“What advice would you give to students just starting your major?”
Answers to that simple, straightforward question form the foundation of a video series created by Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor Iman Salehinia. A member of the CEET faculty since 2015, Salehinia distilled the top responses from over 130 students as they neared graduation in Spring and Fall 2024:
- Mastering Fundamental Concepts
- Time Management and Class Assignments
- Attending Classes Regularly
- Communicating with Professors
- Forming Study Groups
- Developing Professional Habits
- Gaining Practical Industry Experience
- Staying Mentally Resilient
- Exam Essentials
Each of the topics is the focus of a video, most between five and 10 minutes long and brimming with an array of creative graphics and visuals that augment Salehinia’s remarks.
In creating the series, dubbed “College Success Series: Top Strategies from a Professor,” he blended their feedback with his own academic and professional journey.
Salehinia drew on his experience growing up in Iran, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at universities in Tehran, and then after coming to the United States, where he earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Washington State University in 2013. He also tapped extensively into cognitive and educational research to convey proven best practices.
Since the October 2024 launch of his YouTube channel, MechCADemy, Salehinia has garnered about 650 subscribers and received enthusiastic endorsements from viewers, such as “I really like how slow you went through the tutorial and clearly showed what you were doing throughout the video.”
In April, NIU’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning featured Salehinia’s video series and issued this endorsement:
The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) encourages all faculty and staff to explore the College Success Series on MechCADemy. It is a valuable resource for students at all stages of their academic journey—whether just starting out, midway through their program, or approaching graduation—as well as for educators seeking fresh and effective ways to support student learning and engagement.
His efforts were also a factor in his receiving the Outstanding Teacher Award in May at the CEET’s Scholarship, Staff, Faculty and Student Awards.
We recently caught up with Professor Salehinia to learn more about his journey in creating the educational videos.
College professors are already busy with teaching and researching. What prompted you to create these videos?
I’m passionate about innovative teaching in engineering and committed to student success. After 10 years at NIU, I’ve found that small yet vital skills, especially if taught from freshman year, can empower students throughout their academic journey—driving my motivation to create these videos.
What’s been the response so far to the videos?
So far, the technical videos have gained more attention from viewers. The channel is still in its early stages, and as I upload more content, the YouTube algorithm will likely boost both views and watch time. With 11 of my 15 videos in the college success playlist, I hope NIU students watch and share this practical, comprehensive resource so more can benefit from it. To be frank, after reviewing many online resources, this playlist is possibly one of the most comprehensive and practical ones.
In your video on the importance of attending classes regularly, you mention that “while talking about this, an idea just came to my mind: I can dedicate the last five minutes of every class for students to refine their notes.” Have you implemented that approach to your classes and, if so, what kind of impact has that had?
Yes, in my Spring 2025 Design of Machine Elements course (MEE470), I did this twice. After just five minutes, students approached me with numerous questions directly related to the notes they had taken, showing strong engagement and curiosity.
Any plans to create more videos on your YouTube channel?
Currently, I’m working on the video “FEA Playbook: Pro Moves Backed by Essential Theory,” which covers practical tips for performing reliable finite element analysis in engineering design. I also plan to create videos on design, manufacturing processes, critical thinking, mechanics of materials and various FEA topics.
Additionally, I’m developing “MechCADemy Notes”—accompanying resources for technical videos—and aim to interview alumni, students and faculty in a podcast format.
👉 Watch the playlist: College Success Series – MechCADemy
📺 Subscribe to the channel: MechCADemy YouTube Channel
Connect with Professor Salehinia via LinkedIn.
