Team Members

Joe Mirabelli, PhD earned a doctorate in Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he worked remotely with the Jensen group. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow with the group starting in Fall 2023. Previously, Joe researched Nuclear Physics and Engineering Physics as an undergraduate and Master’s student. Joe’s current research focuses on mental health, wellness, and persistence in STEM programs, particularly at the graduate level. He has also been part of projects exploring faculty and student professional development, AI tutoring, and games for learning. Joe plays D&D three nights a week, presevers the history of fire towers in his home state, and lives out of a tent for about a cumulative month each year. 

Evan Ko is based in Chicago, IL and is a part time researcher and program coordinator for the Journal of Engineering Education Peer Reviewer Training Program (JEE PERT). They earned their Bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering with a minor in Material Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and their main 9am-5pm position is as a Clinical Trials Development Program Member at AbbVie, a biopharmaceutical company. Evan volunteers with various LGBT+ organizations whose missions are driven by cultural competence and excellence, is an avid hobby photographer, and a new dog dad.

Isabel Miller is a PhD student in Engineering Education Research at the University of Michigan. She has a B.S. and M.S. in Bioengineering with a minor in Criminology, Law, and Society from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has been a teaching assitant, a tutor, and a Peer Led Teams facilitator for various engineering courses. Isabel’s research focuses on supporting engineering students facing educational impediments.

Sara Vohra received her BS in Bioengineering and minor in Chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She is currently pursuing her MS in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. Outside of academia she worked as an Engineering Learning Assistant for the ENG 101 course taught at UIUC. After she completes her MS she plans to pursue medical school to obtain her M.D and work as a physician. In her free time when the weather is nice she likes to golf.

Eileen Johnson received her BS and MS in Bioengineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She previously worked in tissue engineering and genetic engineering throughout her education. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. After teaching an online laboratory class, she became interested in engineering education research. Her current research interests are in engineering student mental health & wellness with a focus on undergraduate experiences with stress and engineering culture. Outside of research, Eileen likes to read for fun, play D&D with friends, and relax with her three cats (Lil, Mollie, & Ginny).

ORCID 0000-0001-8324-0568

Deepthi Suresh (she/her) earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Bioengineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She began her research in 2018, working on integrating robotic systems into lab workflow. She is now at the University of Michigan working towards her PhD in Biomedical Engineering with a research focus in engineering education. She was a teaching assistant for three years in an introductory lab course which, along with her own undergraduate experience, influenced her research interests: undergraduate career outcome expectations for bioengineering, currently with respect to the fields of artificial intelligence and quality engineering. In her free time, she loves playing ultimate frisbee, hiking, and spending time with her two cats, Percy and Apollo.

Jeanne works remotely with the Jensen group to help research happen and the lab run smoothly. She cares about encouraging an environment supportive of mental health, which she believes includes looking at systemic inequities. Jeanne lives with her wife and dog in North Carolina and enjoys spending time outside.

Google Scholar

Dorian Bobbett is a PhD student studying Engineering Education Research at the University of Michigan. She has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Engineering Leadership from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She became interested in engineering education research through her work as a teaching assistant, an Engineering Ambassador, and a volunteer at a local elementary school STEM club. In her free time, Dorian enjoys hiking, baking, and crocheting.