Staff Directory

Dr. Tershia Pinder-Grover earned a B.S. degree in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland in 1999, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2002 and 2006, respectively. She joined CRLT in August 2005 and became the director of CRLT-Engin in 2016. In this role, she leads a team focused on advancing engineering education in the College of Engineering (CoE) through innovative programming, strategic partnerships, and cultivating individual relationships. In collaboration with the Associate Deans in the CoE, she provides leadership on educational priorities, especially as it relates to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She also works closely with department chairs to create customized programming to meet the needs of their faculty. Her current research interests focus on the adoption of inclusive teaching practices for engineering instructors.

Grenmarie Agresar is Associate Director for Strategic Initiatives at the Center for Research on Teaching and Learning in Engineering (CRLT-Engin) at the University of Michigan. She has worked at CRLT since 2017. She holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and Scientific Computation, an M.A. in Education, and a B.S.E. in Aerospace Engineering, all from the University of Michigan. After 4 years as a research fellow in computational modeling of cellular systems, she changed her focus to STEM education and has over 10 years of teaching experience. In her role at CRLT-Engin, she collaborates with administrators, departments, and individual faculty members to implement best-teaching practices in engineering. Her interests include curricular design across modalities, equity-focused engineering, project-based learning, and mastery grading in engineering education.

Dr. Audra Baleisis earned a B.S. in Astronomy and Physics from the University of Illinois in 1995, an M.Phil. in Astronomy from the University of Cambridge in 1996, and an M.S. in Astrophysics and a Ph.D. in Science Education from the University of Arizona in 2000 and 2009, respectively. She spent 2009-2016 living in Zurich, Switzerland where she worked in the Physics Education group at ETH University. She joined CRLT-Engin in 2016 as the ETC Program Coordinator, helping Engineering Teaching Consultants (ETCs) provide IAs and GSIs with instructional support. She is also the coordinator of the Seminar Series workshops, which provide continuing teacher training for engineering instructors.

Neurodivergence in academia is a special interest topic of hers. She was tested and diagnosed with ADHD during COVID lockdown and it has helped her capitalize on her strengths (flexibility, hyper-focus on things she loves, creativity) as well as understand and manage her struggles (organization, time-management).

Dr. Linjue (Jade) Wang received a Ph.D. in Engineering Education and an M.S. in Industrial Systems Engineering from The Ohio State University. She is interested in exploring how engineering students develop empathy during their academic journey. Particularly which effective strategies engineering educators can integrate empathy into their teaching practices. Before studying in the U.S., Jade earned her B.E. in Building Environment and Energy Engineering from the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University in China.

Linda LaNoue earned a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science with a concentration in Community Governance & Advocacy from Michigan State University in 2013. She earned her M.A. in Community Development from the University of Detroit Mercy in 2020. As the Program and Event Administrator for CRLT-Engin, she supports the organization and logistical aspects of programming especially the Engineering GSI Teaching Orientation, Engineering Teaching Consultants, and HTML communications.

Reyna Choi earned a B.A. in Psychology and Public Health from Columbia University in May 2023 and is expected to graduate with her Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan in August 2024. As the Remote Assistant for GSI & IA Teaching Orientations, Reyna will use her research experience on human behavior and artificial intelligence, her training to become a clinical social worker, and her dedication to accessibility within both physical and virtual classrooms to support CRLT-Engin’s equity-oriented initiatives.