Guided by a dynamic leadership team

Karen A. Thole is a Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University where she co-founded the Engineering Ambassador Network. Dr. Thole grew up in a small town in southern Illinois on a dairy farm where she had exposure only to professions such as farming, teaching, and the medical field. When she entered college, one of the students in her chemistry class told her about field of engineering. She learned more about it through a phone call with McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing). Because of these experiences, Dr. Thole became passionate about spreading the word to k-12 students, particularly diverse groups, on the impacts of engineering and how rewarding such a career can be.

As a child, Dr. Thole’s father often took her to the St. Louis airport where she became excited about flight. She now serves as the Director of the Steady Thermal Aero Research Turbine (START) Lab, which focuses on advancing gas turbines for power generation and for sustainable aviation propulsion. Dr. Thole’s expertise is in heat transfer, additive manufacturing, and instrumentation development. She is a Fellow of ASME and AIAA and has been recognized by the ASME George Westinghouse Gold Medal, the ASME Edwin F. Church Medal in Engineering Education, the ASME Heat Transfer Memorial Award, the AIAA Air Breathing Propulsion Award, and the AIAA Thermophysics Award. Dr. Thole holds two degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois, and a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin.

Holding a master of science in electrical engineering and a master of fine arts in writing, Michael Alley is a teaching professor of engineering communication at Penn State. He is the author of The Craft of Scientific Presentations (Springer, 2013), which has been translated to Japanese and Chinese, and The Craft of Scientific Writing (Springer, 2018). A co-founder of the Engineering Ambassadors Network, Alley has taught presentations and writing to engineers and scientists on four continents. Sites include Google, Harvard Medical School, Pfizer, MIT, Texas Instruments, the University of Oslo, and the University of Illinois. Alley’s website on presentations (www.assertion-evidence.com) is a top Google listing for engineering presentations and his website on writing (www.craftofscientificwriting.com) is a top Google listing for engineering writing.

Lori Miraldi serves as an Associate Director of the Engineering Ambassadors Network and the Director of the Engineering Ambassadors Program at the Pennsylvania State University. Lori is passionate about helping engineers, scientists, and educators share their expertise through effective presentation and communication skills. She holds a M.A. in Communication Studies from Kent State University and a Ph.D. in Workforce Education and Development from the Pennsylvania State University.

Mindy Heggen serves as an Associate Director of the Engineering Ambassadors Network. Prior to this role, she was an academic advisor for the department of mechanical engineering at Iowa State University, and founder and advisor of the Iowa State University chapter of EAN. She holds a B.S. in Animal Science from Iowa State University, and a M.Ed. in Education for Iowa State University.  Her research has focused on the challenges minoritized identities face in American higher education.

Mindy Heggen serves as an Associate Director of the Engineering Ambassadors Network. Prior to this role, she was an academic advisor for the department of mechanical engineering at Iowa State University, and founder and advisor of the Iowa State University chapter of EAN. She holds a B.S. in Animal Science from Iowa State University, and a M.Ed. in Education for Iowa State University.  Her research has focused on the challenges minoritized identities face in American higher education.

Lori Miraldi serves as an Associate Director of the Engineering Ambassadors Network and the Director of the Engineering Ambassadors Program at the Pennsylvania State University. Lori is passionate about helping engineers, scientists, and educators share their expertise through effective presentation and communication skills. She holds a M.A. in Communication Studies from Kent State University and a Ph.D. in Workforce Education and Development from the Pennsylvania State University.

STEM Outreach Program Coordinator for the School of Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and advisor for the Engineering Ambassadors program at RPI.  Michelle loves working with the community and has a knack for problem solving, along with a desire to create and provide memorable experiences.  Michelle holds a Bachelors degree in elementary education from the College of St. Rose, Albany, NY.

Jaclyn Johnson is currently an Associate Teaching Professor in the Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics Department at Michigan Technological University. She has a BA degree in physics and minor in mathematics from Illinois Wesleyan University, and a MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University. She is currently faculty advisor for the Engineering Ambassadors Program, which she has done since 2016, having advised 90 ambassadors reaching over 5,600 K-12 students. Additionally, she is faculty advisor for the Society of Women Engineers, leading several outreach initiatives with EA including K-5 Engineering Days. Outside of teaching and student organization advising, she is active in advising Senior Design teams and conducting research in STEM education focusing on Learning Analytics and diesel spray and combustion characteristics, image progressing, and thermophysical property modeling. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her three daughters, husband, and dog, and being active outdoors – hiking, running, swimming, skiing and playing hockey.

Joan Brown (B.S. Electrical Engineering 2016, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) serves as Academic Advisor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, co-advisor for the department’s Women in Electrical and Computer Engineering student organization, and co-advisor for the college’s Engineering Ambassadors program at her alma mater. Her favorite experiences from college include being a part of the Marching Illini, Engineering Ambassadors, and the Bioacoustics Research Lab. She attributes her career trajectory and professional fulfillment to her experiences in Engineering Ambassadors and mentors she met along the way. In her free time, she enjoys trying to sing along to musical soundtracks, spending time with her dog, and playing video games.

Dr. Joanna Garner leads the Data subcommittee for the Engineering Ambassadors Network. Dr. Garner also has a faculty role at Old Dominion University in Norfolk VA, where she is a Research Professor and the Executive Director for The Center for Educational Partnerships. Her research has helped to reveal how Ambassadors’ use of the Assertion Evidence presentation style can benefit both the audience and the presenter’s understanding and recall of complex technical information, as well as the ways in which Ambassadors’ engineering related identity develops over time.

Mr. Fillinger is a staff support engineer at Geneva College, and works as a member of the teams responsible for projects brought to the Pinkerton Center of Technology Development. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, specializing in electrical engineering, from Geneva College. Mr. Fillinger has 6 years’ experience in the hardware industry where he served as a customer advisor in product selection and application.

Mr. Fillinger has been the staff advisor for the Geneva EA Program since 2022.

Rebecca Stoner is the Executive Director of Engineering Product Line Engineering for Engine Controls Systems and Engine Airframe Control Systems in the Power and Controls SBU of Collins Aerospace in Windsor Locks CT.  She leads a global team of engineers that design digital aircraft controls, heat exchangers, fuel controls, fuel nozzles, mechanical power conversion products, and cabin air management systems. Stoner joined the company in 1995 and has served in several engineering and management positions in the Collins’ Power and Controls and Interiors businesses. Prior to Collins Aerospace, Stoner was a mechanical engineer in the automotive industry, where she supported seating systems and automated production lines.

Rebecca is the co-chair of Collin’s Leading Inspired Females in Technology (LIFT) and serves as the Collins Executive Sponsor on the Raytheon Technologies Engineering Ambassador board. Additionally, she is the Chair of Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Industry Advisory Board. Stoner holds a bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Colorado.

David Golfin is Associate Director – Deputy Chief Engineer at Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Technologies.  David holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Connecticut, and was an engineering ambassador in UConn’s inaugural EA class.