Mel Henriksen
Bio
Over 30 years, I have been an Engineer, a Director of Engineering, and a Vice President of Research and Development, designing and managing the development of clinical and research instruments for healthcare and biological research. From those roles, I understand the importance and criticality of mathematics in modeling and designing systems, analyzing data, and reporting the results of those analyses.
Since 2012, I've had the privilege of sharing my enthusiasm for mathematics with students at Wentworth Institute of Technology and of trying to pass on to them that enthusiasm.
Joining the Applied Mathematics Faculty at Wentworth has given me an opportunity to explore various pedagogical approaches, including the use of educational technology, the flipped classroom, inquiry-based instruction, active learning, and specifications-based grading. To facilitate these pedagogical approaches, I've co-authored six workbooks on Calculus and Differential Equations.
I have enjoyed being an evangelist for Active Learning at Wentworth and the New England Inquiry-based learning community, as well as chairing the MAA’s Inquiry-based Learning Special Interest Group (IBL SIGMAA.)
Education
Research Interests
My research interests are in exploring the effectiveness of various teaching methods on student learning. I’m particularly interested in strategies that heighten student engagement in the classroom and increase their seriousness toward their studies. I’ve presented and published on these topics in various venues.