Cindy Finelli receives Cinda Sue Davis STEM Equity Leadership Award

Catharine June • April 10, 2025

Finelli has spent her career improving the education of engineering students through her own research, and by establishing centers and programs for teaching and learning at two different institutions.

Cindy Finelli. Photo: Brenda Ahearn

Cindy Finelli, David C. Munson, Jr. Collegiate Professor of Engineering, received the Cinda Sue Davis STEM Equity Leadership Award from the office of Women in Science & Engineering for her efforts “to make STEM an accessible path for all learners who want to pursue degrees and careers in science, engineering, or math.”

“Cinda Sue was a pioneer in our field and an inspirational leader,” said Finelli. “She played a crucial role in my career as a friend, colleague, and mentor, and I am humbled to receive this award in her honor.”

Finelli has devoted her career to improving the educational experience for all engineering students. She was the founding director of Kettering University’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and returned to Michigan to become the founding director of U-M’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching in Engineering (2003). She then became the first director of the graduate program in Engineering Education Research.

Much of her research focus has been on fostering faculty adoption of evidence-based instruction, identifying strategies to bolster student success, and empowering students to tackle ethical and socio-technical concerns in their work. She actively translates her research findings into practice as a frequent teacher of one of the core undergraduate courses in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Finelli received the Trudy Huebner Service Excellence Award from the College of Engineering for her decades of leadership and vision in the area of engineering education and her commitment to serving the academic community.

She is a Fellow of IEEE and the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). Finelli has received several best paper awards and numerous professional honors and awards, including a Premier Award for Engineering Education Courseware. She has served as Deputy Editor for Journal of Engineering Education and on ASEE’s “Task Force on Faculty Teaching Excellence.”

Finelli was recognized at a public ceremony held April 7, 2025.