Every year, Georgia Tech’s research enterprise celebrates the remarkable contributions of its extraordinary researchers. The Office of the Executive Vice President for Research (EVPR) presents peer-nominated awards to exceptional faculty and staff for their commitment to “Research That Matters” — achievements fueled by a profound mission to advance science and technology for the betterment of society.
This year, nearly 100 researchers were nominated for the 2024 EVPR Institute Research Awards spanning nine distinct categories that range from breakthroughs in innovation to community engagement and outreach.
Joining a prestigious list of award winners dating back to 1986, 2024 College of Sciences award recipients include:
The EVPR Institute Research Awards will be presented at the Faculty and Staff Honors Luncheon on Friday, April 26.
More than 15 College of Sciences faculty are recognized for their teaching excellence by Georgia Tech’s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) in the Fall 2023 Course Instructor Opinion Survey (CIOS).
Using optional feedback from students, the survey serves to celebrate instructors who exhibit exceptional respect and concern for students, ability to stimulate interest in the subject matter of the course, and enthusiasm for course content.
Three College of Sciences faculty have won the Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: CIOS Awards, which recognizes instructors with exceptional response rates (at least 85%) and scores on CIOS. The CIOS score used to determine winners of the award is based on the sum of three scale items: instructor’s respect and concern for students; instructor’s level of enthusiasm about teaching the course; and instructor’s ability to stimulate interest in the subject matter.
College of Sciences recipients of the Fall 2023 “Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: CIOS Awards” include:
Small Classes:
Large Classes:
Additionally, 30 College of Sciences faculty are named to the Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: Class of 1934 CIOS Honor Roll for Fall 2023. The Honor Roll is comprised of faculty who have at least a 70% response rate and place in the top 25% of the composite CIOS scores of three questions related to instructor concern for students, ability to stimulate interest in subject matter, and enthusiasm for course content.
College of Sciences recipients of the Fall 2023 “Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: Class of 1934 CIOS Honor Roll” include:
Small Classes:
Large Classes:
Learn more about the Center for Teaching and Learning
Contact: Jess Hunt-Ralston
Director of Communications
College of Sciences
She will be responsible for advancing the Institute’s strategic goal of transformative teaching and learning, overseeing and executing programs that promote and support teaching effectiveness and student success. She will also lead CTL.
“Laura Carruth’s passion for innovative education coupled with her ability to inspire and collaborate with faculty, staff, and students make her an exceptional addition to Georgia Tech. Her visionary leadership aligns perfectly with our motto of Progress and Service,” said Jacobs.
For the past nine years, Carruth has served as senior director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Online Education at Georgia State University. She has also been an associate professor in Georgia State’s Neuroscience Institute and Department of Biology for the past 14 years.
Carruth said she is excited to join the Georgia Tech community and “to contribute to the innovations in teaching and research that have made the university a model of excellence. Transformative teaching practices have the potential to change the lives of students in and out of the classroom, and they can also make a positive difference to the instructors who adopt and utilize them.”
Carruth earned a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder and completed post-doctoral training at the University of California Los Angeles.
“As we look ahead to Dr. Carruth’s arrival, I want to acknowledge and thank David Lawrence for serving as the interim director of CTL,” said Jacobs. “I appreciate the hard work that he and the entire CTL team have done, ensuring that our faculty, students, and teaching assistants have been well served during this leadership transition.”
]]>College of Sciences graduate students and researchers have also been recognized with Georgia Tech Teaching Assistant Awards and special certificates during the Institute’s Teaching Assistant (TA) and Future Faculty Award ceremonies, held on April 20 at the Bill Moore Student Success Center.
Please join us in congratulating these special recipients across our community:
Love Family Foundation Award
Yashvardhan Tomar, a double major in the School of Physics and the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, is the recipient of one of the highest academic honors given to a Georgia Tech graduating senior, the Love Family Foundation Award.
The accolade is made possible by a generous grant from the Gay and Erskine Love Foundation, and recognizes the undergraduate student with the most outstanding scholastic record of all members of the class.
Each of Georgia Tech’s six colleges nominates its top graduating student, and the winner is ultimately selected by the academic associate deans in coordination with the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE).
“I find myself at a loss for words to truly convey how grateful I feel to the institute for selecting me for this really high honor,” Tomar says.
