معرفی
Shannon Barker, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia. She holds academic appointments in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and leads curriculum development efforts to ensure alignment with accreditation standards and industry needs. Her research focuses on engineering education innovation, inclusive pedagogy, and equitable student support systems.
Dr. Barker earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, followed by post-doctoral training at the University of Washington and EPFL. Prior to UVA, she directed graduate programs at Georgia Tech/Emory's Joint Biomedical Engineering Department and served in UVA's Dean's Office overseeing graduate education strategy.
Her research emphasizes curriculum design (e.g., principle-focused BME frameworks), inclusive teaching practices, and DEI initiatives in STEM education. Notable work includes developing virtual lab simulations during the pandemic and humanitarian engineering projects that enhance students' engineering identity.
- Received prestigious teaching awards: 2022 All-University Faculty Teaching Award and Hartfield Excellence in Teaching Award
- Co-leads HHMI Driving Change Initiative to improve STEM diversity
- Teaches courses in physiology for engineers and women's health topics
Her career spans academic leadership, with over 20 years in curriculum development and educational policy. Current efforts focus on holistic PhD admissions rubrics and scalable DEI implementation strategies in engineering education programs.
