Fiona Zoutendyk

As a Professor of Teaching at WPI, I share my enthusiasm for materials science, thermal fluids, renewable energy and biomaterials, both in my classes and as a capstone design project advisor. Education is my way of sharing my passion for Science and Engineering. I believe that these are great professions because they give us the ability to effect real and positive change in this world. I particularly enjoy the varied and interesting contributions my students make in class, and the collaborative environment of WPI as a whole.

My current research is centered on the scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL), and I have shared my insights and teaching innovations at national and regional engineering education conferences. My collaborative research related to identifying and addressing gaps in Math skills needed for courses at the sophomore level was recognized (2020) by a Best Professional Paper at the ASEE NE conference. In 2023 I was awarded a faculty fellowship to develop a modular toolkit for incorporating collaborative project-based learning in STEM Capstone Design, and shared this resource through WPI’s Center for Project Based Learning (CPBL).

I actively engage in programs that welcome and encourage women, high school and underrepresented students to pursue STEM professions. I contributed to ASM International’s annual one day New England Materials Experience event (WPI and Boston University) for high school students (2000-2019). In 2022 I was a co-recipient of a grant from WPI’s Women’s Impact Network to provide opportunities for undergraduate women students to attend conferences to present their research projects or their major-specific projects.

In my work at WPI I also draw on my cross-functional team experience as a Metallurgical Engineer in applied research and development. Prior to moving into academia, my research focused primarily on shape memory, phase transformations and alloy development in novel gold alloys. Other projects included the development of a patented ferro-alloy casting process and failure investigations.

Visit Digital WPI to view student research and projects advised by Professor Zoutendyk (formerly Levey).

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 4: Quality Education

SDG 4: Quality Education - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

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SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 5: Gender Equality - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

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SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

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SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

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Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure Goal

Scholarly Work

Professor Zoutendyk’s research focus is on active learning innovations in materials engineering and thermal fluids. She collaborates regularly on broadly interdisciplinary research involving products and processes.

FEATURED WORKS:

K. LeChasseur, F. Levey, A. C. Sabuncu, A. Ebadi, J. McNeill, Capstone Projects for Self-Efficacy, Skills, and Successful Careers, ASEE 2024 National conference, June 2024.

F.C. Levey, Work-in-Progress: Hands-on group activities for large fluid mechanics classes in a traditional lecture hall setting, 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore, Maryland, June 2023.

T. R. B. Snow, M.J. Cuddy, K. Neidhart, G. O’Neil, F. Levey, and R. Daniello, Materials Testing Machine: Design, Fabrication, and Assembly of a Benchtop Universal Materials Tester, ASEE-NE 2022.

F. C. Levey and M. R. Johnson, Fundamental Mathematical Skill Development in Engineering Education, 2020 annual conference ASEE Northeast Section.

V.K. Bhatia, F.C. Levey, C.S. Kealley, A. Dowd, and M.B. Cortie. The aluminium-copper- gold ternary system, Gold Bulletin, vol. 42 no. 3, September 2009, pp. 201-208.