Jeffrey Stransky Headshot

Jeffrey Stransky

Assistant Professor, Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering

Dean’s Office
College of Engineering Technology

585-475-2611
Office Location

Jeffrey Stransky

Assistant Professor, Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering

Dean’s Office
College of Engineering Technology

Bio

Dr. Jeffrey Stransky is an Engineering Education Researcher and assistant professor in the Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Technology Department at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He studies how engineers think, learn, and make decisions as they navigate complex technical and ethical environments. His work centers on behavioral ethics, particularly the gaps that emerge between what engineers believe and how they behave when facing real-world pressures. He also investigates how undergraduate students integrate disciplinary knowledge, such as mathematics, physics, and technical information, into their problem solving and design processes.

Jeff’s research program spans survey and instrument development, structural equation modeling, qualitative analysis, and mixed-methods studies using sequential explanatory designs. He developed the Engineering Process Safety Research Instrument (EPSRI) and recently published a method for systematically comparing ethical beliefs with observable behaviors. His broader work includes examining how experiential and game-based learning environments shape students’ reasoning, decision-making, and professional formation.

As an educator, Jeff teaches MCET101, ENGT110, and MCET530, where he emphasizes experiential and project-based learning. He approaches the classroom as a training ground—an environment where students can experiment with ideas, receive feedback, iterate, and grow without the high-stakes consequences found in professional practice. Jeff welcomes students and collaborators who are interested in engineering ethics, problem solving, design cognition, or engineering education research to reach out.

585-475-2611

Areas of Expertise

Select Scholarship

JOURNAL PAPERS

Stransky, J., Ritz, C., Miskioglu, E., Bodnar, C., & Dringenberg, E. (2026). Steps for Designing Research to Compare How One Believes They Will Behave to How They Behave. European Journal of Engineering Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2026.2636944

Stransky, J., Bodnar, C., Bassett, L., Cooper, M., Anastasio, D., & Burkey, D. (2023). Engineering Process Safety Research Instrument: Assessing students’ moral reasoning in process safety contexts. Education for Chemical Engineers, 42(November 2022), 44–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2022.11.004 

CONFERENCE PAPERS

Stransky, J., Agrawal, A., & Eastman, M. (2025, June). WIP: Efficacy of Connecting Engineering and Calculus through AI Problem Generation. 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--57397

Stransky, J., & Shekhar, P. (2024, April 11). Work-in-Progress: Examining the Validity and Reliability of STEM Expectancy-Value Survey at a Minority Serving Institution. 2024 AERA Annual Meeting. https://doi.org/10.3102/IP.24.2102621

Currently Teaching

ENGT-101
3 Credits
This hands-on, project-based course introduces students to the foundations of problem solving through the exploration of societal challenges such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals with an emphasis on the pursuit of making the world a better place. Working in collaborative teams, students engage in the problem-solving cycle, from problem definition and research to model-building, testing, and implementation, with the objective of improving conditions for humankind. Guided by faculty, students will apply mathematics, problem-solving strategies, and computational tools to design and analyze solutions to open-ended societal problems. Through collaborative, active learning, students gain experience with problem-solving strategies, teamwork dynamics, communication, and ethical reasoning. Emphasis is placed on the application of mathematics as a language for problem-solving and the integration of computational tools for data analysis and visualization. During this course, students will apply problem-solving techniques, work collaboratively in teams, analyze data, and communicate results in a professional manner.
MCET-530
3 Credits
This course provides an in-depth coverage on the application of the first and second law of thermodynamics and conservation principles, mass and energy, to the analysis of open systems and power cycles, including refrigeration, heat pump and power cycles. It also introduces the fundamentals of heat transfer theory, conduction, radiation, free and forced convection, and its application to heat exchangers including free surface and conduit flow. Case studies based on real-world thermal systems are used to illustrate the connection between these interdisciplinary subjects.