Tom Connolly

Research Interests

Engineering Education; Student Success Initiatives; Graduate TA Professional Development

Bio

Dr. Connolly is an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Aerospace Engineering & Engineering Mechanics, where he periodically teaches Dynamics (EM 311M and ME 314D), Introduction to Computer Programming (COE 301 and ME 318M), Engineering Computation (COE 311K) , Machine Elements (ME 338), Mechatronics (ME 340 and ME 140L) and Dynamic Systems & Controls (ME 344). In the past, Dr. Connolly has also taught ES 177: Cultural Analysis for Global Professionals, the first engineering course to be designated with a Global Cultures flag.

In 2021, Dr. Connolly was awarded a Transformational Online Instruction Contributions (TONIC) award from the Office of the Provost in recognition of his work in adapting the content and delivery of ME 140L (Mechatronics Laboratory) for online learning. The TONIC award recognized professional-track instructional faculty who demonstrated exceptional creativity and rapid innovation for hybrid and online instruction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Connolly's teaching activities complement his work as a member of the Academic Affairs team in the Office of the Dean, where he has been directing and implementing the Engineering TA Certification Program for the Cockrell School of Engineering since its inception in 2013. All new Engineering TAs attend a professional development institute where they actively learn research-based and evidence-based practices in engineering education, including: establishing a learning environment that fosters student success, promoting engineering thinking and academic rigor, increasing student engagement and participation in various engineering learning environments, engaging students in "productive struggle", developing student self-efficacy, and navigating the cultural norms of higher education in the United States.

Dr. Connolly is a strong advocate for international engineering education. In 2004, he spent a semester abroad teaching Dynamic Systems and Control Theory in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Boğaziçi (Bosporus) University in Istanbul, Turkey. For over twenty five years, Dr. Connolly has worked with undergraduate and graduate students from Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia in various academic capacities, including teaching, research, and mentoring. In 2017, he mentored a team of UT Austin engineering and business students who won the Shell Ideas360 international engineering design and entrepreneurship competition in London, England.

Since 2018, Dr. Connolly has led May-Term programs in Engineering Dynamics (EM 311M & ME 314D) in France, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Students participate in visits to engineering companies and project sites, in addition to engaging in activities to broaden their understanding of different cultures and the practice of engineering as a profession in an international setting. Since the Summer 2023 term, the Dynamics course has been offered as part of a nine-week program with industry-immersion in Barcelona.

From 2011-2013, Dr. Connolly was a program coordinator at the Charles A. Dana Center for Science and Mathematics Education at UT Austin, where he oversaw development of an innovative college-level course in Statistics that blended active learning practices with student success principles. To complement this curriculum, Dr. Connolly developed and implemented programs for faculty training in course customization, developing active learning practices, and implementing strategies for providing curriculum-integrated student success supports, especially for students identified as being at-risk for leaving STEM-related majors.

From 2001 - 2010, Dr. Connolly was a faculty member in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University in Erie and The University of Texas at San Antonio, where he taught a broad range of undergraduate engineering courses, with a focus on laboratory and design courses. During this time, he established the first externally funded research programs in engineering education at UT San Antonio, where he was the Principal Investigator for several research initiatives under the auspices of the National Science Foundation.

Prior to his academic career, Dr. Connolly worked as a systems integration engineer on the Space Station and Space Shuttle programs at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, and as a reliability engineer on the B-2 Stealth Bomber program at LTV Aerospace & Defense in Dallas, TX.

Educational Qualifications

• Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, UT Austin, 2000
• M.S.E. Aerospace Engineering, UT Austin, 1995
• B.E. Mechanical Engineering, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1988

Select Awards & Honors 

1. Associate Faculty, Center for Global Business, UT Austin McCombs School of Business (2024 – present)
2. Faculty Development Grant awardee, Cockrell School of Engineering (2023)
3. Transformational Online Instruction Contributions (TONIC) Award, Office of the Provost (2021)
4. Academic Development Funds awardee, Cockrell School of Engineering (2019 – 2020)