DUCK Lab Members

Find me on LinkedIn or get in touch at schauer@utexas.edu

Anastasia Schauer, PhD

Assistant Professor, Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering

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.

Graduate Students

Elisa is a doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin researching the impact of AI on design outcome, disability in engineering, and engineering education. Before attending UT-Austin, Elisa earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech. Elisa is currently an intern on NASA's Convergent Aeronautic Solutions team focusing on AI-human design interactions research.  

Ogo is a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on humanitarian design engineering, with a particular interest in how design cognition and design thinking contribute to fostering self-reliance in underserved communities worldwide. Originally from Nigeria, Ogo earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Miami University of Ohio. Outside of her academic pursuits, she enjoys traveling and exploring new regions, cooking, playing racquet sports, and embracing happiness in her everyday life. 

Undergraduate Students