First-Year Engineering Faculty

  • Nicole Dufalla

    Senior Lecturer, First Year Engineering Center Courtesy Appointment in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
    Nicole Dufalla headshot

    Nicole Dufalla is a Senior Lecturer in the First Year Engineering Center with a joint appointment in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

  • Benjamin Goldschneider

    Assistant Professor, Academic General Faculty, Teaching Track, First Year Engineering Center
    Benjamin Goldschneider headshot
    Benjamin Goldschneider is an Assistant Professor and founding member of the First-Year Engineering Center. Through a combination of teaching, advising, curriculum development, and research, Benjamin seeks to foster students’ passions for engineering and help them navigate the…

  • David R. Gutierrez

    Assistant Professor of Engineering, First Year Engineering Center
    David Gutierrez

    Assistant Professor of Engineering at the University of Virginia’s First Year Engineering Center.

  • Anne McAlister

    Assistant Professor, Academic General Faculty, Teaching Track, First Year Engineering Center
    Anne McAlister Headshot

    My research centers on the intersection of engineering identity, social identity, and social justice for students in higher education.
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  • Leyf Starling

    Director, First Year Engineering Center
    Leyf Starling headshot

    Leyf Starling is a founding faculty member of the First Year Engineering Center, joining in July 2023. She is currently developing curriculum and teaching the Foundations of Engineering 1 and 2 courses as well as advising 1st year engineering students.

  • Esther Tian, Ph.D.

    Associate Professor, Academic General Faculty, Teaching Track, First Year Engineering Center
    Esther Tian headshot

    Esther Tian is an associate professor of engineering. She also serves as the faculty advisor for the Engineers for Sustainable World at UVA club. Before joining the inaugural First Year Engineering Center, Esther helped establish the Engineering program at Eastern Mennonite University and led the program to attain the initial ABET accreditation.
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  • Shaylin Williams, Ph.D.

    Assistant Professor, First Year Engineering Center
    Shaylin Williams headshot

    Shaylin Williams is invested in identifying ways to improve the engineering education experience for future generations of engineers.