Sheri D. Sheppard is the Richard W. Weiland Professor in the School of Engineering, Emerita, in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University. She earned a BS in Engineering Mechanics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1978, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 1980, and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1985. Before joining Stanford, Sheppard held engineering positions at Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, and Chrysler Corporation. At Stanford, she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in design-related subjects and conducts research in fracture mechanics, applied finite element analysis, and engineering education, particularly how people become engineers. She served as Senior Scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching from 1999 to 2008, leading an engineering study, and has directed the Stanford Designing Education Lab. Sheppard has held leadership roles including Chair of the Faculty Senate, Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Education, and founder and longtime adviser to the graduate student group MEwomen. She is a member of Bio-X.

Sheppard has made significant contributions to engineering education through leading multi-institutional initiatives such as the Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education (CAEE), the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter), and programs on summer research experiences for high school teachers. Her key publications include the book Educating Engineers: Designing for the Future of the Field (2009), Pedagogies of Engagement: Classroom-Based Practices (2005), Persistence, Engagement, and Migration in Engineering Programs (2008), Enabling Engineering Student Success: The Final Report for the Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education (2010), and The Confidence Gap Predicts the Gender Pay Gap Among STEM Graduates (2020). Her research has influenced understanding of student persistence, diversity, entrepreneurial intent, and career pathways in engineering. Sheppard has received major awards including the U.S. Professor of the Year for Doctoral and Research Universities from CASE and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (2014), the Ralph Coats Roe Award from the American Society for Engineering Education (2012), Stanford University's Walter J. Gores Award (2010), and the Chester F. Carlson Award (2004).

Professional Email: sheppard@stanford.edu