Students presented the Engineering Council "Excellence in Teaching" Awards on Friday to four professors and two graduate student teaching assistants to honor their dedication and enthusiasm in teaching undergraduates in spring 2004 classes.
"The E-Council Teaching Awards are the only entirely student-given teaching awards on campus," said Sarah Moore '06, chair of the Engineering Council Teaching Awards.
The E-Council runs the nomination, voting and comments process in which undergraduate engineers can award top professors and teaching assistants, she said.
Professor Alexander Smits of MAE 222/CEE 208: Mechanics of Fluid; professor Pablo Debenedetti of CHE 246: Thermodynamics; professor Hugo Simao of ORF 201: Computer Methods for Problem Solving; and professor Robert Dondero of COS 217: Introduction to Programming Systems won the award.
The award was also given to graduate students Dries Darius and Steve Mwenifumbo for ORF 335/ECO 335: Introduction to Financial Engineering and CEE 364: Materials in Civil Engineering, respectively.
For the first time, the awards were presented by students who had taken the classes and nominated the instructors.
Bob Moore '06 and Chris Wynnyk '06 presented their award to Dondero.
"I feel like I just won the World Series. This is the pinnacle of achievement — it doesn't get much better than this," said Dondero, who has won the award four times. He said he is not simply motivated by the award, but enjoys working with his students.
Simao was praised by Raj Hathiramani '07, a 'Prince' staff writer, for the personal and exciting quality of his lectures and his extraordinary availability.
"I can summarize what I feel in being presented this award in four words — surprised, honored, grateful and encouraged," Simao said.
Students equally appreciated the efforts of graduate students and professors.
"[Darius'] approach to answering questions and guiding the course are truly exemplary of how TAs should be teaching," Karima Nigmatulina '05 said.
Moore said the purpose of the awards is to hold up amazing teachers as an example for others, with the hope of improving the quality of the University's undergraduate engineering program.
"What's really important is that we're valuing something precious, something done deeply in their hearts with passion," School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Maria Klawe said.
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