Ed Berger appointed head of the Department of Engineering Education
Ed Berger has been appointed head of the Department of Engineering Education, effective July 25.
Berger comes to Virginia Tech from Purdue University, where he served as professor and interim head for the Department of Engineering Education, as well as associate vice provost for learning innovation and director of the Innovation Hub.
“We’re excited to welcome Ed Berger to the College of Engineering as we build on two decades of momentum in engineering education,” said Julie Ross, the Paul and Dorothea Torgersen Dean of Engineering. “Ed’s leadership in launching innovation hubs, advancing cross-disciplinary research, and stewarding multimillion-dollar educational and research portfolios positions him to take the department to new heights.”
Berger will replace Jenni Case, who has led the Department of Engineering Education since 2017. During Case's tenure, the department won the 2022 Exemplary Department Award, increased its graduate students by 25 percent, more than doubled the amount of grant funding received, and strengthened and scaled the general engineering program.
“Jenni’s leadership helped advance the department in first-year curricular innovation and in foundational engineering education research, including teaching and learning, ethics, and culture,” Ross said.
For Berger, positively influencing the future of education has always been at the center of his research. As a first-generation student studying mechanical engineering, he found inspiration from his three older sisters, two of whom were engineers; their careers showed him what was possible.
He aims to inspire and guide students in the Department of Engineering Education with the same encouragement and belief in potential that helped shape his path. “The idea of being of service to students and supporting their career ambitions is really appealing,” Berger said.
Berger brings with him a long list of accomplishments, including:
- Serving on the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and as a National Science Foundation program officer in the Division of Engineering Education and Centers.
- Authoring and co-authoring more than 62 peer-reviewed journal articles and 80 conference papers and proceedings, which have been cited nearly 3,000 times.
Directing 10 Ph.D. students, 16 master’s students, and more than 20 undergraduate students in research.
Since its founding 20 years ago, the Department of Engineering Education has graduated nearly 100 Ph.D. students. During the 2024-25 academic year, it served nearly 3,000 general engineering students and recorded over $3.3 million in research expenditures. Building on this strong foundation, Berger aims to strengthen the department’s impact while introducing new initiatives and future-focused priorities.
“Virginia Tech has great people and a solid organization and culture, which means that anything is possible. I’m excited that there are big things on the horizon,” Berger said.
Berger received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in 1996, his M.S. in mechanical engineering from Penn State in 1992, and his B.S. in mechanical engineering from Penn State in 1991.
