Dr. Chris Merrill
Professor
- About
- Education
- Awards & Honors
- Selected Research
Biography
Merrill has over 31 years of teaching experience at the high school (Gardner-South Wilmington and DeKalb High Schools) and university (The Ohio State University and Illinois State University) levels. Before his career as a high school teacher, Merrill was a cabinetmaker in the Peoria, Illinois area.
Current Courses
TEC 307.001 Competencies For Teaching
TEC 499.003 Independent Research For The Master's Thesis
TEC 304.001 Medical, Agricultural & Bio-Related Technologies
TEC 425.001 STEM Education Leadership
TEC 303.001 Engineering Design
TEC 499.002 Independent Research For The Master's Thesis
TEC 404.001 Special Projects In Industrial Technology
TEC 424.001 Stem Education Integrated Curriculum
TEC 305.001 Teaching Transportation, Energy, & Power Technologies
Teaching Interests & Areas
Technology & Engineering Education, STEM education, Career and Technical Education, and standards-based teaching and learning are Merrill's primary teaching and research interests.
Research Interests & Areas
Technology & Engineering Education, STEM education, Career and Technical Education, and standards-based teaching and learning are Merrill's primary teaching and research interests.
Ph D Integrated Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education
The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio
MS Curriculum and Instruction with Supervision
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois
BS Industrial Technology Education
Illinois State University
Other
Illinois Central College
Other Cabinetmaking
Olney Central College
Technical Foundation of America Fellow
Technical Foundation of America
2024
2021 Distinguished Alumni, Department of Technology
Illinois State University
2021
Presidential Citation
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
2020
National Teacher Educator of the Year
Association for Career and Technical Education
2019
Research Award
Illinois State University Department of Technology
2019
ACTE Region III Teacher Educator of the Year
Association for Career and Technical Education
2019
IACTE Teacher Educator of the Year
Illinois Career and Technical Education
2019
Service Award
Department of Technology
2017
Award of Distinction
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
2014
Technology and Engineering Educator of the Year
Council on Technology and Engineering Teacher Education
2014
Distinguished Technology and Engineering Professional
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
2013
Outstanding Teaching Award
College of Applied Science and Technology
2012
Outstanding Teaching Award
Department of Technology
2010
Outstanding Research Award
College of Applied Science and Technology
2007
Outstanding Research Award
Council on Technology and Engineering Teacher Education
2007
Outstanding Research Award
Department of Technology
2007
Outstanding Research Award
Council on Technology and Engineering Teacher Education
2005
Outstanding Technology Teacher Education Program
Council on Technology and Engineering Teacher Education
2005
Concidine "Big Thinker" Award
Technology Education Association of Illinois
2004
Technology Teacher of the Year
Illinois State University
2004
Outstanding Research Award
Department of Technology
2003
Region 2 Director, International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
2003
Leaders to Watch
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
2002
Grants and Contracts
Illinois Technology Student Association
Chris Merrill
Illinois State Board of Education. July 1 2023 - June 30 2024
Illinois Technology Student Association
Chris Merrill
Illinois State Board of Education. July 1 2022 - June 30 2023
Illinois Technology Student Association
Chris Merrill
Illinois State Board of Education. July 2021 - June 2022
Illinois Career and Technical Education Innovative Curriculum Resources Project
Chris Merrill
Carl D. Perkins and the Illinois State Board of Education. July 1 2020 - June 30 2021
Illinois Career and Technical Education Innovative Curriculum Resources Project
Chris Merrill
Carl D. Perkins, Illinois State Board of Education. July 2020 - June 2021
Illinois Technology Student Association
Chris Merrill
Illinois State Board of Education. July 1 2020 - June 30 2021
Illinois Career and Technical Education Innovative Curriculum Resources Project
Chris Merrill
Carl D. Perkins and the Illinois State Board of Education. July 1 2019 - June 30 2020
Illinois Technology Student Association
Chris Merrill
Illinois State Board of Education. July 1 2019 - June 30 2020
Illinois Technology Student Association
Chris Merrill
Illinois State Board of Education. July 1 2018 - June 30 2019
Illinois Career and Technical Education Innovative Curriculum Resources Project
Chris Merrill
Federal, Illinois State Board of Education. July 1 2017 - June 30 2018
Illinois Technology Student Association
Chris Merrill
Illinois State Board of Education. July 1 2017 - June 30 2018
Illinois Technology Student Association
Chris Merrill
Illinois State Board of Education. July 1 2016 - June 30 2017
Special Populations and Career & Technical Education: The Illinois Approach to Career Pathways
Chris Merrill, Josh Brown, Sally Arnett
Federal: Carl D. Perkins. July 1 2016 - June 30 2017
Illinois Technology Student Association
Chris Merrill
Illinois State Board of Education. July 1 2015 - June 30 2016
Special Populations and Career & Technical Education: The Illinois Approach to Career Pathways
Chris Merrill, Josh Brown, Sally Arnett
Federal: Carl D. Perkins. July 1 2015 - June 30 2016
Career and Technical Education with Special Populations Students
Chris Merrill
Federal: Carl D. Perkins. July 1 2014 - June 30 2015
Illinois Technology Student Association
Chris Merrill
Illinois State Board of Education. July 1 2014 - June 30 2015
Illinois Technology Student Association
Chris Merrill
Illinois State Board of Education. July 1 2013 - June 30 2014
Special Populations and Career & Technical Education: The Illinois Approach to Career Pathways
