After taking several Scheller Teacher Education Program classes as an MIT undergraduate, Wendel officially joined STEP as an MEng student under Professor Klopfer’s supervision in 2005. After graduation and a brief stint in industry, Wendel returned to STEP as a staff member to help lead the then-newly-formed Imagination Toolbox project, which aims to increase student interest and ability in STEM subjects through the use of computer tools like StarLogo Nova. Wendel continues to work as a lead software developer, curriculum designer, and research manager for several projects in STEP and The Education Arcade, from agent-based modeling to virtual reality to artificial intelligence. He loves working with students, and has mentored more than 100 Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) and MEng students who’ve contributed in countless ways to STEP and The Education Arcade.