“I still remember my first day as a freshman at Tech—a young boy beyond-eager to learn so many new things and get involved in so much exciting research—an excitement that has stayed with me since," he shares.
"The news of this award comes as a strong boost of encouragement and appreciation to propel with me strengthened promise towards the fulfillment of my aspirations. I express my most heartfelt thanks to everyone who invested their belief in my candidature for this highly prestigious award.”
Roger M. Wartell and Stephen E. Brossette Award for Multidisciplinary Studies in Biology, Physics, and Mathematics
This award is presented to an undergraduate student with demonstrated accomplishments at the interface of biology with either physics or mathematics. The award was established by a generous donation from alumnus Stephen E. Brossette in recognition of the many contributions of Roger M. Wartell to the Georgia Institute of Technology.
The 2022 winner, Lila Nassar, is a physics major with a concentration in the physics of living systems. Nassar has a broad set of research experiences with faculty Martin Mourigal and Jennifer Curtis in the School of Physics. Nassar has also served as the secretary and president of the Georgia Tech Society of Women in Physics.
“Lila has broad interests and lots of ambition,” says Curtis. “She brings both an intensity that is useful for driving forward progress and dealing with setbacks. She brings that same fire and energy to her role as president of the Society of Women in Physics.”
In summer 2021, Nassar also participated in a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates program at Vanderbilt University.
A. Joyce Nickelson and John C. Sutherland Undergraduate Research Award
This award was created by the endowment gift of Joyce E. Nickelson and John C. Sutherland to honor Joyce’s late mother, alumna A. Joyce Nickelson, and Sutherland. The scholarship, which recognizes excellence at the interface of mathematics and physics, is awarded to an undergraduate student who has jointly studied mathematics and physics, and who has engaged in scientific research.
Nickelson-Sutherland award winner Sarah Eisenstadt is completing majors in physics and mathematics, and also studies applied languages and intercultural studies.
Eisenstadt has completed research with Michael Loss in the School of Mathematics on mathematical physics and the development of an energy functional to describe superconductivity, and with Stephanie Boulard on the artist Marc Chagall. She has also served as a teaching assistant for linear algebra and multivariable calculus.
Cynthia L. Bossart and James Efron Scholarship
This honor was created by alumna Cindy Bossart to recognize high academic achievement by a student in the College of Sciences who is a non-Georgia resident.
The 2022-3 recipient of this award, Sena Ghobadi, is a resident of Florida who graduated from American Heritage School in Broward County. Ghobadi has made a strong start as a first-year as a physics major at Georgia Tech: she has already begun work as a teaching assistant for Physics 2211.
Metha Phingbodhipakkiya Memorial Scholarship
This honor was established by Maranee Phingbodhipakkiya to honor her father, his love for physics, and the sacrifices he made to assure that she would have the finest education. This award is made to a junior or senior in the College of Sciences based on academic merit.
The recipient of this award, Nabojeet Das, is a graduate of Tucker High School and is a candidate for the Bachelor of Science in Biology with the Research Option designation and Biologically Inspired Design certificate.
Das has served as a teaching assistant for the introductory Organismal Biology course, and as a resident assistant for Georgia Tech Housing. His research with Aniruddh Sarkar, an assistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, focuses on the creation of small and portable biosensors for Covid-19 and other diseases.
He has presented his research at a meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society. Das is a member of DramaTech, the Minority Association of Premed Students, and Buzz Mobile Health.
Virginia C. and Herschel V. Clanton Jr. Scholarship
This scholarship was established by alumnus Herschel V. Clanton Jr. to honor his wife, Virginia. The scholarship is awarded annually to a student in the College of Sciences who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement.
The 2022 recipient of the Clanton Scholarship, Griffin Wagner, is a graduate of Vero Beach High School in Florida and is currently a biology major.
Wagner’s research with Jennette Yen in the School of Biological Sciences, with collaborators at the Carter Center, the University of Georgia, Texas A&M, and the African country of Chad, focuses on inhibiting the transmission of African guinea worm disease.
He has completed an internship at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, and a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at Georgia Tech. Wagner presented his research at the 2022 Ocean Sciences meeting.