Chris Merrill, Josh Brown, Sally Arnett
Federal: Carl D. Perkins. July 1 2013 - June 30 2015
Illinois University Council for Career and Technical Education
Chris Merrill
Federal: Carl D. Perkins. July 1 2012 - June 30 2013
Exploring Plastics: The Promise, Purpose, and Power of Plastics
Louis Reifschneider, Chris Merrill
- 2004
STEM Education and Leadership Program
Josh Brown, Chris Merrill, W. Hunter, Ryan A Brown
Illinios State Board of Education, Illinois Mathematics and Science Partnerships Grant. - 2012
Book, Chapter
Technology education perspectives of STEM education
Chris Merrill
(2019), 277-299, The Mississippi Valley Conference in the 21st Century
Authentic Research for Technology Education
Chris Merrill
(2018), 101-108, Handbook of Technology Education, Springer International Publishing
A Nontraditional High School Technology and Engineering Education Setting
Chris Merrill
(2017), 61, 184-193, Yes, Council on Technology and Engineering Teacher Education 61st Yearbook, Council on Technology and Engineering Teacher Education
Conference Proceeding
Open Source Maker Movement: Opportunities for the Engineering Design Classroom
Chris Merrill
American Society for Engineering Education/Engineering Graphics Division, 69 (1), 12-18, (2014)
Using Solid Modeling in High School Mathematics Instruction: A Professional Development Partnership
Kevin Devine, Chris Merrill, & Josh Brown
Proceedings from the 65th Annual American Society for Engineering 6 Education/Engineering Design Graphics Division Mid-Year Meeting, (2010)
Newsletter
Poverty in education: Use of differentiated learning
Sally Arnett, Josh Brown, & Chris Merrill
OTT Professionalism to Practice Newsletter, (2016)
Translation
On Excellence: Craftsmanship and Leadership
Chris Merrill
Technology and Engineering Teacher, 73 (3), 33-35, (2013)
Presentations
Numeracy and Literacy for Career and Technical Education
Chris Merrill
Illinois Business Educators Association, Springfield, November, 2024
Preparing for Retirement in Career and Technical Education
Chris Merrill
Illinois Business Educators Association, Springfield, November, 2024
Engineering Design and Creativity
Chris Merrill
Illinois Technology Education Conference, Normal, IL, October, 2023
Perceptions of High School Students Pursuing STEM: Initial Focus Group Findings from Illinois High Schools
Chris Merrill
85th Annual International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, Minneapolis, MN, March, 2023
Sea, Land, and Air: A Deep Dive into SeaPerch
, Chris Merrill
Illinois Technology Education Conference, Normal, IL, October, 2022
Engineering Design and Creativity
Chris Merrill
Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education, Normal, IL, February, 2022
Using the New Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy
Chris Merrill
Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education, Normal, IL, February, 2022
Professional Teaching and Learning in TEE: The 5E Process
Chris Merrill
2. Hughes, A., & Merrill, C. (2021). Transforming Educator Inputs into Desired Student Outputs. Presentation at the 83rd Annual International Technology and Engineering Educators Association Conference, Denver, Colorado., Denver, CO, March, 2021
Designing, Building, and Testing Trusses with Accurate Predictions
Chris Merrill
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, Denver, CO, March, 2021
Transforming Educator Inputs into Desired Student Outputs
Chris Merrill
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, Denver, CO, March, 2021
Middle School Career Development: Teaching Career Exploration Through Hands-on Projects
Chris Merrill
Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education, Normal, IL, February, 2021
The 5E Structure and How to Use It, Even Online
Chris Merrill
Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education, Normal, IL, February, 2021
Epoxy Tables Through the 5E Process
Chris Merrill
Illinois Technology Education Conference, Online, November, 2020
Today's Education for Tomorrow's Careers
Chris Merrill
Peoria Palooza, Dunlap, Illinois, August 30, 2019
Expert/novice learners utilizing PCK and metacognition in T&EE
Chris Merrill
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, Kansas City, MO, March, 2019
How are new T&EE teachers implementing engineering design
Chris Merrill
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, Kansas City, MO, March, 2019
Illinois CTE Innovative Curriculum Resources Project for T&EE Teachers
Chris Merrill
Illinois Technology Education Conference, Normal, IL, November, 2018
Engineering Design: Processes, Assessment, and Approaches of New Technology and Engineering Education Teachers
Chris Merrill
Mississippi Valley Technology and Engineering Teacher Education Conference, Nashville, TN, November, 2018
Technology and Engineering Instructors Implement Appropriately Challenging Engineering Content
Andrew Hughes, Chris Merrill
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, Atlanta, Georgia, April, 2018
CTE and students from special populations: What does the data tell us?
Chris Merrill, Sally Arnett, Josh Brown, Michael Cermak
Connections Conference, Tinley Park, IL, April, 2017
Teaching Nontraditional Students
Chris Merrill, Josh Brown
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, Dallas, Texas, March 17, 2017
CTE and students from special populations: Illinois student data and next steps
Chris Merrill, Josh Brown, Sally Arnett
Illinois Association of Career and Technical Education, Springfield, IL, February, 2017
Oral and Written Paper
Chris Merrill
21st Century Leadership Academy, Online, January 17, 2017
Engaging Special Populations Students in the Technology and Engineering Education Classroom Description
Cermak Michael, Chris Merrill, Josh Brown
Illinois Project Lead the Way Conference, Champaign, IL, November, 2016
What current trends are shaping engineering and technology education in the United States?
Chris Merrill
Mississippi Valley Technology Teacher Education Conference, Chicago, Illinois, November 11, 2016