Andrea Surovek

Dr. Andrea Surovek is a Professor at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (SDSMT), serving as Director of Faculty Development within Academic Affairs and the Office of the Provost. She holds a PhD from Georgia Institute of Technology and B.A./B.S./M.S. degrees from Purdue University. A Fellow of ASCE and SEI, she has pioneered work in engineering pedagogy, gender equity, and biomimicry. Her research bridges structural engineering with educational innovation, emphasizing creativity and inclusivity.

Education:

• B.A., B.S., Purdue University
• M.S., Purdue University
• Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology

Research Interests: Surovek’s work focuses on fostering creativity in engineering education, advancing gender equity through mentorship programs, and applying biomimicry principles to sustainable structural design. She has led NSF-funded projects addressing problem-based learning and industry-academia collaboration, while her structural engineering research examines stability in steel framing systems. Her pedagogical innovations include ungraded classrooms and flipped learning models post-pandemic.

Scientific Awards:

• ASCE George Winter Medal (2016)
• ASEE Seely Fellowship
• Beer and Johnston New Mechanics Educator Award
• SDSMT Ennenga Award

Grants & Advising: As PI/Co-PI on NSF grants totaling over $3M, her work includes NSF 2121601 (equity pathways) and NSF 2021135 (complex problem-solving). She mentors faculty through South Dakota WISE initiatives and advises on structural sustainability projects. Her Music Adds Up nonprofit supports K-12 music education in Rapid City schools.

Labs & Teams: Leads the Engineering Education Innovation Lab and collaborates with the Bioinspired Structures Group. Her work integrates interdisciplinary teams from academia and industry to address global engineering challenges.