Robert A. Pierotti Memorial Scholarship
The College of Sciences presents this scholarship in honor of Robert “Bob” Pierotti, past dean of the College and founder of the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC). The award is made to top graduating seniors in the College who have excelled both academically and in research.
The two recipients of the 2022 Pierotti Award are Holly McCann and Soham Kulkarni.
McCann is a biology major who is completing the Biomolecular Technology certificate. She is a researcher with Loren Williams in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, working on the prediction and visualization of the structure of RNA. McCann’s work led to the publication of a paper in the journal Nucleic Acids Research. She has also participated in the BeeSnap Vertically Integrated Project with Jennifer Leavey. McCann has also completed internships with Syngenta and Fidelity Investments.
“Holly is remarkable,” says Williams. “She is highly intelligent, creative, motivated, functional and productive. She is destined to be an extremely successful scientist.”
Kulkarni, a graduate of Chattahoochee High School, is a biochemistry major who will also complete the Health and Medical Sciences and Computational Data Analysis minors.
He has conducted research with Cassie S. Mitchell in the Chronic Myeloid Leukemia laboratory. He is a coauthor of a paper in the journal Pharmaceutics and has presented his research at the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) conference. He also serves as an Undergraduate Research Ambassador.
Larry O’Hara Graduate Scholarship
This honor is provided by an endowment bequeathed by alumnus Larry O’Hara. It is presented to outstanding graduate students in the College of Sciences.
All of the 2022 winners have established a strong record of research with multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals, as well as multiple conference presentations:
Youngho Yoo, Ph.D. candidate, Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization in Mathematics
Pedro Márquez-Zacarias, Ph.D. candidate, Quantitative Biology program, Biological Sciences
Jason Tsukahara, Ph.D. candidate, Psychology
Yoo is currently studying graph theory with Xingxing Xu and holds a prestigious NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship to support her doctoral studies.
Márquez-Zacarias’ doctoral research with William Ratcliff focuses on developing theories to understand how multicellular organisms became more complex, and how microbial populations are structured in space.
Tsukahara, who is studying cognition and brain science with Randall Engle, focuses on investigating the nature of attention control with the use of pupillometry and mind-wandering reports.
Herbert P. Haley Fellowship
This graduate fellowship recognizes significant accomplishments and outstanding academic achievements for students at Georgia Tech.
The 2022 winners are:
Keun (Kara) Lee, Bioinformatics
Marisa Cepeda, Chemistry
Estefania Garcia, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Christopher DuPre, Mathematics
Francisco Martinez, Physics
Teaching Assistant Awards
The College of Science had four winners among the 2022 Georgia Tech Teaching Assistant Awardees, with three hailing from the School of Mathematics. The awards are presented annually by the Center for Teaching and Learning to celebrate the contributions to teaching excellence at Georgia Tech made by graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants:
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant of the Year:
Bryan Clark, Mathematics
Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year:
Tao Yu, Mathematics
Graduate Student Instructor of the Year:
Elizabeth (Liz) Jones, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Online Head Teaching Assistant of the Year:
Jaewoo Jung, Mathematics
Tech to Teaching Certificates
Tech to Teaching Certificates are designed to prepare Georgia Tech graduate and postdoctoral associates for college teaching positions.
Through this certificate program, participants will develop a thorough understanding of the scholarship of teaching and learning, and will demonstrate their ability to apply these skills in the classroom.
The following College of Sciences students were awarded Tech to Teaching Certificates:
Thomas Day, Physics
Alex Draper, Biological Sciences
Caria Evans, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Annika Jersild, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Maugan Lloyd, Psychology
Pedro Márquez-Zacarias, Biological Sciences
Daniyar Omarov, Mathematics
Alperen Ozdemir, Mathematics
Tyler Roche, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Tyler Vollmer, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) Certificates
As a member institution in the CIRTL national network, Georgia Tech joins with 37 other universities on a mission to improve undergraduate education through the preparation of future faculty.
Participants in these certificate programs learn about how students learn, how differences among students affect their learning, evidence-based teaching and assessment practices, and teaching with technology.
Participants who complete these foundation-level learning outcomes through a combination of coursework, workshops, or online learning, receive the CIRTL Associate certificate.
