Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

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IEEI expert highlight – Dr. Dale Cope

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IEEI expert highlight – Dr. Dale Cope

Dr. Dale Cope is an Associate Professor of Practice, Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University

This month’s highlight features Dr. Dale Cope, Associate Professor of Practice, Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University.

Dr. Cope is affectionally known to his students as “Dr. D” and has served as a Professor of Practice for over six years, primarily instructing sophomore-level engineering courses. Using various effective teaching practices, he has transformed traditional lectures into active learning courses, improving student engagement and enabling them to reach course learning objectives. 

These practices are implemented for multiple course sections with large enrollment, ensuring consistent delivery of course material and instruction, with an annual enrollment of over 500 students.

Before joining Texas A&M, Dr. Cope had a successful 30-year career with the U.S. Air Force as a program manager, aircraft maintenance officer, assistant professor of aeronautics, and aeronautical engineer.

He was primarily involved with conducting structural airworthiness evaluations of aging aircraft. Dr. Cope has worked for Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, and National Institute for Aviation Research in Wichita, Kansas.

He also worked as an aircraft structural engineer for The Boeing Company. Dr. Cope is a retired Air Force officer with 20 years of service on active duty and the Kansas Air National Guard.

Dr. Cope is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm and a 1982 Distinguished ROTC graduate from Texas A&M.

He was also the recipient of the 2022 College of Engineering Instructional Faculty Teaching Award. The award is given annually to professors who demonstrate profound expertise in their fields and inspire students through teaching and mentoring. 

Dr. Cope said, “I thank God for the blessing of being an engineering instructor at my alma mater, and I thank my wife for the many years of support in my professional career.  I sincerely appreciate the support of my department head, Dr. Guillermo Aguilar, for nominating me for the award.  The true blessing is the opportunity that I have had to work with so many fine Aggies and help them with their academic endeavors and engineering careers”.  As said, “A teacher affects eternity; they can never tell where their influence stops.”

Dr. Cope is also the recipient of the 2021 Aggie Club of Engineers Professor of Excellence Award, the 2018 ASME Best Teacher Award, 2012 Associate Fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and the 2007 Meritorious Service Medal, U.S. Air Force (USAF).