Mel Chua

Pressed for a short job description, Mel might say she's a midwife of makers. She has also been called an engineer (of the electrical, computer, and software varieties), community manager, writer, teacher (primarily at the undergraduate, graduate, and faculty-development levels). Mel loves to write, teach, draw research comics, dance, move, and make things. Her quest is to make a world where makers make themselves, and she's particularly intrigued with the space between how hackers learn and how engineers are taught. Transforming academic culture is a challenge Mel has chosen to tackle because of its great power to influence growth and access for changemakers of all sorts.

• Engineering education cultures
• Learning in Open Source communities

• Purdue University, PhD in Engineering Education, in progress
• Olin College, BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2007

• Research Scientist in Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech
• Visiting Assistant Professor, RIT
• Collaboratory Fellow, Olin College