CJ McClelland

Carrie J. McClelland  (Cj) came to Mines first as a student, when she earned one of the original B.S.E. degrees – a B.S. in Engineering with a Civil Specialty, and a minor in Public Affairs.  She returned later to teach after working as a professional civil engineer, and attending graduate school. Cj holds a M.S. in Environmental Engineering, a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, and graduate minors in Engineering for Developing Communities and College Teaching from the University of Colorado-Boulder. 

She is passionate about helping students learn in meaningful, fun, and impactful ways, and helping them to be well-rounded thinkers who are effective professionals who contribute positively to society.  Cj‘s teaching focuses on courses that push students to think and integrate multiple aspects through projects, experiences, and active in-class modes. Her research interests include teaching as research (Scholarship of Teaching & Learning); pedagogy from a practitioner’s view; and the interplay between technical, social, political, environmental, and economic factors in making engineering and policy decisions. Her most recent work has focused on: the educational effectiveness of using a “flipped”,” active classroom structure; developing classroom interventions to raise students’ understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility and how it may affect their professional practice; and, using Standards-Based-Grading in engineering courses.