UC professor receives global award for engineering education

Sorby, a professor in the Department of Engineering Education in UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science, has long served as a leader in efforts to improve the way engineering students are prepared for their careers. Through her research, Sorby developed software and course workbooks to help engineering students grasp spatial visualization, something she struggled with herself as a student. This curriculum is being used by nearly 30 engineering programs in the U.S.  

She is president and fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education and she has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, a master’s degree in engineering mechanics and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University. 

Sorby was celebrated at the November 2020 virtual conference of the World Engineering Education Forum and Global Engineering Deans Council. She will also be honored at the 2021 conference in Madrid.