Amiah Clevenger

- Design and deliver hands-on engineering and technology curriculum that helps students

explore careers in STEM fields.

- Manage and maintain classroom and laboratory environments, including tools, equipment,

safety procedures, and student projects.

- Use industry tools and technologies, such as CAD software, 3D printers, CNC machines, and

robotics, to foster creativity, innovation, and teamwork.

- Assess student learning and provide feedback on design work, prototypes, and technical

documentation.

 

Purdue has provided me with the perfect blend of experiences to prepare me for my future career. Through classes taken in partnership with the College of Education, Polytechnic technical courses, and major-specific classes, I have received a well-rounded education. In

addition to academics, Purdue has allowed me to apply my skills by teaching in nearby schools, participating in extracurricular organizations such as TEECA (Technology Engineering Educators Collegiate Association), and working in roles related to research and lab management.

 

Dr. Greg Strimel, Dr. Nathan Mentzer, and other faculty in the Technology Leadership and

Innovation department have played an important role in helping me achieve my goals. I have

received an incredible amount of support from these mentors throughout my time at Purdue.

During my freshman year, Dr. Greg Strimel encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone and compete in a national teaching lesson competition, even though I had not yet written a formal lesson and was very nervous. He paired me with upperclassman mentors, and together we developed a lesson that ultimately won first place. Since then, I have continued to compete in this competition each year, and lesson development has become one of my strongest professional skills.

 

In addition, Dr. Nathan Mentzer has mentored me as a research assistant. Through this role, I

have conducted classroom observations in Atlanta schools and contributed to scholarly work, including co-authoring two journal articles, one conference proceeding, and a conference presentation that received an award.

 

Opportunities and relationships such as these have allowed me to attend seven international

conferences, work three on-campus jobs, and build meaningful connections with professionals in our field. The confidence and mentorship provided by Dr. Mentzer, Dr. Strimel, and the faculty in this department have had a lasting impact on my development. I am confident that these relationships will continue beyond graduation as I begin my career in teaching.

 

Several courses in the program have been especially beneficial to my development as an

educator. In Engineering and Technology Education and Instructional Planning and Evaluation, my classmates and I developed and published hydroponics curriculum in partnership with the Engineering by Design curriculum vendor. Special Education Law helped me understand how to effectively advocate for students with IEPs and 504 plans. Assessment Literacy provided a new perspective on meaningful and effective student assessment. And finally, Supervised Teaching (Student Teaching) has placed me in a classroom with a mentor teacher, allowing me to gain firsthand experience with the responsibilities of a full-time teacher.

 

My favorite course was Teaching Design and Innovation II (also known as Prototyping

Technology for People), which is both required for my major and part of the Design and

Innovation minor. In this course, we explored rapid prototyping and fabrication technologies

used in the design process while also learning about the business and implementation aspects of product development.

 

Dr. Greg Strimel was a phenomenal instructor who encouraged students to develop solutions

that addressed real-world needs. For my project, I worked with a classmate to design a printed circuit board (PCB) earring kit that students could solder themselves as part of a

microelectronics unit. The goal of this project was to promote awareness of the semiconductor and microelectronics industry by introducing students to these concepts early, especially as this field continues to grow in Indiana.

 

At the end of the course, my classmates selected my project to represent the class in the

Design and Innovation Competition, where I presented it to a panel of judges and received both the class favorite award and a cash prize.

 

Following the course, Dr. Strimel connected me with SCALE-K12, a Purdue initiative that

provides professional development for teachers in the semiconductor and microelectronics

fields. Through this collaboration, I continued developing the instructional unit, which is now

being implemented by educators in the community and will soon be published as a free

resource for teachers across the United States.