PROFESSOR LINDSEY PAYNE

Lindsey Payne, a long time EEE instructor and former Director of Service-Learning at Purdue, transitioned from her two-part job into a full-time EEE position this summer.

Professor Payne has been connected to EEE since 2011, as a PhD student in Environmental Sciences and Engineering. As EEE Professor Larry Nies’s graduate teaching assistant, Payne dove into EEE topics, issues, and culture, she even developed her own service-learning course. In the process, she fell in love with educating, environmental sciences and sustainability, and the EEE program.

“EEE students are fantastic. The topics I get to teach are exciting. I love sustainability and thinking about engineers' roles in addressing some of the world’s biggest challenges. I want to keep learning how to take brilliant technically-minded students and get them to think about the context in which they will be working as professionals,” Payne shares.

After she graduated in 2015, she accepted a teaching position with EEE where she evolved her original service-learning course into the community-engaged design course she teaches today.

When asked what she hopes for this position, Professor Payne responded, “Now that I'm 100% in EEE, I'm excited to be able to devote all my time and energy to it. Despite my time in the program, I’ve never been able to fully do so. I am excited to work with students, develop curriculum, and enhance the culture. EEE has unique and valuable assets to offer, and I am excited to be more involved in delivering that.”

When she’s not with students, Professor Payne enjoys landscaping with native plants, gardening, running, and going on adventures with her two daughters and husband.

Welcome Professor Lindsey Payne!

PROFESSOR XINYU ZHANG

Professor Zhang is brand new to Purdue, but she’s not new to the Purdue spirit. Professor Zhang’s research interests focus on how to improve engineering education. This includes the recruitment and retention of engineering students from underserved groups, environmental sustainability in engineering education, and the application of virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality in engineering education.

Before accepting this position, Zhang worked as a Teaching Assistant Professor at West Virginia University in the Fundamentals of Engineering Program. During her time there, Zhang focused on teaching first-year engineering students in project-based design courses and in MATLAB best practices. She also organized and lead efforts on an engineering summer bridge program for incoming freshmen.

Zhang wanted to come to Purdue not only because of its high reputation, but also because of the teaching and research opportunities that the position offers.

“I hope to inspire students from all backgrounds to pursue life-long learning in Environmental and Ecological Engineering. I feel very excited for my first semester of teaching here,” Zhang says.

In her spare time, Professor Zhang enjoys traveling, swimming, attending concerts, watching sci-fi movies, and spending time with her husband and son.

Welcome, Professor Xinyu Zhang!