معرفی
Rebecca Blust is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Management, Systems and Technology at the University of Dayton's School of Engineering, where she also serves as Executive Director of the Innovation Center and holds the Frank M. Tait Endowed Chair in Engineering. With industrial experience at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, she now leads academic initiatives integrating real-world projects into engineering education.
Education:
- M.S. Engineering Management/Management Science, University of Dayton (2004)
- M.B.A., Wright State University (1997)
- B.S. Mechanical Engineering Technology, University of Dayton (1987)
Research Focus: Develops innovative pedagogical frameworks including activity-based learning, community-engaged projects, and lean manufacturing education. Her work at the Innovation Center connects 250+ companies with student teams for design solutions, while her leadership in the Institute for Applied Creativity promotes transdisciplinary, humanity-centered design methodologies.
Awards & Grants:
- Frank M. Tait Endowed Chair in Engineering
- School of Engineering Vision Award (2019)
- KEEN Best in Class recognition
- Co-PI for NSF STEM grants and $500K Kern Foundation grant
Infrastructure Development: Established the Design and Manufacturing Clinic, GEMnasium prototyping lab, and Innovation Hub at Dayton's Arcade Building, creating ecosystems for "fail fast, fail forward" innovation.
