John Demel

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

John Demel is an engineering educator whose work has centered on first-year engineering education, student retention, and hands-on learning design at The Ohio State University. His most recognized contribution, "Experiences With A Comprehensive Freshman Hands On Course Designing, Building, And Testing Small Autonomous Robots," has garnered 24 citations and reflects his commitment to transforming how introductory engineering courses engage students. This work emerged from a decade-long initiative within Ohio State's College of Engineering to address the critical challenge of student retention, evolving the first-year program from a fragmented course structure into a cohesive, project-driven experience. Demel has also contributed meaningfully to the pedagogy of design project management, co-authoring research on helping students develop the organizational and managerial skills essential to engineering practice. Collaborating with colleagues such as Fentiman, Boyd, Pugsley, and Dutta, his scholarship reflects a team-oriented approach to curriculum reform. For students and researchers interested in engineering education, active learning, and retention strategies, Demel's work offers valuable, practice-tested insights into building programs that keep students engaged from the very start of their academic journey.