Finnigan, Ankeny Named to MS Leadership Positions

Northwestern Engineering has announced two new appointments to its leadership team who will focus on the school’s master’s programs.

Shelley Finnigan has been appointed associate dean for master’s and professional education, while Casey Ankeny has been appointed assistant dean for The Graduate School (TGS) master’s programs. 

“With more than 1,300 master’s students, our portfolio of programs has grown into a dynamic and important component of our community,” said Christopher A. Schuh, dean of the McCormick School of Engineering. “I am delighted to appoint two leaders like Shelley and Casey to ensure our quality and success in this area.”

In her role, Finnigan will join Northwestern Engineering’s senior leadership team and oversee the school’s entire master’s degree portfolio. She joined Northwestern Engineering in 2022 to lead the Master of Project Management and MS in Executive Management for Design and Construction programs. In that time, she led a comprehensive review of the curriculum to ensure graduates were positioned to become leaders in their industries.

Prior to joining Northwestern, Finnigan spent more than 15 years in the design and construction industry, working for ArcelorMittal International, Nucor-Yamato Steel, and Thornton Tomasetti. She holds a BS and MS in civil engineering from Purdue University and is a licensed structural engineer in the State of Illinois.

As assistant dean for TGS master’s programs, Ankeny will oversee Northwestern Engineering’s departmental master’s degree programs. She currently oversees the Department of Biomedical Engineering’s MS program and is also the associate director of the Northwestern Center for Engineering Education Research.

Ankeny holds a BS in biomedical engineering from the University of Virginia and a PhD in biomedical engineering from Georgia Tech and Emory University.