Email
cdemetry@wpi.edu
Office
157 West St., 1st floor
Phone
+1 (508) 8315000 x5195
Education
BS Mechanical Engineering Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) High Distinction 1988
PhD Ceramics Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 1993

As Director of the Morgan Teaching and Learning Center, I work with faculty colleagues, staff educators, and other units on campus to coordinate programs and build communities that foster excellence and innovation in teaching. The Center also coordinates mentoring and professional development programs and communities for new faculty and mid-career faculty. 



Many of my professional contributions integrate leadership, program-building, and scholarship to broaden participation and advancement of women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In 1997, I co-founded WPI’s Camp Reach program, a project-based engineering outreach program for middle school girls. At the same time, I embarked on a decades-long longitudinal study of its effects, which ultimately showed that Camp Reach makes a positive difference in the number who pursue engineering pathways. As a co-PI on WPI's ADVANCE Adaptation grant from the National Science Foundation (2018-2022), I am coordinating efforts to enact our new Associate-to-Full promotion policy and mid-career mentoring system in an equity-minded way. This work has great potential to lessen gender inequity among the senior ranks of faculty, and to better align rewards with the breadth of WPI’s institutional mission and strengths. 

After many years teaching introductory materials science with a team-based approach, my teaching efforts now focus on project advising, academic advising, and mentoring. Advising Interactive Qualifying Projects (IQPs) in the Global Projects Program is one of my favorite teaching roles because of its transformative potential for students. I’ve been privileged to learn about the local context of global challenges alongside students, community partners, and co-advisors at nine locations around the globe, including Bangkok, Thessaloniki, Melbourne, Hong Kong, and Windhoek. I’m also passionate about academic advising. I focus on the whole student and look for opportunities to extend advising into a mentoring relationship. I have served as an advisor to first year students in WPI’s Insight program for more than 20 years. I enjoy helping them transition to college life, build community, and make the most of their WPI experience. 


Visit Digital WPI to view student projects advised by Professor Demetry.

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 4: Quality Education

SDG 4: Quality Education - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

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SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 5: Gender Equality - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

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SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities - Reduce inequality within and among countries

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SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

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Professional Highlights & Honors
NSF ADVANCE Adaptation Grant Co-PI, 2018 - 2022

Fellow, Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering and Science (ELATES) Program, Drexel University, 2019 - 2020

WPI Board of Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Academic Advisor, 2014

Denise Nicoletti Trustees' Award for Service to Community (WPI), 2014

U.S. Professor of the Year for Massachusetts, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 2011

(US) Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) Program Award for Camp Reach, 2011

Best Paper, Professional Interest Council IV, American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference. Top 5 of more than 1600 conference papers , 2007

Women in Engineering Program Award (Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates Network), for Camp Reach, 2003

WPI Board of Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Teaching, 2002

ASM Bradley Stoughton Award for Young Teachers, 2000

NSF CAREER Award, 1995