Our work in the Cornell David A. Duffield Engineering Education Research Institute is grounded in the belief that educational excellence and world-changing impact are deeply connected. By studying engineering education as a dynamic system and by working with scholars, practitioners, and university leaders, we aim to help shape more effective, responsive, and future-facing engineering learning environments.
Research
We support research that advances our understanding of engineering education while also informing meaningful change in practice. Our work spans foundational questions about learning, assessment, curriculum, student development, faculty practice, and institutional systems, as well as emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, workforce development, and educational innovation.
Through affiliated research groups and collaborative initiatives, the institute aims to create a visible and connected ecosystem for engineering education research across Cornell.
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Researching Engineering, Design, and Educational Systems (REDES) Team
Led by Alexandra Coso Strong
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Shaping Transformative Research on Identity and Diversity in Engineering (STRIDE) Group
Let by Allison Godwin
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Biomedical Engineering Education, Assessment, and Research (BEEAR) Group
Led by Alexandra Werth
Education
At Cornell, an engineering education research Ph.D. pathway takes an embedded form: students remain grounded in an engineering discipline while pursuing research questions related to learning, pedagogy, assessment, professional formation, design education, institutional systems, or the future of engineering education. Rather than separating technical expertise from educational inquiry, this model brings them together.
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Ph.D. Pathways in Engineering Education Research
Investigate how engineers learn, how programs are designed, and how educational systems can be improved.
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Ph.D. Programs in Duffield Engineering
The Ph.D. is offered by sixteen engineering-related graduate fields.
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Cornell Graduate School
Comprehensive resources about Cornell’s graduate experience, including the application portal.
Our Core Faculty
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![Alex Coso Strong]()
Alexandra Coso Strong
Director, Duffield Engineering Education Research Institute Associate Professor
R.F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Systems Engineering Program
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![Allison Godwin]()
Allison Godwin
Associate Director, Duffield Engineering Education Research Institute Dr. G. Stephen Irwin ’67, ’68 Professor of Engineering Education Research Associate Director of Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility
R.F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
News Highlights
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Duffield Engineering launches $25M education research institute
With funds from a record-setting naming gift from David A. Duffield ’62, MBA ’64, the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering will establish the $25 million Cornell David A. Duffield Engineering Education Research Institute.
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Revolutionizing engineering education: The rise of a new research pillar
Cornell Engineering is rapidly becoming a leader in engineering education research, a field dedicated to designing effective education systems and learning experiences for students. The insights emerging from this work have the potential to redefine engineering education on campus and far outside it.
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Irwin gift endows unique engineering education professorship
An endowed professorship, made possible with a gift from George Stephen Irwin ’67, M.Eng. ’68, is dedicated to engineering education research. Allison Godwin, associate professor in the Smith School, will be the first to hold the professorship.