The following College of Sciences students were awarded CIRTL Certificates:
Mary Bernhardt, Psychology
Thomas Day, Physics
Annika Jersild, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Sierra Knavel, Mathematics
Maugan Lloyd, Psychology
Pedro Márquez Zacarias, Biological Sciences
Alexandra Newton, Mathematics
Jennifer Rattray, Biological Sciences
Tyler Roche, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Micah Schaible, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Danielle Skinner, Physics
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Contact: Jess Hunt-Ralston
Director of Communications
College of Sciences
41 College of Sciences faculty have won Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: CIOS Awards based on student evaluations during the annual Course Instructor Opinion Survey (CIOS). Eight faculty are the recipients of CTL Faculty Teaching Awards.
The CIOS honors, given for the full calendar year, are based on student-provided CIOS responses about their instructor's “respect and concern for students, level of enthusiasm about teaching the course, and ability to stimulate interest in the subject matter.”
“It's impressive to see the many ways that faculty in the College of Sciences are contributing to student learning at Georgia Tech,” says Joyce Weinsheimer, CTL director. “The College’s award-winning teachers are excelling in the classroom, laboratory instruction, co-curricular education, online teaching, academic outreach, and the scholarship of teaching. They are providing exciting learning environments and experiences to students on our campus and beyond.”
College of Sciences recipients of the “2022 Faculty Teaching Awards” include:
CTL/BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award
Neha Garg, assistant professor, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Faculty Award for Academic Outreach
James R. Sowell, principal academic professional, School of Physics, and director of the Georgia Tech Observatory
Geoffrey G. Eichholz Faculty Teaching Award
Michael Evans, First-year Chemistry Laboratory coordinator, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Christie N. Stewart, senior academic professional, School of Biological Sciences
Innovation and Excellence in Laboratory Instruction Award
Christy O’Mahony, laboratory coordinator for Analytical and Physical Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Innovation in Co-Curricular Education
Jake D. Soper, associate professor and associate chair for Operations, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award
Emily G. Weigel, senior academic professional, School of Biological Sciences
Teaching Excellence Award for Online Teaching
Michael Evans, First-year Chemistry Laboratory coordinator, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
College of Sciences faculty honored with “Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: CIOS Awards” include:
Small Classes:
Gary (Michael) Lavigne, visiting assistant professor, School of Mathematics; and assistant director of Communication, Education and Outreach for the Southeast Center for Mathematics and Biology
Dan Margalit, professor, School of Mathematics
Melinda (Mindy) Millard-Stafford, professor, School of Biological Sciences
Large Classes:
Meghan Babcock, academic professional and lecturer, School of Psychology
Dobromir (Doby) Rahnev, associate professor, School of Psychology
College of Sciences “Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: Honor Roll” Awardees:
Small Classes:
School of Biological Sciences — Joel Kostka, professor and associate chair of Research; Lin Jiang, professor; Melinda (Mindy) Millard-Stafford, professor; Emily Weigel, senior academic professional
School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences — Sven Simon, associate professor; Samantha Wilson, academic professional; James Wray, associate professor
School of Mathematics — Neha Gupta, academic professional and director of Scheduling; Gary (Michael) Lavigne, visiting assistant professor, School of Mathematics; and assistant director of Communication, Education and Outreach for the Southeast Center for Mathematics and Biology; Dan Margalit, professor; John Olinde, Ph.D. student
Neuroscience — Timothy Cope, professor
School of Psychology — Lizanne DeStefano, professor and Center for Education Integrating Science, Math, and Computing (CEISMC) executive director; Ruth Kanfer, professor; Dianne Leader, lecturer
Large Classes:
School of Biological Sciences — Adam Decker, senior academic professional and director of Anatomical Sciences; Colin Harrison, senior academic professional; Emily Weigel, senior academic professional
School of Chemistry and Biochemistry — Amit Reddi, associate professor; J. Cameron Tyson, principal academic professional and College of Sciences assistant dean for Academic Programs
School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences — Heather Chilton, remote laboratory support; Zachary Handlos, academic professional
School of Mathematics — Neha Gupta, academic professional and director of Scheduling; Sung Ha Kang, professor; Siddhi Krishna, former NSF Research Training Groups (RTG) postdoctoral associate; Miriam Kuzbary, NSF postdoctoral fellow; Gary (Michael) Lavigne, visiting assistant professor, School of Mathematics; and assistant director of Communication, Education and Outreach for the Southeast Center for Mathematics and Biology; Michael Loss, professor; Gregory Mayer, academic professional and director of Online Learning
Neuroscience — Christina Ragan, lecturer and director of Outreach for the B.S. in Neuroscience program; Alonzo Whyte, academic professional, advisor for the Health and Medical Sciences (HMED) Minor, and director of Academic Advising for the B.S. in Neuroscience program
School of Psychology — Meghan Babcock, academic professional; Dianne Leader, lecturer; Dobromir (Doby) Rahnev, associate professor; Christopher Stanzione, senior lecturer, associate chair for Undergraduate Studies in Psychology; Christopher Weise, assistant professor
Learn more about the Center for Teaching and Learning at Georgia Tech.
