Assistant professor named DESIGN associate director for graduate programs

8/16/2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Nicholas Meisel, assistant professor of engineering design, was recently named the engineering design (DESIGN) program’s associate director for graduate programs in support of DESIGN’S growing graduate initiatives. The DESIGN program is housed within the School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs (SEDTAPP).

In the newly establish role, Meisel will serve as the graduate chair for the DESIGN program, advising and aiding students as they work toward attaining their master of engineering in engineering design or master of science in engineering design. He will oversee course petitions, adviser and advisee matching, degree approvals and graduate capstone design experiences and presentations including studio projects, thesis presentations and research papers.

Meisel joined the DESIGN program leaders, Scarlett Miller, director of engineering design and associate professor of engineering design and industrial engineering, and Sarah Ritter, engineering design associate director for undergraduate programs and associate teaching professor of engineering design, on Aug. 15.

“Nick has led SEDTAPP’s curriculum committee, helping to review and approve new courses and program offerings,” Miller said. “He is an active participant in advising our DESIGN students, many of whom have developed such a passion for engineering design they have chosen to stay on at Penn State to pursue a Ph.D. with Nick serving as their adviser. As we transition to offering new tracks in the DESIGN graduate program, Nick’s experience and expertise in additive manufacturing education will greatly benefit the product realization track. I am excited to see how he can use his skills to build a community in our program, especially as we move to West 2, the new home of engineering design.”

Additionally, Meisel will create engagement opportunities for both current and prospective students to help build relationships between first- and second-year graduate students, developing an active, diverse and inclusive engineering design community at Penn State. He will also oversee graduate program marketing initiatives, helping increase program awareness and visibility. Meisel will also work with Miller to build connections with engineering design industry professionals, establishing new partnership and collaboration channels for student internships, graduate project and course support and program sponsorship opportunities.

“I’m thrilled to take on this new leadership position in our DESIGN program,” Meisel said. “I’ve had the chance to watch the graduate program grow and evolve ever since I joined Penn State, so when presented with the chance to help shepherd it into the future, I jumped at it. Our graduate students have gone on to exciting careers both in academia and industry, and I look forward not only to increasing the number of students in our program, but also to helping those students enter into careers that further fuel their passion for design. Alongside the growth of our student population, my hope is to grow the national and international reputation of our graduate program, building on the incredible work that our faculty and students are already doing.”

 

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Nicholas Meisel, assistant professor of engineering design. IMAGE: PENN STATE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING