Heidi Diefes-Dux

Heidi Diefes-Dux is Professor of Engineering Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, specializing in discipline-based education research within the College of Engineering. Her scholarship develops evidence-based approaches for authentic engineering education across K-16 environments, particularly through model-eliciting activities and standards-based assessment frameworks.

Educational background includes:

• Ph.D. Agricultural and Biological Engineering (Purdue)
• M.S. Food Science (Cornell)
• B.S. Food Science (Cornell)

Research foci:

• Authentic engineering activity design
• Standards-based grading efficacy
• Early engineering concept development
• STEM education translation mechanisms

Publication trends reveal sustained investigation into assessment methodologies, with works exploring reflection practices, grading system impacts, and peer review calibration. Research shifts show increasing focus on temporal factors in learning and conceptual frameworks for engineering foundations.

Academic leadership includes coordinating first-year engineering programs and developing unified Ph.D. specializations in engineering education research. Laboratory groups pioneer model-eliciting activities connecting authentic engineering problems with classroom practice.