Madalynn Baez she/her

Physics, Engineering & Astronomy Lab Coordinator

• Phone: 309-794-7846
• Email: madalynnbaez@augustana.edu
• Office: Hanson 121B

As Lab Coordinator for Physics, Engineering, & Astronomy, Madalynn oversees the use and upkeep of equipment in the physics labs and engineering makerspace, supervises the department's student employees, and takes on other tactical/operational tasks for the department to enable important experiential learning.

Madalynn's engineering background comes from John Deere, where she held several positions in Manufacturing & Quality Engineering, in both tactical factory support roles and product development. After some time working at John Deere, Madalynn decided to pursue formal studies in classical music, which has always been a cherished hobby of hers, and she received her Master of Music degree from North Park University in 2025. While she was completing her music studies, she was also working at North Park as their Physics & Engineering Lab Manager, during which time she coordinated construction of new lab spaces and program accreditation readiness.

Madalynn is passionate about the necessity of experiential education in vocational exploration and readiness, and is thrilled to be in a position to provide hands-on learning opportunities to students at a small liberal-arts institution, similar to where she completed her undergraduate studies. As someone with professional aspirations in two completely different fields, she also loves connecting with students about their vocational questions and explorations, career planning, and life design.

Outside of her work as Lab Coordinator, Madalynn is a celebrated soprano and is heavily involved in the Quad Cities and broader Midwest music scene, music directing, teaching voice lessons, and performing with Quad City Music Guild, Opera Quad Cities, Nova Singers, Chicago's Grant Park Chorus, and several regional symphony orchestras.

Specializations: Manufacturing, Quality control, Vocal music, Careers