My research area is engineering education. I currently study instructional practices to improve students’ sense of social responsibility, factors that influence the success of college students with ADHD, and faculty adoption of evidence-based teaching practices. I also led a project to develop a taxonomy for the field of engineering education, and I was part of a team that studied ethical decision-making in engineering students. I am Founding Director of the Center for Research and Learning in Engineering at Michigan, which supports college-wide initiatives in engineering teaching and learning, and I currently serve as Director for Engineering Education Research in the College of Engineering. Learn about the Engineering Education Research initiatives at the University of Michigan here.
I am a fellow of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), past Deputy Editor of the Journal of Engineering Education, past Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Education, and past chair of the Educational Research and Methods Division of ASEE.
Prior to joining UM in 2003, I served as Founding Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Richard L. Terrell Professor of Excellence in Teaching, and Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Kettering University.
Read about recently-awarded NSF grants here:
- Introducing young engineering students to the sociotechnical impact of technology
- Building ethical engineering leaders: Public welfare awareness in graduate education
- ADHD in engineering: Improving education for neurodiverse college STEM students
- EER Website
- Meet Professor Finelli (2024) and (2017)
- Collegiate Professorship Seminar
- Learn about ECE Education Research
- Professor Finelli’s CV (June 2024)