Holly Keyes Ault

Holly Keyes Ault is an Adjunct Teaching Professor at The Global School, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), affiliated with the Biomedical Engineering and Robotics Engineering departments. She also serves as Director of the Assistive Technology Resource Center. A WPI alumna, she earned her BS (1974), MS (1983), and PhD (1988) in Mechanical Engineering, becoming WPI’s first female Mechanical Engineering PhD recipient. Prior to academia, she held engineering roles at Norton Company and Olin Corporation. As faculty, she mentors students in global projects, IQPs, and design courses, emphasizing creativity and problem-solving. Her outreach efforts include Project Lead the Way and Camp REACH, targeting K-12 STEM engagement, particularly for female students.

Education:

• BS in Mechanical Engineering, WPI, 1974
• MS in Mechanical Engineering, WPI, 1983
• PhD in Mechanical Engineering, WPI, 1988

Research interests span engineering education, assistive technology, robotics applications, and broadening STEM participation. Her work highlights cross-cultural engineering projects and improving visualization skills in African engineering students. She has advised global projects and contributed to ergonomic wheelchair design innovations.

Notable roles include former Director of the Melbourne Project Centre and advisor in the Global Projects Program, fostering student collaboration across disciplines. Her academic contributions align with WPI’s project-based learning ethos.