We are a diverse research group in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. (This group operated under than name FREE, standing for “Feminist Research in Engineering Education” from 2014-2022, and under the name RIFE, standing for “Research in Feminist Engineering,” from 2007-2014.)
The goal of this research group is to do research, teaching and outreach that helps people (students, the public, engineering colleagues, and other engineering education researchers) develop a more inclusive, engaged, and socially just vision of engineering education. We do this with a belief and commitment to the idea that engineering education can and should be a means to develop more engaged citizens.
Prof. Pawley’s philosophy in her research and mentoring is that we do what we can to say what needs to be said, that we hold our community in as high esteem as we might with a religion, that wasting time, effort and energy is a form of disrespect of ourselves and of others, and that we can and should strive to notice in each other the small things that feel huge to help us care for each other.