Susan Smith Roads teaches rhetoric and directs the campus' Learning Center (peer tutoring for Rose-Hulman students) and Homework Hotline (phone and online tutoring provided by Rose-Hulman students for students in grades 6-12). Professor Smith Road's work in both areas has earned her community and statewide honors, including a TechPoint Mira Award (Indiana's top tech sector honor). Her areas of expertise include composition, American literature, peer tutoring, and K-12 outreach programs. She also is a member of the Grand Challenges Group, which works to incorporate the National Academy of Engineering's 14 Grand Challenges into classes and activities on campus.

Academic Degrees

  • BS, Indiana State University, 1978
  • MA, Indiana State University, 1980

Awards & Honors

  • Indiana Bicentennial Torchbearer, 2016
  • Women of Influence, United Way of the Wabash Valley, 2013
  • Mira Award (Education Contributions to Technology by a Department, Program, or Team), TechPoint, 2009
  • President's Outstanding Service Award, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 2003
  • Sagamore of Wabash, Indiana former Governor Frank O'Bannon, 2001
  • Terre Award (Outstanding Community Service), Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce, 1999

Publications & Presentations

  • “Professional Development for STEM Tutors,” 22nd National Tutoring Association Conference, Tampa, Florida, 2016
  • Invited Participant, Indiana STEM Symposium, Indianapolis, Fall 2015

Research Experiences

  • Tutoring programs
  • Learning styles
  • Multiple intelligences

Teaching Interests

  • Composition
  • American literature
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