Professor Nicoleta Maynard
Professor Nicoleta Maynard
Nicoleta Maynard is a nationally and internationally recognised leader in engineering education, with a passion for creating inclusive, future-focused learning environments. She is currently the Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Faculty of Engineering at Monash University, where she leads strategic initiatives to embed inclusive practices across teaching, learning, leadership, and organisational culture.
Nicoleta brings over 20 years of experience in curriculum reform, engineering education research, and academic leadership. Her work has focused on building communities of practice and developing programs that support student employability, design capability, teamwork, and reflective practice. She is particularly committed to addressing systemic barriers in engineering education and promoting equity through evidence-informed frameworks and practice.
Before joining Monash, Nicoleta was the Director of Engineering Education Development at Curtin University. She has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from The University of Queensland and a Graduate Diploma in Education from Curtin. Her early career included several years of industrial experience in design and process engineering roles in both Europe and Australia.
Nicoleta is also a global leader in the CDIO (Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate) initiative, currently serving as co-director for the international CDIO Council and chairing its ANZ regional chapter. Her research and leadership have been recognised through multiple national and international awards, including an OLT Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, the Caltex Award for Excellence in Teaching, and awards from Engineers Australia and the Australasian Association for Engineering Education.
She continues to collaborate across disciplines, faculties, and industry to design authentic, sustainable, and inclusive learning experiences for engineering students and educators.
Qualifications
- Postgraduate Diploma in Education, Curtin University
- PhD, Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland
- Bachelor of Engineering, Chemical (Honours) , Bucharest University
National and International Awards
- Caltex Award for Excellence 2016 for ‘Fostering links between academia and industry, developing a community of teaching practice, providing educational leadership, and implementing innovations in curricula, assessments and learning resources’;
- Commonwealth Office of Teaching and Learning 2013 Citation Award for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning for the ‘Introduction of innovative chemical engineering curricula, pedagogy and learning resources resulting in enhanced student motivation, engagement and professional skill development’;
- Pro-Vice Chancellor Award for Teaching Excellence (Early Career) 2009 for ‘Outstanding contribution to teaching and learning in the Faculty of Science and Engineering’.
- Australasian Association for Engineering Education Awards (AAEE) and Engineers Australia Citation Award 2009 for ‘Demonstrating a broadly-based high-quality approach to teaching, curriculum development and educational research’;
- Parker Centre Award for Research Collaboration 2009. The award recognises the most effective collaboration within the Parker Centre in a CRC funded project; Project title: ‘Impact of Mineralogy on Hydrometallurgy’;
- Curtin University Excellence & Innovation in Teaching Award 2008 for Teaching Excellence.
- ‘Highly Commended’ Award in the Petronas Award for Education and Training 2008, IChemE GLOBAL AWARDS, UK – Excellence in Education & Training.
Research Interests
Nicoleta Maynard’s research lies at the intersection of engineering education, equity, and curriculum innovation. She focuses on developing inclusive, authentic, and future-ready engineering learning environments. Her current work explores:
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Unconscious bias and inclusive team practices: Designing and evaluating interventions to reduce bias in peer feedback and teamwork dynamics, with a focus on gender and cultural inclusion in engineering teams.
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Neurodiversity in engineering education: Developing evidence-based frameworks to better support neurodivergent students and enhance teaching practices across diverse learning needs.
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Employability and professional identity development: Embedding and assessing teamwork, communication, leadership, and reflective practice in engineering curricula using design and systems-thinking approaches.
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Curriculum transformation for equity and sustainability: Embedding sustainable design, social responsibility, and systems thinking into engineering programs to better prepare students for societal impact.
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Cultural change in engineering education: Investigating how institutional norms and educational practices influence inclusivity, belonging, and student experience, with a focus on gendered feedback, peer evaluation, and academic cultures.
Her work is grounded in Engineering Education Research (EER) methodologies and is driven by collaboration with students, educators, and industry partners to inform both research and practice.
Supervision interests
Nicoleta welcomes expressions of interest from honours, PhD, and postdoctoral researchers in engineering education, particularly in projects related to:
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Inclusive curriculum design and assessment
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Unconscious bias in feedback and peer evaluation
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Support strategies for neurodivergent students
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Equity and cultural change in STEM education
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Development of professional skills and employability
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Gender equity and student experience in engineering teams
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Systems thinking and sustainability in engineering education
She also supports co-designed and interdisciplinary projects, and encourages applications from candidates with lived experience or interest in inclusive education, gender equity, or neurodiversity.
RECENT JOURNAL AND PEER-REVIEWED CONFERENCE PUBLICATIONS
• “Factors shaping teamwork skills development in tertiary engineering education: a systematic literature review”. Callum Kimpton and Nicoleta Maynard. European Journal of Engineering Education, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2024.2357343, 2024.
• “Exploring the development of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for health professions educators through faculty development”. Mahbub Sarkar, Laura Gutierrez-Bucheli, Nicoleta Maynard, Michelle D Lazarus, Caroline Wright, Susie Ho, Dragan Ilic, Paul J White, Amanda Berry. Advances in Health Sciences Education 1-22, 2024.
• Exploring civil engineering cultures: A study of women’s experiences and barriers to change in the construction industry. C Armstrong, C Thompson, N Maynard, C Kimpton. Proceedings of the 35th Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education 2024.
• “Positioning teachers as active co-researchers examining PBL in STEM Education”. KV Smith, JL Mansfield, A. Berry, P. Ellerton, N. Maynard, D. Corrigan, T. Spiteri, T. Smith. National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual International Conference 2023: Reflecting on Reform, 2023.
• “Engagement and the Role of SoTL in Assessment Change”. N. Simper, A Berry, K Mårtensson, N Maynard. Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 2023.
• “Teamwork Skills Development in Engineering Education: A Holistic Approach. C. Kimpton and N. Maynard, SEFI International Conference, Dublin, 2023.
• ‘Principles of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in STEM Education: Using Expert Wisdom and Research to Frame Educational Practice’. K. Smith, N. Maynard, A. Berry, T. Stephenson, T. Spiteri, D. Corrigan, J. Mansfield, P. Ellerton and T. Smith. Education Sciences 12 (10), 2022;
• ‘Assessment cultures in higher education: reducing barriers and enabling change’. N. Simper, K. Mårtensson, A. Berry and N. Maynard. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 47 (7), 1016-1029, DOI:10.1080/02602938.2021.1983770, 2022.
• ‘Informal academic networks and the value of significant social interactions in supporting quality assessment practices’, N. Simper, N. Maynard, K. Mårtensson, Higher Education Research and Development, 41 (4), 1277-1293, 2022.
RECENT RESEARCH FUNDING RELEVANT TO ENGINEERING EDUCATION
2021-2024 – Monash Education Academy – Inter-Faculty Transformation Grant. Project Title: ‘Exploring the value and impact of PCK for university educators’ teaching practice’. $56, 724
2019-2023 – Australian Research Council Linkage Grant. Project Title: ‘Exploring Project Based Learning in Schools’. Leading Institution: Monash University; $450,000.
2016-2019 – Commonwealth Office for Learning and Teaching Grant. Project Title: ‘Virtual Work Integrated Learning for Engineering Students’. Leading Institution: The University of Western Australia; $50,000.
2016-2018 – Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant. Project Title: ‘Collaborating with Indonesian pre-service teachers to strengthen STEM education’; $60,000.