Engineering Tomorrow, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring high school students to pursue engineering careers, is announcing a leadership transition. Timothy McNiff is retiring, and Megan Barrett, the organization’s former Director of Operations, will take on the role of Executive Director. Engineering Tomorrow, founded in 2014, provides free lab events led by experienced engineers, connecting classroom learning with real-world applications. Since its inception, the organization has facilitated over 2.2 million lab experiences for students nationwide.
Dr. McNiff, who has served as Executive Director since 2019, has been instrumental in transforming Engineering Tomorrow into a national, digital-first organization. Under his leadership, the organization significantly increased its reach, delivering four times as many lab kits during the 2023-2024 school year compared to previous years and engaging over 572,000 students across more than 3,600 schools. He will continue to support the organization as an advisor for special projects.
Megan Barrett, who joined Engineering Tomorrow in 2016 as Director of Operations, will now lead the organization as Executive Director. In her new role, Barrett aims to build on the organization’s recent successes, expanding its impact and coordinating with engineering partners, educators, and administrators nationwide.
Bill Woodburn, Founder and Chairman of the Board, praised Dr. McNiff’s leadership, noting the organization’s impressive growth from hosting individual school events to engaging nearly 30,000 students at Lab Day events featuring prominent engineers from companies like General Electric, NASA, and General Motors. He expressed gratitude for McNiff’s contributions and enthusiasm for Barrett’s future leadership.
Barrett expressed her excitement about leading the organization and building on the strong foundation laid by McNiff. She highlighted the plans for the 2024-2025 school year, including 24 unique Lab Day events, and expressed anticipation for a successful year ahead.
Before joining Engineering Tomorrow, Barrett served as Chief of Staff to the Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of New York. With over 20 years of experience in education and nonprofit management, including roles in New York City and Newark, NJ, she holds a Master of Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, a Master of Arts in Education from Seton Hall University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame.
