Dr. Cynthia Finelli

Biography

Cynthia Finelli is a professor at the University of Michigan, where she serves as the David C. Munson, Jr. Professor in the College of Engineering and is part of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) department. Her research focuses on engineering education, particularly in instructional practices that enhance students' sense of social responsibility. She has studied factors that influence the success of college students with ADHD and has promoted the faculty adoption of evidence-based teaching practices. Finelli has led efforts to develop a taxonomy in the field of engineering education and has been part of teams studying ethical decision-making among engineering students. She is the founding director of the Center for Research on Learning and Engineering, which supports college-wide initiatives centered on engineering teaching and learning. For over a decade, she has participated as the founding director of the Engineering Education Research program in the College of Engineering. Finelli is a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), having held editorial roles including past Deputy Editor of the Journal of Engineering Education and past Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Education. Before joining the University of Michigan in 2003, she was the founding director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and held the Richard L. Terrell Professorship for Excellence in Teaching, as well as the position of Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Kettering University.

Research Interests