Michael Sheppard, PhD, MSE, MBA

Michael Sheppard is a Teaching Assistant Professor in EDS. As an engineer, designer, and educator, he has been engaged within the engineering community for over a decade. While deployed as a Special Operations Combat Medic, Michael taught undergraduate STEM courses in the Middle East and discovered his passion for education. Following his military service, he worked in industry and later completed his Ph.D. in Engineering Education Systems and Design. Michael’s dedication to service, mentorship, and academic excellence led to his induction as a Pat Tillman Scholar in 2019.

As a practitioner of engineering education, he is a firm proponent of the “research to practice” ideology. Michael often teaches user-inspired design, engineering mechanics, and finite element analysis. His primary areas of interest within the broad discipline of engineering education include: 1) exploring the intersection of empathetic problem-solving practices and societal impact, 2) promoting diversity and inclusion through a holistic approach to mentorship and the use of asset-based research practices, 3) developing new engineering pedagogy through additive innovations, and 4) the incorporation of modern industry practices within undergraduate engineering design.