Amanda Furtado, PhD

Greetings to the WTMA family!

I am a chemical engineer with a passion for exploring our world and explaining how things work to the next generation of scholars. I earned my Bachelor of Engineering degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware and my Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Vanderbilt University. I have taught chemistry and math at the University of Puget Sound, Barton Community College, and Pikes Peak State College. My focus at the Well-Trained Mind Academy is teaching engineering, science and mathematics.

In addition to teaching, I have spent a great deal of time researching the world around us. I spent several years as an undergraduate researching membrane proteins and their structures. I spent my graduate years producing next generation adsorbent materials to be used for air filtration (gas masks). I also spent two years developing new consumer products materials at Kimberly-Clark Corporation.

My diverse research experiences prove that there is so much you can do with a STEM degree. I love getting my students excited about science and math and the applications of these subjects in the real world. With every class I teach, my goal is to show students how their education can be used to help them make the world a better place.

I live with my husband, two children, and dog in Kansas City. We move often because my husband is a member of the U.S. Army, so we have no idea where we will be living next year! I love to live as a tourist with each place we move, so in my spare time, you’ll find me hiking, gardening, and exploring whatever area in which we currently live.

On teaching: I will lecture from slides to introduce new material which will be available to students so they can take notes. There will be plenty of time in each lecture to ask questions and discuss new topics. In my science and math classes, we will also take a few breaks in each class to solve problems in small groups to reinforce the new material. I will include relevant demonstrations throughout the year. In my engineering classes, we work together in teams quite often and watch videos and have class discussions to reinforce new material. My goal with every class is for students to understand how the STEM concepts they learn in class can help them make their world a better place.