I am a resourceful and results-driven electrical engineer with demonstrated ability to take initiative and work effectively in many technical areas. My approach to solving problems involves applying a systems perspective, thinking about information at different levels (e.g., detailed, bigger picture), and taking inspiration from other domains (e.g., nature). I aim to work collaboratively on projects, lead or mentor teams as well as participate as an active member in professional societies. My goal is to apply my multidisciplinary engineering and design expertise to solve sensing, manufacturing, sustainability and energy challenges.
I am currently Assistant Department Head and Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering at James Madison University (JMU). Details about my work at JMU can be found on the James Madison University page.
My personal journey into engineering has been archived as book #4 in the IEEE Women in Engineering eBook series. More information about the eBook can be found here.
My credentials are:
- Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University in 2010
- M.S. in Manufacturing Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly University of Missouri–Rolla) in 2007
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly University of Missouri–Rolla) in 2005
- A.S. in Pre-Engineering from Kansas City Kansas Community College in 2002
Biography statement:
Dr. Jacquelyn K. Nagel is Assistant Department Head and Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering at James Madison University (JMU). Dr. Nagel has multiple years of engineering design experience in both industry and academia. She has worked for Mission Control Technologies, Intel Corp., Motoman Inc., and Kimberly-Clark Corp. She has a demonstrated ability to work effectively across many technical areas, lead and mentor others, and contribute to the engineering community through research, outreach and service in professional societies.
Dr. Nagel has been actively using innovative teaching methods and pedagogies of engagement since joining JMU in 2011. Her teaching has impacted freshman through senior engineering students. In the classroom, Dr. Nagel’s goal is to provide multidisciplinary concept exposure in the courses she teaches to facilitate problem solving in multiple contexts to prepare students for the complex challenges they will encounter in the workforce. She challenges undergraduates to break the mentality of “what is the right answer” and to focus on building skills that will serve them throughout their career as engineers. In 2013, she was selected in a competitive process to attend the National Academy of Engineering’s (NAE) fifth Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) symposium for her innovative pedagogy.
Dr. Nagel has become an internationally recognized expert for her work in the areas of bio-inspired design process and pedagogy. Her research, which is grounded in engineering design theory, focuses on developing tools and methods to make biological inspiration accessible to engineering design problems, as well as instructional resources for teaching bio-inspired design. She has applied her research to the areas of sensors, manufacturing, and alternative energy systems. In addition to authoring numerous publications on bio-inspired design, Dr. Nagel has given multiple invited talks, including webinars for SWE and INCOSE members, presentations at NASA, and lectures to undergraduate and graduate students at universities in Canada, France, and the USA. In 2012, Dr. Nagel was recognized by the National eWeek Foundation and IEEE-USA as one of the New Faces of Engineering for her pioneering work in bio-inspired design. In 2016, she received the SWE Distinguished New Engineer Award for her outstanding technical and leadership achievements.
More on my awards and honors can be found on this page.
My full CV is accessible here.