Dr. Rachel Figard is an Assistant Professor of Engineering Education embedded in both the Engineering Education Transformations Institute (EETI) and the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural, and Mechanical Engineering (ECAM). Her work aims to challenge and transform hegemonic engineering environments through interdisciplinary approaches.

Dr. Figard’s research focuses on the student experience in undergraduate engineering, identifying opportunities for systemic change to address structural inequities. Utilizing critical methodologies (e.g., design justice), she develops community-centered, action-oriented solutions that empower and uplift the communities involved in her research. Dr. Figard earned her doctorate in Engineering Education Systems and Design from Arizona State University, where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.