DeAnna Leitzke, P.E., Ph.D.

Chair, Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Department Milwaukee School of Engineering

  • Milwaukee WI

Dr. DeAnna Leitzke is an expert in higher ed leadership and focuses her work on academic program partnerships and program innovations.

Contact

Milwaukee School of Engineering

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Education, Licensure and Certification

Ph.D.

Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service in Higher Education

Cardinal Stritch University

2022

M.S.

Engineering, construction management concentration

Milwaukee School of Engineering

2008

B.S.

Architectural Engineering

Milwaukee School of Engineering

1998

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Biography

Dr. DeAnna Leitzke serves as chair of the Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Department at Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Leitzke earned her undergraduate degree in architectural engineering from MSOE and went on to earn her M.S. in Engineering Management from MSOE. She holds a Ph.D. in Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service in Higher Education from Cardinal Stritch University. Prior to serving as associate vice president of academic excellence, she founded the CREATE Institute at MSOE in 2018, taught as an associate professor in MSOE’s Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Department, and was the Pieper Family Endowed Chair for Servant-Leadership. Leitzke has industrial experience as an architectural engineer with Reserve Advisors Inc. and as an architectural engineer with Affiliated Engineers.

As a lifelong resident of Milwaukee County, Leitzke is dedicated to serving the community. She is a board member of SHARP Literacy Inc., program quality committee member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, and committee member of the Wisconsin Servant-Leader Group. Leitzke looks forward to nurturing and growing the CAECM department’s mutually beneficial relationships with industry and community partners to provide all students with the opportunity to learn from real-world experiences that help them develop the skillset and mindset they need to solve the complex challenges of today and tomorrow.

Areas of Expertise

Higher Education
Servant Leadership
Construction Management
Project-Based Experiential Learning

Accomplishments

2020 Johanna Seelhorst Werwath Distinguished Staff Award

Milwaukee School of Engineering

Faculty Sponsor for AGC 2018 James L. Allhands Essay Competition Winner

Associated General Contractors Education Foundation

2015 Excellence in Teaching Award

Associated Schools of Construction

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Affiliations

  • American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) : Member
  • SHARP Literacy : Board Member
  • Wisconsin Servant Leader, Milwaukee Community : Member
  • Sigma Lambda Chi International Construction Honor Society : Member
  • TEMPO Milwaukee: Member
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Social

Media Appearances

MSOE Hosts First Design Review of Innovative STEM Education Initiative Based Around Milwaukee County Zoo Steam Train

Coalition for Sustainable Rail  

2018-12-13

“We strive to find opportunities for our students to connect with the community and dive deeper into developing both the mindset and skillset they need to become responsible professionals. MSOE’s faculty often work directly with community partners like the Milwaukee County Zoo. However, this project offers a unique opportunity for our students to mentor high school students while working to add value to the community. All stakeholders involved owe this opportunity to the coordination efforts and vision of Learn Deep,” explained MSOE CREATE Institute Director DeAnna Leitzke, P.E.

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DeAnna Leitzke ’98, ’08

MSOE News  

2017-12-14

“I love the students here at MSOE,” said Leitzke. “Just being surrounded by their enthusiasm and excitement and their desire to do extraordinary things is contagious.”

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Research Interests

Crisis Leadership in Higher Education

Dr. Leitzke strives to add to the body of knowledge to better understand how leaders in higher education exercise leadership in response to technical and adaptive challenges during times of crises.

Selected Publications

Building Engineers and Construction Managers: The Impact of International Service Projects on the Development of Undergraduate Students

ARCOM Annual Conference Proceedings

Shana Davis, Todd Davis, David Howell and DeAnna Leitzke

2020-09-01

Discussed the impact that EWB-USA international service projects have on the professional, technical, and social development of engineering and construction management students.

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Creating Value for STEAM Students: Incorporating Experiential Learning into Engineering and Technical Communication Classes Through Community Engagement

IEEE 2020 International Conference on Professional Communication

Tammy Rice-Bailey, DeAnna Leitzke, Tyra Hildebrand

2020-07-01

This case details the specific ways that one STEAM university creates value by incorporating project-based experiential learning and service-learning into technical communication and engineering classes. Many of these projects are initiated and supported through the internal CREATE Institute dedicated to furthering the mission, vision, values, and mindset of the university.

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