Buswell Recognized for Inclusive Teaching Practices

Nov. 12, 2024 - Natascha Buswell, an associate professor of teaching in mechanical and aerospace engineering, received the Belonging Excellence and Transformative Research (BETR) Allyship Advocate Award from Pennsylvania State University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. The department’s award committee unanimously agreed that Buswell goes “above and beyond to transform the power of diversity, equity and inclusion into teaching and research excellence.”

Buswell’s research focuses on the effectiveness of teaching methods to better understand the experiences of engineering students, instructors and professionals in academia and the workplace. Her recent studies have included analyzing Black, Latino/a/x and Indigenous  engineering students’ experiences at predominantly white institutions and interviewing engineering assistant professors transitioning from graduate school at institutions with high research activity into faculty positions at other institutions with less activity to understand how to better align graduate programs with job opportunities.

Penn State invited Buswell to share her expertise with their academic community in person. She spoke at the Air Products Distinguished Seminar Series on Oct. 8, 2024, presenting her experiences in integrating inclusive practices in engineering leadership and education.

“I am so honored to receive this award from an institution and colleagues I greatly admire and for work that matters deeply to me,” said Buswell. “My hope is to inspire the next generation of engineers and engineering educators to create a more equitable future.”

– Lilith Christopher