Professor Lisa Bullard Elected as Fellow of the ASEE

Professor Lisa Bullard has been elected as a Fellow of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). She’s an Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in our department.

Founded in 1893, the ASEE is a nonprofit organization of individuals and institutions committed to furthering education in engineering and engineering technology. According to the ASEE web site, “The Grade of Fellow is one of unusual professional distinction and conferred by the Board of Directors upon an ASEE member with outstanding and extraordinary qualifications, and experience in engineering or engineering technology education or allied field, and ASEE contributions.”

Professor Bullard is internationally recognized as a leader in the field of effective teaching that promotes student learning.  She has served as Chair of the ASEE Chemical Engineering Division and is an Associate Editor of the journal Chemical Engineering Education. Her NC State awards include the George H. Blessis Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor Award, the NCSU Faculty Advisor Award, and the Alumni Outstanding Teacher Award, and she’s a member of the Academy of Outstanding Teachers.

Professor Bullard has had a lifelong love for NC State. A native of Garner, she always wanted to attend “State.” She opted to study chemical engineering because she heard it was the most difficult major and “thought it sounded like a fun challenge.” As Caldwell Fellow, she enjoyed a rich undergraduate experience.

She lived on campus all four years, participated in spring break mission trips with her church, studied abroad at Oxford, and served as president of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society. She also pursued internships with Argonne National Laboratory, DuPont, and the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) program. Upon graduation in 1986, Dr. Bullard went on to earn her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. B. worked for Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, TN for nine years. In 2000, she returned to NC State as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the (then) Department of Chemical Engineering – a role she calls her “dream job.”

Her research interests lie in the areas of teaching and advising effectiveness, academic integrity, and instruction in material and energy balances and capstone process design. The combination of her demonstrated excellence in teaching and range of real-world professional experiences prompted professors Richard Felder and Ron Rousseau to invite her to be a co-author of the CHE 205 textbook, the 4th edition of Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes, which is used by 80% of chemical engineering students worldwide.

Unsurprisingly, her dedication to her students has won her a great deal of respect, admiration, and teaching and advising awards over the years.

“I love the combination of teaching and advising that my current role entails,” said Bullard. “Getting to know students in my class and then advising them outside of class helps me to get to know the whole person. Even after graduation, I stay in touch with many of my former students and follow their career and personal journey, often helping them find jobs or writing letters of recommendation for MBA or med school years later. I consider my students to be part of my extended family and cherish my relationships with them.”

Professor Bullard’s connections to NC State don’t end at the end of her work day. In 2013, the NC State Alumni Association selected Professor Bullard and her family — husband Michael and daughter Meredith, both NCSU civil engineering graduates — as the Wolfpack Family of the Year. During fall weekends, the family members are avid Wolfpack supporters at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Congratulations Professor Bullard, for this well-deserved honor!