Recently she was the lead author on the MTEI paper Mid-semester Course Feedback Surveys Extend the Reach of an Engineering Teaching Center which won the ASEE St. Lawrence Section Awards for Best Paper and Best Diversity Paper.

Kathryn’s background is in applied physics with a Cornell BA in Physics ’79, Stanford MS ’81 and PhD ’83 in Applied Physics.   She has taught physics, math and engineering courses for more than 20 years.  Prior to returning to Cornell in 2008 to lead the nascent MTEI, Kathryn taught at the University of New Mexico, Chapman University’s satellite campus in Albuquerque, and at the Naval Post Graduate School.  

Michael Clarkson, Associate Director, Gates Hall 461, mrc26@cornell.edu

Michael Clarkson is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and the Associate Director of the James McCormick Family Teaching Excellence Institute (MTEI) at Cornell University. He teaches computer programming at all levels of the undergraduate curriculum, with a focus on writing programs that are correct, efficient, secure, and beautiful. He frequently teaches large courses, causing him to reach about 0.9 kilostudents per year. He was recognized with the Tau Beta Pi Professor of the Year award in 2021, and the Cornell College of Engineering Excellence in Teaching Award in 2015 and 2020. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Cornell in 2010.

Shivaun Archer, MTEI Faculty Teaching Fellow, Weill Hall 141, sda4@cornell.edu

Dr. Shivaun Archer is the John and Janet Swanson Senior Lecturer in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering and a Faculty Teaching Fellow in the James McCormick Family Teaching Excellence Institute (MTEI). She teaches lab courses covering nanobiotechnology, cellular, molecular, and tissue engineering, as well as physiology. As part of the MTEI Teaching Fellow duties, Archer will provide educational support for faculty members in the College of Engineering with the aim to enhance students' learning and performance, particularly in lab instruction and group work. Dr. Archer received her BS and M. Eng. from Cambridge University, England and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Davis. Dr. Archer was recognized with Cornell College of Engineering Teaching awards in 2005 and 2014. She has also been a recipient of the Zellman Warhaft Commitment to Diversity Award as well the Academic Achievement Award from the Cornell Engineering Alumni Association.

Kyle Harms, MTEI Faculty Teaching Fellow, Gates Hall 224, kyle.harms@cornell.edu

Dr. Kyle Harms is a Lecturer in the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science and a Faculty Teaching Fellow in the James McCormick Family Teaching Excellence Institute (MTEI). He designs and teaches core and elective courses in web design/development and human-computer interaction. His primary teaching interests include inclusive user interface design, end-user programming, motivating novice programmers, and programming high-fidelity software prototypes. He was recognized with the Cornell College of Engineering Excellence in Teaching Award in 2022. He received his PhD in Computer Science from Washington University in St. Louis in 2017.

Hadas Ritz, MTEI Faculty Teaching Fellow, Upson Hall 415, hr32@cornell.edu

Hadas Ritz is a Senior Lecturer in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and a Faculty Teaching Fellow in the James McCormick Family Teaching Excellence Institute (MTEI) at Cornell University. She teaches required and elective courses covering a wide range of topics in the undergraduate Mechanical Engineering curriculum, including courses in engineering mathematics, solid mechanics, and dynamics. Through MTEI, she works with colleagues in the College of Engineering to improve teaching, with a focus on advising new faculty members. Her main teaching interests include solid mechanics and engineering mathematics. Ritz was recognized with a Cornell College of Engineering Excellence in Teaching Award in 2013 and 2020, the Cornell Tau Beta Pi Professor of the Year award in 2019, and the ASEE St. Lawrence Section Outstanding Teaching Award in 2020. She received her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell in 2008.

Lesa Carter, MTEI Researcher, lc25@cornell.edu      

Dr. Carter is an educational researcher for MTEI. Her interests include improving the academic and social lives of underserved and underrepresented students and staff. She has been both a research evaluator and program evaluator on various National Science Foundation grants at Cornell University. The NSF programs consisted of diversity and inclusion efforts within higher education as well as understanding the student evaluative process. Currently, Dr. Carter is an evaluator on the CSMOre program within Computer Science that equips rising underrepresented Sophomores with fundamental skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the field. She was recognized by Cornell University with two research awards. She received a Ph.D. from Cornell University in Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

Orlay Santa, MTEI Coordinator, Rhodes Hall 173, ods8@cornell.edu

College of Engineering
Cornell University
Rhodes Hall 190
Ithaca, NY 14853-7601
Phone: 607 254-6514
Fax: 607 255-9297