Alexandra Werth
Assistant Professor
Alexandra Werth is an assistant professor at the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, having joined the faculty in Fall 2023. Her work focuses on Engineering Education Research (EER), a branch of discipline-based education research (DBER) that examines the unique educational aspects within engineering contexts. She is particularly interested in developing evidence-based teaching methodologies and educational tools to foster authentic learning environments.
Dr. Werth is both an education researcher and trained engineer, holding dual bachelor’s degrees in engineering and physics from Swarthmore College, as well as a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Princeton University. During her doctoral studies, she specialized in developing a non-invasive mid-infrared glucose sensor using quantum cascade laser spectroscopy for diabetes management. Subsequently, she pursued postdoctoral research at the University of Colorado Boulder in physics education research, with a specific focus on undergraduate instructional labs. Notably, she work focused on developing, implementing, and assessing the first large-enrollment introductory physics course-based research experience (CURE).
Postdoctoral Researchers
Campbell McColley
Postdoctoral Researcher
Campbell McColley is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the BEEAR Research Group. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University (2016) and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Oregon State University (2023). Prior to doctorate he also obtained industry experience in the manufacturing and nonprofit sectors. His doctoral research focused on the fate of micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic environmental systems focusing on transformations by natural organic matter. Concurrently during his graduate studies, Dr. McColley also conducted engineering education research focused on authentic assessments in engineering classrooms and obtained a certificate in college and university teaching from OSU.Dr. McColley is a recipient of the NSF STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (STEMEdPRF). His work centers on understanding how college-industry partnerships form and persist, using collaborations with wastewater treatment plants as a model for accessible yet underutilized industry engagement. The project aims to support undergraduate engineering programs, especially in rural areas, in building meaningful, hands-on learning experiences through these partnerships.
Margaret (Maggie) Webb
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Margaret (Maggie) Webb is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with Cornell University’s Center for InterDisciplinary Education Research (CIDER) and a Postdoctoral Associate in the BEEAR Research Group. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rice University and earned her Ph.D. in engineering education and M.S. in civil engineering from Virginia Tech. Prior to her doctoral studies, she gained industry experience as a subsea engineer at ExxonMobil and taught high school STEM. Her doctoral dissertation research focused on how academic systems influence engineering graduate students’ interdisciplinary scholar identity development and career motivation, using longitudinal qualitative methods to examine institutional structures that shape interdisciplinary engineering. Originally from New Orleans, Dr. Webb’s research interests stem from her experiences with hurricanes and center on understanding how academic ecosystems can prepare engineers to collaborate across disciplines in addressing complex societal challenges like climate change and disaster resilience, as well as identifying pathways for systemic change within engineering education. She is currently working on a project to explore systems-level barriers to STEM faculty’s interdisciplinary collaboration and constraints on their agency to pursue interdisciplinary work.