Tamecia Jones

Bio

Dr. Tamecia Jones (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of STEM Education at North Carolina State University. Her specialization is K12 engineering education. She is an engineer and former middle school math and science teacher who has developed informal STEM programs for K12 students on both coasts and in the Midwest. Her career goal is to empower students to fulfill their potential by breaking down gatekeeping factors of assessment via development of assessment tools and methods.

She taught middle school math and science in Boston Public Schools for three years and worked with Upward Bound/TRIO programs for four years. She developed curriculum and taught in summer camps for Galileo Learning and The Tech Museum of San Jose.

Dr. Jones holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University, a M.Div. from Boston University, a M.A. in Learning, Design, and Technology (LDT) from Stanford University, and a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University.

Research

Her current research focuses on the development of assessment for K12 engineering education, engaging students in participatory design in research, human-computer interaction, and technologies that enable innovative research methods and data collection. She is currently working on an NSF-funded DUE project that develops student-centered cyberphysical systems to teach building science to civil and structural engineering students. Her other current project funded by the Department of Education, Project RISE, involves integrating civics education and engineering thinking to engage middle and high school students who identify community problems and generate solutions while navigating local civics processes. She is 2024 CAREER Awardee (Eradicate the Gate) using participatory design to co-create assessment frames and peer assessment software with youth.

Teaching

Dr. Jones teaches courses in the Technology, Engineering, and Design Education Program (TDE 481, TED 530, TED 534, TED 552/752, TED 757). Her commitment to students as a teacher and creative course experiences has led to nominations for Outstanding Teaching Award multiple times. She created and piloted Introduction to K12 Engineering Education. Dr. Jones is also working on the committee developing Engineering Education graduate programs with the College of Engineering at NC State. In that capacity, she has developed courses related to research methods in engineering education and service-learning pedagogy.

Innovation

Dr. Jones uses her training in human-computer interaction and interface design to expand research projects through software development and user studies which inform research methods and data collection. Her prototypes have been finalists and semi-finalists in the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund and she has invention disclosures with the university. Project RISE and Eradicate the Gate include innovative software development.