Dr. Daina Briedis engages audiences with her thoughtful insights and steady leadership in higher education.
For decades, Daina Briedis, Ph.D., has shaped engineering education, not just at her own university but at institutions around the world. Whether she’s mentoring students in chemical engineering, guiding faculty through program assessment or training future ABET Volunteer Experts, Briedis brings a calm, thoughtful presence that leaves a lasting impact. A longtime faculty member at Michigan State University (MSU), Briedis built her career on continuous improvement and student success in the classroom and beyond. She’s a recognized leader in outcomes-based assessment, a passionate mentor, and one of the earliest contributors to ABET’s program evaluator training model.
Today, she serves ABET in multiple roles, always finding joy in collaboration, curiosity and community. Her work spans continents, criteria updates and countless workshops — but at its core, it’s always been about helping people do their best work so students can thrive.
That drive began early, shaped by her Latvian heritage and a childhood that emphasized the value of education.
Roots of a Lifelong Calling
Briedis grew up in a Wisconsin community that valued both education and Latvian heritage. As first-generation Americans, she and her brother attended Latvian school every Saturday through eighth grade and continued at a nearby summer program. After graduating, she was invited back as a teacher, further deepening her connection to education. She remains fluent in Latvian and still speaks it with her brother.
Before academic classrooms, there were ballet studios. Her mother initially enrolled Briedis in lessons as a child to help improve her balance. “I was not one of those lovely, agile ballerinas,” Briedis laughed, “but I had a good sense of rhythm and I liked ballet.” As she advanced, she began teaching classes with students older than she was. That early experience taught her she enjoyed helping others learn.
Her parents, both Latvian immigrants, viewed education as the key to opportunity. While Briedis showed early interest in engineering, her father, an electrical engineer, initially discouraged her from following in his footsteps due to the fuel crisis and its impact on the job market at the time.
She enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee intending to study medicine, but that changed during her first advising session. After learning about her engineering interests, her advisor encouraged her to shift tracks. “They said, ‘If you are at all interested in engineering, you can always satisfy the requirements for pre-med by taking courses in engineering, but the reverse isn’t necessarily true,’” Briedis recollected.
She gravitated toward biomedical engineering, a natural blend of her interests, before also discovering a passion for chemical engineering. A pivotal moment came when she read a book by Richard Seagrave, Ph.D., which drew parallels between medical and engineering systems. “I recognized him as one of the leading biomedical engineering researchers at the time,” Briedis reminisced. “I went to Iowa State University specifically to work for him.”
At Iowa State, Seagrave introduced Briedis to something else that would shape her future: ABET. Each fall, she wondered where he “disappeared” to from Sunday to Tuesday, until she discovered he was conducting ABET on-site visits.
Years later, after she had begun her career at Michigan State, Seagrave encouraged her to get involved. “He was a proponent of people interested in improving undergraduate education becoming more involved in accreditation as a program evaluator,” Briedis remembered. In 1986, she went on her first observer on-site visit through the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), and hasn’t slowed down since.
Dr. Daina Briedis and Dr. James N. Warnock, Adjunct Director of Professional Programs, listen intently as colleagues share insights about their work with ABET.
Forging a Global Path in Engineering Education
While beginning her legacy at ABET, Briedis was also shaping her career at Michigan State, where she worked in various roles for 40 years before retiring. From introductory courses to advanced topics in chemical engineering and materials science, she loved watching students grow. “I always got a kick out of students,” she grinned.
Though she has won teaching awards and is a fellow of ABET, AIChE and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), Briedis is most proud of her students. “It’s a privilege to see how students grow, not just in knowledge, but, for a lot of students, it’s their growth and maturity,” Briedis expressed. “So, I wouldn’t have stayed in education as long as I did if I didn’t like to help in that process.” She continues to cheer them on after graduation as they launch careers, start families and pursue their own goals.
Briedis met her husband at Michigan State, where he was also a chemical engineering faculty member. She credits his support — especially when their two daughters were young — as a key reason she’s been able to stay so active in ABET. With his support, she traveled for site visits, July Commission Meetings, workshops and training events.
Over the years, Briedis advanced to commissioner of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC), later joining the EAC executive committee and ultimately serving on the ABET Board of Directors. Her leadership and dedication have shaped not just ABET’s processes, but higher education across the globe.
ABET’s Triple Threat: Educator, Evaluator, Facilitator
Her commitment and expertise led to her appointment as adjunct director of professional programs, her current title at ABET. In this capacity, Briedis facilitates assessment workshops, helps improve curriculum and supports attendees as they enhance their assessment practices.
Briedis’ journey with ABET professional offerings began in 2006, when she attended and successfully graduated from the inaugural Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL). As ABET’s professional offerings expanded, Briedis, as an IDEAL Scholar, was among the first asked to facilitate workshops.
In addition to leading assessment workshops, Briedis also currently serves as a program evaluator and a program evaluator candidate training facilitator. Working in three roles helps to amplify her abilities in the others because she can put herself in their shoes. “Being an assessment workshop facilitator helps me be a better program evaluator,” Briedis articulated. “Being a program evaluator helps me be a more compassionate assessment workshop facilitator because you know both sides of the story.”
In 2006, Briedis and her team piloted a new program evaluator candidate training model. She is quick to credit the entire team and their collaboration for the success in shaping a more consistent and practical experience for evaluators. Remaining active as a training facilitator, she’s had a front-row seat to the evolution of the program, which continues to improve with each cycle thanks to participant feedback.
She finds it hard to pick a favorite among her roles, smiling as she described them as “like picking a favorite child.” Each one allows Briedis to build community across ABET, creating connections with facilitators, staff and volunteers she deeply values. “I do really like my colleagues,” she emphasized.
And even though on-site visit teams change, she values the camaraderie that always forms. “It’s the teamwork that kind of gels when an accreditation visit team forms [that I like],” Briedis explained. She thrives off the energy of eager assessment workshop participants and future program evaluators — especially during in-person sessions — all committed to advancing higher education.
Looking ahead, she plans to remain involved as long as she’s needed, eager to continue mentoring the next generation until they’re ready to take the lead. “I was that younger person at some point, too,” she empathized, explaining that she doesn’t want to take opportunities away from future generations.
A Legacy Beyond Work: Community and Family
Dr. Daina Briedis and husband made a memorable stop on our Lambeau Field tour—no game that day, but the spirit of the Packers was alive and well. “One of the best facility tours I’ve ever experienced!”
That same care fuels her life outside of ABET. She hopes to mentor young women and mothers through her church community. “One of my favorite things to do is to take care of kids for young moms for them to go out with their husbands for a date night,” Briedis announced. Her goal is to help ensure young parents have the support they need to thrive — something she sees as vital, both professionally and personally.
Briedis also finds joy in spending time with her husband and two adult daughters. They enjoy kayaking, hiking and biking “up north” in Michigan — and they’re on a mission to visit all 50 states. With Alaska and Hawaii already checked off, she smiled, “The rest are waiting for a great road trip!”
And when football season rolls around, don’t be surprised to find her wearing green and gold. A lifelong Green Bay Packers fan, Briedis proudly represents her Wisconsin roots. She has a “cheese head” and is a “team owner” through the Packers’ unique community ownership. She is excited to attend her first home game at Lambeau Field this September, though it won’t be her first time at the facility — Briedis and her husband took a tour a few years ago. “Which, by the way, was one of the best tours of a facility I’ve ever been on,” Briedis revealed.
“Of course,” Briedis is also a fan of the Michigan State Spartans.
Whether she’s reviewing a program, leading a workshop or watching the kids for a young family, Briedis is still doing what she’s always done best: helping others grow.