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Editor: Jess Hunt-Ralston
]]>“As I reviewed the nomination packets for the awards, I was impressed by the quality of teaching that our TAs bring to Georgia Tech students,” said Joyce Weinsheimer, director of CTL. “Our TAs want students to learn, and they bring both vitality and commitment to their teaching. The results are noteworthy!"
The following students received institutewide TA awards, which include $500 prizes sponsored by the Tech alumni classes of 1957 and 1972:
Undergraduate TA of the Year
Graduate TA of the Year
Graduate Student Instructor of the Year
In addition, 45 students received school-level awards, and 169 graduate students received Thank-a-Teacher notes.
]]>“When campus closed, the focus was on transitioning to remote instruction,” said Bonnie Ferri, vice provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Development. “And as the semester progressed, we realized that students doing research remotely had their own set of problems.”
In response, the Graduate Faculty Council, an advisory group made up of faculty that supports the Office of Graduate Studies, decided to take action.
“We realized that while there are many resources on mentorship in research, we found very little on the topic of how to mentor those completing research remotely,” Ferri said. “So, we crowdsourced advice for both advisors and the students they support, with particular focus on strategies to help with research productivity and student well-being.”
The team worked with members of the Graduate Student Government Association, other grad students, members of the Office of Student Life, and others to pull together a list of tips and resources to promote well-being and minimize negative impact on both advisors and advisees.
Check out this brief video for the student-focused advice, and read on for all of the strategies and supports.
Tips for Advisors
Resources for Advisors and Advisees
Tips for Students (Check out this brief video for the student-focused advice.)
Resources for Students
“As I reviewed the nomination packets for the awards, I was impressed by the quality of teaching that our TAs bring to Georgia Tech students,” said Joyce Weinsheimer, director of CTL. “Our TAs want students to learn, and they bring both vitality and commitment to their teaching. The results are noteworthy!"
The following students received institutewide TA awards, which include $500 prizes sponsored by the Tech alumni classes of 1957 and 1972:
Undergraduate TA of the Year
Graduate TA of the Year
Graduate Student Instructor of the Year
In addition, 45 students received school-level awards, and 169 graduate students received Thank-a-Teacher notes.
]]>This award, previously known as the Class of 1940 Course Survey Teaching Effectiveness Award, is one of a number of annual recognition initiatives from the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) to honor outstanding teaching.
Specifically, the award recognizes faculty members with exceptional scores and response rates on the Course Instructor Opinion Survey (CIOS). The CIOS is completed by students at the end of each semester to provide feedback to instructors about the learning experience in their respective courses.
Open to full-time instructors of both small (15-30 students) and large classes (at least 40 students), recipients were selected based on the sum of the following three CIOS items: #16 instructor’s respect and concern for students; #17 instructor’s level of enthusiasm about teaching the course; #18 instructor’s ability to stimulate my interest in the subject matter. Ties were broken by response rate.
“Faculty who receive the award often remark what an honor it is, especially since it’s based on students’ feedback about their work in the course,” said Joyce Weinsheimer, director of CTL. “At least 85 percent of their students have taken the time to complete CIOS, and these students highly value the instruction they received. There’s definitely consensus among the students that this person has helped them learn — and that’s always great to hear.”
