Dr. Rachel Anderson, Ph.D., Associate Director of the Academic Success Center, was named associate editor of the year by the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Journal of Civil Engineering Education. Anderson, who served as a reviewer for multiple engineering journals, has been an associate editor for the Journal of Civil Engineering Education (JCEE) since 2019.
Sue Whorton, Director of the Academic Success Center, praised Anderson for her dedication to her craft despite being an editor for the journal for a relatively short time. By extension, she also recognized the extent to which Anderson has exemplified what it means to work in education.
“To be recognized for her contributions as an associate editor of a national peer-reviewed journal after just two years in this position speaks to Rachel’s generosity as a leader and colleague in engineering education and to her commitment to engaging in continuous learning,” Whorton said.
“Serving as an editor allows me to combine my background in engineering education research and my experience coordinating a peer learning program at the Academic Success Center,” Anderson said.
Anderson brings an extensive background in engineering to her various roles in her profession. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Physics from Baldwin-Wallace University in 2010, she came to Clemson and earned a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 2014 and a Ph.D. in Engineering and Science Education in 2017.
As a graduate student, Anderson taught several courses in mechanical engineering and contributed to the Creative Inquiry Program.
Anderson later transitioned to serve as the Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Program coordinator in May 2017 and has been an associate director of the Academic Success Center since March 2021. Becoming an associate editor for an engineering journal was an easy next step for Anderson to combine both of her passions.
While performing her roles with the ASC and JCEE, Anderson remained committed to the classroom, teaching engineering courses alongside multiple Creative Inquiry and graduate-level courses for engineering and science education in the Spring 2018 semester. She also served as coordinator of the sophomore-level mechanical engineering course in Fall 2019.
“Many JCEE manuscripts are cases sharing what instructors have seen and tried in their classrooms, and oftentimes I have experienced something similar as I work with undergraduate students,” Anderson said. “I enjoy being able to support authors in not only presenting robust research but ensuring it is something the reader can practically apply in other student learning spaces.”
Anderson’s experiences as an instructor and associate director have allowed her to provide valuable contributions and feedback as an associate editor. Moving forward, she seeks to continue serving her students and community to the best of her ability.