Andreas Bommarius and Mark Prausnitz, faculty members in the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, received the 2015 Innovation in Co-Curricular Education Award from the Georgia Tech Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL).

The award, which includes a $3,000 prize, is given each year to faculty members who increase student learning outside of the traditional curriculum. In each of the last eight years, Bommarius and Prausnitz have taken about 25 students on a five-day tour of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Puerto Rico.

“Even the best classroom teaching cannot replace firsthand experience,” Bommarius said. “By touring world-class pharmaceutical plants, the students observe in real life the concepts taught in class. Puerto Rico is one of the main pharmaceutical manufacturing hubs of the world, and spending your spring break inside world-class plants is complemented by visiting examples of the rich cultural heritage of Puerto Rico.”  

They will be honored at the Georgia Tech Faculty and Staff Awards Luncheon on April 17.