Natalie Van Tyne

Dr. Natalie Van Tyne is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech's College of Engineering, where she has been serving since 2015. She previously held academic positions at the Colorado School of Mines, including Teaching Associate Professor and Director of the Design EPICS Program. Her work focuses on first-year engineering education, particularly reflective learning, ethics, and team dynamics.

Education:

• Ph.D., Engineering Education, Virginia Tech
• M.S., Ecological (Environmental) Engineering, Colorado School of Mines
• M.B.A., Business Administration, Lehigh University
• M.S., Chemical Engineering, Lehigh University
• B.S., Chemical Engineering, Rutgers University
• B.A., Russian Language and Literature, Douglass College (Rutgers University)

Her research interests include reflective learning, engineering ethics, first-year student teams, and service learning. She emphasizes problem-solving and metacognition in engineering education, advocating for student development through sustained practice and reflection. Her teaching includes Foundations of Engineering I and II, and she has contributed to textbook development and curriculum innovation.

Her 15 most recent publications, spanning from 2012 to 2019, consistently focus on engineering pedagogy, reflective judgment, team dynamics, and ethics education. These works appear primarily in American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and First-Year Engineering Experiences (FYEE) conferences, highlighting her impact on national engineering education discourse.

Scientific Awards:

• Elected to Tau Beta Pi, Virginia Beta Chapter (2018)
• Thank a Teacher Award, Virginia Tech (2018, 2017)
• Outstanding Faculty Award, Panhellenic Council, Virginia Tech (2017)

Dr. Van Tyne has advised multiple student design teams, including those competing in NASA's Moon Buggy Race and RASC-AL, and led a service-learning project in South Africa. She has written 18 letters of recommendation and guided students through the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam. She has also contributed to ABET accreditation efforts and served on faculty search and assessment committees. Her professional service includes reviewing for ASEE and FYEE conferences, Fulbright and Goldwater applications, and engineering ethics databases.

She is actively involved in educational development, having revised course materials, developed new projects like the Aesthetic Wind Turbine, and integrated systems thinking into curricula. Her leadership in the Design EPICS Program included managing budgets, scheduling, and faculty evaluations.