Ask IT alumni about their years at the University, and
they'll recount at least one anecdote about a memorable class. But it usually
isn't a textbook or syllabus or classroom they remember best, it's the person
who stood at the head of the class. Regardless of age or academic discipline,
alumni describe with gratitude and awe the professors who guided them over
rugged intellectual terrain, encouraged them when the outcome seemed hopeless,
and opened the door to worlds they never knew existed.
They'll talk about the professor who got them through the rigors of freshman
chemistry, another who patiently untangled the complexities of parametric equations,
and the one who revealed the indisputably cool realm of nanotechnology. Best
of the lot, though, was the academic alchemist who transformed a dreaded requisite
course into pure gold—the sheer joy of learning. As a distinguished research
institution, the University boasts fine facilities and a vast array of extracurricular
opportunities, but all those assets revolve around a central core. Learning
is the true heart of the University experience, and great teachers keep that
heart beating.
From frightened freshmen to intensely focused graduate students, everyone in IT experiences the excitement—and relief—of finding a teacher who can make it all seem comprehensible, if not simple. Learners outside academia can share in the college's wealth of fine teachers, too, as anyone who ever attended a performance by the Physics Force can attest.
Great teaching is easy to spot but not as easy to define. Just what makes a great teacher?
For IT undergraduate Sean Welch, the requirements are simple. Great teachers, like his chemistry professor Lou Pignolet, keep him wide awake despite his self-confessed tendency to fall asleep in class. "I learned more than I thought I would [in chemistry], and he is the reason," says Welch.
To sophomore Jia Zou, a great teacher is someone like Assistant Professor Beth Stadler of the electrical and computer engineering department, who gives of her knowledge and herself as a mentor. "Working with Beth one-on-one has been a great experience for me," says Zou. "She has been extremely patient in helping me to get an overview of her field and the basics of what I need to know to get started."
According to Adam Kokotovich, president of the IT Student Board, great teachers know how to challenge and motivate their students. "Their enthusiasm makes the material they teach more fascinating," he says.
"Passion for your discipline, sincere love of working with students, and technical competence" are the hallmarks of great teaching, says Karen Zentner Bacig, coordinator of the University's Academy of Distinguished Teachers. Founded in 1999 to recognize the importance of outstanding teaching, the academy is a "group of highly dedicated faculty who are committed to being a voice in those issues they believe have an impact on the quality of teaching and learning."
However it's defined, good teaching is crucial, says Peter Hudleston, IT associate dean for student affairs and professor of geology and geophysics. "We are a large public research university, but we cannot for long be successful at anything unless we do a good job of educating our undergraduates. The public will not support the University unless it does a good job in the core area of teaching."
Here's a look at how some of the best teachers in IT are doing their job.
