Nunnally Award
The Charles "Butch" and Joan Nunnally award was established in 2010 through an endowment created by Noel and Kirk Schulz to honor longtime Virginia Tech Electrical and Computer Engineering professor Butch Nunnally and his lasting impact on engineering education.
Noel Schulz established the award in recognition of her father’s influence and inspiration in her own path toward becoming an engineer and educator. The award is presented annually and recognizes outstanding faculty within the Department of Engineering Education.
The department remains deeply grateful to the Schulz and Nunnally families for their continued support and commitment to excellence in engineering education.
Previous Winners
“I first had the privilege of being taught by Professor Soledad during my freshman year, and her guidance and support has shaped my academic and personal growth ever since…I have had the opportunity to work as her undergraduate teaching assistant every semester through my senior year. This has proven her dedication and passion for teaching in my eyes even more by seeing behind the scenes of her work. Outside of teaching, she has been a great mentor and advisor. Her support was instrumental in my receiving of the DoD SMART Scholarship, as well as getting accepted into graduate school, through her thoughtful letters of recommendation and career guidance…I can confidently say that her influence has shaped both my academic and professional development, as well as many students in her courses, making her exceptionally deserving of this award. I cannot express enough how great the experience of being her undergraduate teaching assistant and student has been.”
- A Graduating Senior
Michelle Soledad, Ph.D. is a Collegiate Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Her research and service interests include teaching and learning experiences in fundamental engineering courses, faculty development and support initiatives – including programs for the future engineering professoriate, and leveraging institutional data to support reflective teaching practices.
"As a first-generation college student, navigating college life was overwhelming, but Cassie’s approachable personality and genuine care instantly made her classroom feel welcoming.”
- A First Year Student
"Within the first few weeks of working for her, we spent time discussing my research interests. Cassie quickly presented me with data that she thought would align with my career plan. She walked me through everything I needed to know about research, even down to how to write a strong introductory paragraph using the funnel structure."
- a GTA
"Dr. Wallwey’s mentorship and advising goes beyond the classroom. I often speak with her about the challenges I experience in undergraduate engineering. She goes out of her way to validate my feelings, offer advice, and connect me to resources."
-a UTA
Dr. Cassie Wallwey is a Collegiate Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Her research interests center on student-centered and inclusive learning practices and principles including student engagement in learning, feedback and assessment, self-regulation of learning, and student motivation. Cassie got her PhD in Engineering Education from Ohio State University and her MS and BS in Biomedical Engineering from Wright State University.
“Dr. Bairaktarova...has profoundly impacted my journey as a graduate student. From the outset, even before my formal association with the Engineering Education Department, she extended unmatched kindness and support in my role as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. This initial impression was a pivotal factor in my decision to pursue her as my advisor, especially given the alignment of our research interests.”
- a Graduate Student
“Diana has been a beacon of guidance and support for me, nurturing my academic and professional growth with an unmatched dedication. She understands the unique challenges faced by graduate students and provides them with the tools, opportunities, and encouragement they need to thrive...Her door is always open, offering a space for dialogue, innovation, and exploration beyond office hours. This experience helped me to reimagine what student mentorship should look like in my future career."
-a Graduate Student
Diana Bairaktarova is an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Education. She is also an affiliate faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and a Faculty in the Human-Centered Design at Virginia Tech. Diana has over fifteen years of experience working as a Design and Manufacturing Engineer.
Nicole P. Pitterson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. She holds a B.Sc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Technology, Jamaica, a M.Sc. in Manufacturing Engineering from Western Illinois University, and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University. Upon completion of her doctoral degree, Dr. Pitterson worked as a postdoctoral research scholar at Oregon State University.
David Gray is a Collegiate Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. He completed both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech.
David has also worked in industry as a Senior Project Engineer and Director of Research & Development, leading multi-discplinary teams of engineers, computer scientists, technicians, and stakeholders to develop a host of novel technologies across multiple fields of engineering, including sensing, actuation, materials development, non-destructive inspection & evaluation, and energy harvesting.
“I cannot overstate how empowering this course has been for me throughout the semester. Dr. Murzi has been, without question, the most effective teacher I have ever had. …”
“Homero was one of the most inspiring professors I have had in my six years here at Virginia Tech. Homero challenged the way I think I about pedagogy and helped me be more open-minded to new teaching techniques that are student-focused. … Homero helped me be a better teacher each week and is a role model professor for anyone who wants to be a positive change-maker in higher education.”
“Dr. Murzi(‘s)… passion for giving students the most effective engineering education possible is clear … I have had him for two semesters now, and in that short time, I have become a hundred times more comfortable with talking to my peers, having faith in my ideas, and using the tools and strategies required for the engineering profession. …”
-former Students
Homero Murzi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering at Texas A&M University. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the National Experimental University of Táchira in Venezuela, a master’s in business administration from Temple University, and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Virginia Tech. Before coming to the United States, Homero was an Associate Professor in Industrial Engineering at the National Experimental University of Táchira in Venezuela, where he taught courses in engineering management, business administration, and pedagogy. In addition, he held different administrative positions like Human Resources Director and Assistant Dean for Teaching and Learning.
