DUCK Lab

Dr. Anastasia Schauer is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Schauer’s research program specializes in the development and validation of tools to aid designers in producing innovative, high-quality, and equitable design outcomes. A current focus of the Design Understanding, Cognition, and Knowledge (DUCK) Lab is the study of how designers interface with technology such as virtual reality and generative artificial intelligence to result in better designs for humanitarian engineering projects and beyond. Throughout her academic career, Dr. Schauer has been recognized for her contributions to both research and teaching, receiving the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and multiple awards for her work on equitable development of engineering education curricula, including the Best Paper Award at the International Symposium on Academic Makerspaces. She received her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2024, where her doctoral research focused on the identification and mitigation of cognitive bias in the design process. She also holds an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.

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Selected Publications

• A. M. Schauer, H. Schaufel, M. Dunn, N. D. Kohls & K. Fu, “Thinking Beyond the Default User: The Impact of Gender, Stereotypes, and Modality on Interpretation of User Needs.” Journal of Mechanical Design (Special Issue: Selected Papers from IDETC 2023) 146(5), pp. 051402, https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4064263
• A. M. Schauer, R. J. Bhatt, K. Fu, & C. Saldaña (2023), “The Effect of Laser Cutting Heuristic Presentation Modality on Design Learning.” Journal of Mechanical Design 145(11), pp. 111402, https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4063156
• A. M. Schauer, H. Schaufel, & K. Fu (2023), “The Makeup of a Makerspace: The Impact of Stereotyping, Self-Efficacy, and Physical Design on Women’s Interactions with an Academic Makerspace.” Engineering Studies 15(2) pp. 122-143, https://doi.org/10.1080/19378629.2023.2224016
• M. Paige, A. M. Schauer, Z. Klesmith, A. Davis, & K. Fu (2023), “The Impact of Hands-On Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing Intervention Activities on Students in Engineering Design.” Advances in Engineering Education 11(2), pp. 66-101, https://doi.org/10.18260/3-1-1153-36044
• A. M. Schauer, K. B. Fillingim, A. Pavleszek, M. Chen, & K. Fu (2022), “Comparing the Effect of Virtual and In-Person Instruction on Students’ Performance in a Design for Additive Manufacturing Learning Activity.” Research in Engineering Design 33(4), pp. 385-394, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00163-022-00399-8
• A. M. Schauer, K. B. Fillingim, & K. Fu (2022), “Impact of Timing in the Design Process on Students’ Application of Design for Additive Manufacturing Heuristics.” Journal of Mechanical Design 144(6), pp. 062301, https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4053281