Congratulations to the following individuals:
This fall, SGA collaborated with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), the Mental Health Student Coalition, the Georgia Tech Pride Alliance, and other student groups to ensure a wide variety of input on the project. Following months of feedback and fine-tuning, SGA announced the release of the Best Practices Sheet on Instagram Feb. 9. The best practices are designed “to ensure that our academic environments promote the comprehensive health, well-being, and intellectual vitality of all Georgia Tech students.”
Joyce Weinsheimer, director of CTL, worked closely with SGA on the Best Practices Sheet, gathering feedback from 40 tenured faculty members on an early draft.
According to Aladesanmi, much of their feedback was incorporated into the final version. At Weinsheimer’s suggestion, Aladesanmi built the document around the student-professor relationship and knows it won’t be nearly as effective without emphasizing that dynamic.
“It’s kind of at the heart of this document that this is from students to professors and faculty,” he said. “If professors are the ones controlling learning environments, then these are the things they should take into consideration to make sure that their learning environments are promoting healthy behaviors.”
Aladesanmi encourages students to give the sheet to their professors and administrators to demonstrate that they believe in the importance of these best practices.
However, the work doesn’t stop there, as both CTL and SGA agree that the Best Practices Sheet, once disseminated, should open up a dialogue between students and faculty to be truly effective.
“We need the students to be visible partners in this process — and the worksheet is a good tool to start the discussion,” said Weinsheimer. She says that CTL hopes to work with SGA on other projects to further engage faculty members with what’s expressed in the Best Practices Sheet, including videos where students discuss what it would mean to them if these practices were actively implemented in classrooms. Weinsheimer wants to use these kinds of resources in workshops, meetings, and on the CTL website to communicate to faculty members why these best practices are important to Tech students.
Aladesanmi said that by the end of the semester, he wants to have placed copies of the sheet in every school and major building, as well as in the hands of a wide variety of faculty and administrators. Therefore, as students start to see the Best Practices Sheet around campus, they should make sure to take a look at what it has to say. It was built on and will continue to evolve based on student feedback, and while Aladesanmi emphasizes that the sheet should by no means stay with students, there is no better place to start.
]]>Institute Communications
]]>“I got my offer letter pretty close to the start of the semester,” said Nguyen, a master’s student in Mechanical Engineering. “So, it was like, I’m a TA now — what do I do?”
But, thanks to the Center for Teaching and Learning’s (CTL) Teaching Assistant Orientation (TAO), Nguyen wasn’t left wondering for long.
If you are a new TA who could use some insight into topics such as interacting with students and tips for grading, you can choose from two upcoming TAO sessions on Jan. 8 in the Peachtree Room, Student Center Commons, and on Jan. 23 in the Piedmont Room, Student Center. Both sessions will occur from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
A special orientation session for international TAs will be held on Jan. 25 from 10:30 a.m.-noon. Here, students who are new to the United States will learn about the culture, students, and teaching techniques typically used in the American college classroom.
TAOs are led by a team of eight experienced Graduate Teaching Fellows who present interactive sessions that help new TAs understand their roles and how to do them well.
“I definitely recommend attending TAO,” Nguyen said. “The sessions will help you learn the basics of what it means to teach at Tech, such as how to grade effectively and consistently, as well as how to help students learn vs. just talking at them. You’ll also learn about the numerous resources you can use beyond what you pick up at orientation.”
Register for TAO and International TAO.
]]>Center for Teaching and Learning
]]>“It was time to make the switch because the vendor of the prior clicker — PRS — discontinued the product,” said Clay Fenlason, director of educational technology. “We also learned that the PRS clicker wouldn’t work with more recent versions of Microsoft Office, so an alternative needed to be found in fairly short order.”
Clickers are devices that allow faculty members to gauge student knowledge and engagement during class. For example, a professor might ask a question, students would respond by pressing a button on their device and the professor could measure response.
At Tech, clickers are used primarily in chemistry, physics, biology, math, computing and management courses, with around 3,000 students using them each semester, Fenlason said.
A faculty-led task force was organized to review four products based on features, support, pricing, technical reliability and T-Square integration. In the end, the unanimous choice was the TurningPoint system.
Benefits of the new system include the following:
“A couple of classes are piloting the new clickers this summer to help pave the way and identify last-minute issues,” Fenlason said. “The bookstore should begin to stock the new clickers later this summer, and they should be the sole, supported clicker beginning in the fall.”