Walter Lee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education and executive director for the Center for Engineering Excellence and Discovery (CEED). He holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University, an M.S in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Virginia Tech. His career vision is to be a driving force in the national effort to ensure that institutions provide students, regardless of their personal background, with the necessary support to succeed in engineering.
Since 2013, he has educated and advised first year engineering and transfer students and provided support as they matriculate into a variety of engineering disciplines. He also served as the director of the Frith First-year Engineering Design Laboratory for over 6 years.
Richard M. Goff is a former aircraft structural test engineer for the Navy, Peace Corps Volunteer, motorcycle racer, engineering consultant, and computer systems entrepreneur; he holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, and is currently an Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Dr. Goff was the founding director of the Frith Freshman Engineering Design Laboratory, longtime Assistant Department Head in Engineering Education, faculty advisor for the Baja SAE team for nine years, and former director of the NSF I/UCRC Center for e-Design. In the classroom, Goff has taught thousands of undergraduate engineers within the first-year, second-year, and graduate programs in engineering as well as advised several students on doctoral dissertations and helped them develop solid research programs, leading to careers in academia and industry. He was the author or co-author with colleagues and graduate students of over 100 peer-reviewed publications.
Jacob Grohs is a Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Jake is an educational researcher whose interests focus on systems thinking, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and collaborative change efforts in education. His projects have focused on issues such as novel assessment of systems thinking competencies in engineering, healthcare, and community contexts; access to engineering education in rural communities; and research-practice collaborations to improve undergraduate engineering education quality, affordability, and student success. Jake is an NSF CAREER awardee and serves as the Director for the Center for Educational Networks and Impacts at Virginia Tech.
David B. Knight currently serves as the interim dean for the College of Engineering and is a professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. His vision in establishing the Virginia Tech Data Enlightened Educational Practice (DEEP) Lab is to have it serve as one of the world’s leading research shops for promoting a systems view of engineering education with an explicit mission to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and inclusiveness of the field. He currently serves as the co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Engineering Education
Marie C. Paretti is a Professor of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, where she directs the Virginia Tech Engineering Communications Center (VTECC). She received a B.S. in chemical engineering and an M.A. in English from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on communication and collaboration, design education, and identity (including race, gender, class, etc.) in engineering. She was awarded a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation and is co-PI on numerous NSF grants exploring communication, teamwork, design, and identity in engineering.
Lisa D. McNair is Deputy Executive Director at the Institute for Creativity, Arts and Technology (ICAT) and a Professor in Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. She researches and practices interdisciplinarity in educational settings, with a focus on arts-integrative approaches. Dr. McNair has been a (co)PI on several interdisciplinary projects, including a 5-year NSF Revolutionizing Engineering Departments project, three NSF-funded projects focused on community responses to relocation and climate change in Alaska, and ICAT’s National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab. Dr. McNair holds a PhD in Linguistics at the University of Chicago, and an M.A. and B.A. in English at the University of Georgia.
Jenny Lo has been teaching first-year engineering courses since 2001. She serves on the ENGE undergraduate curriculum committee and is the chair of the ENGE honorifics committee. She has been the faculty advisor for the Rho Chapter of Alpha Omega Epsilon, an engineering sorority, since the chapter's founding in 2006.
Dr. Holly Matusovich is a Professor in the Department of Engineering Education. She is also the Associate Dean for Graduate and Professional Studies. Dr. Matusovich is recognized for her research and practice related to graduate student mentoring. She won the Hokie Supervisor Spotlight Award in 2014, was nominated for a Graduate Advising Award in 2015, and won the 2018 Graduate Student Mentor Award for the College of Engineering.
Across all of her research avenues, Dr. Matusovich has been a PI/Co-PI on 12 funded research projects including the NSF CAREER Award, with her share of funding being nearly $2.3 million. She has co-authored 2 book chapters, 21 journal publications, and more than 70 conference papers. She has won several Virginia Tech awards, including a Dean’s Award for Outstanding New Faculty, and Outstanding Teacher Award, and a Faculty Fellow Award.
Dr. Christopher Williams is the L.S. Randolph Professor and the Electro-Mechanical Corporation Senior Faculty Fellow in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech. He is the Director of the Design, Research, and Education for Additive Manufacturing Systems (DREAMS) Laboratory. He is the former Director of the Macromolecules Innovation Institute and holds affiliate faculty appointments in the Department of Engineering Education and the Department of Material Science & Engineering.
Mara Knott is the Academic Programs Manager for the Department of Engineering Education in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech. She previously served as an Assistant Professor and has been teaching in the department since 1999.