Faculty will receive a free instructor kit, which includes a receiver and a clicker, and the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) will offer training on the devices for faculty and teaching assistants at the beginning of each semester. Online tutorials are also available here.
The price that students will pay has yet to be determined by Barnes & Noble @ Georgia Tech, which will sell the devices.
Contact Chaohua Ou in CETL at to obtain your system and to learn more about training opportunities.
]]>The CTL Class of 1969 Teaching Fellows program is designed for junior faculty across Georgia Tech to meet regularly in an interdisciplinary environment, for “pedagogically focused support and professional development” with respect to teaching and student learning. Participants are also awarded $1,000 in discretionary funds for teaching-related activities or resources and receive an invitation for SLS Fellows only to apply for additional teaching or research funds up to $5,000.
SLS Fellows programs comprise an interdisciplinary learning community bringing together diverse stakeholders from on and off campus to meet regularly to examine key themes related to sustainable community-building. They help participants push their research, teaching, and action in new ways while also informing strategic direction for the Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain. This year’s ESSC theme “will explore how communities interact with energy systems and how diverse stakeholders — from academic, business, community, nonprofit, and government sectors — can collaborate to create energy systems that contribute to creating sustainable communities in which people and nature flourish.”
For more information on these two fellows programs, visit the following links: http://ctl.gatech.edu/faculty/programs/learning-communities/1969-fellows https://serve-learn-sustain.gatech.edu/fellows-programs
]]>matthew.oliver@econ.gatech.edu
]]>“Plagiarism cases make up 38 percent of all cases we process, and we know there are some cases we never hear,” said Bonnie Weston, director of the Office of Student Integrity (OSI).
Tech’s policy on plagiarism is straightforward. It states that all cases need to be reported to OSI, and then students who want to challenge the accusation may do so.
But that’s where the simplicity ends. So you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, we’ve asked Weston and a few of your Tech colleagues for some insight into how they’ve dealt with plagiarism on campus. Read on for their strategies.
Why Do Students Plagiarize?
At Tech, there are two primary reasons for plagiarizing. Some students do it because they consider the class unimportant, as it isn’t one of their core classes. The other major reason is lack of time.
“Most of the students I see plagiarizing are trying to get everything done within their packed schedules,” said Andy Frazee, associate director of the Writing and Communication Program in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication. “They’re stressed, tired, and think they can’t get it done in time, so they copy someone else’s work.”
David Smith, senior lecturer in the College of Computing, noted that non-computer science students often view his classes as a formality, and some fail to learn anything because of this. These students copy work done by others or ask others for help with their programming assignments and fail to learn the programming skills they need to succeed.
“Every semester, I’ll get students whose failure to do their own work causes them to have to come back and retake my class,” Smith said. “I had one student have to repeat my class several times, because he refused to do his own homework, and had no idea how to solve the problems placed before him on the tests.”
How Do You Spot It?
According to Frazee, the first question any professor should ask himself when presented with suspicious work is, “Does this answer the question I’ve asked?” Plagiarizers often take their material from sources where the question answered doesn’t match the one being asked by the professor. So, a paper or answer that fails to fit the question is a warning sign of plagiarism, Frazee added.
Another sign is sudden changes in the spacing or fonts in a student’s work. So, for example, if the font size or type isn’t consistent, this can indicate that information was copied and pasted from another document, Frazee said.
Many professors use plagiarism checking software, such as Turnitin, especially when it comes to work submitted online. These “cheat catchers” — a term that Smith uses to describe the software — will let professors know if portions of essays or homework were copied. However, Smith acknowledges the limitations of these services.
“We first introduced a cheat catcher in our computer science classes in 2000,” Smith said. “But, the result was that students progressively learned how to get around the program. They weren’t learning anything, and those we caught faced severe academic penalties.”
What Can You Do to Prevent It?
Just one instance of plagiarism can have a tremendous impact on a student’s academic career. For example, it’s unlikely that the student will ever be able find teaching assistant positions or internships on campus, Smith said. For this reason, he does all he can to try and prevent plagiarism from occurring.
One way he accomplishes this is by basing his tests (worth 45 percent of his grades) off his homework, which is only worth 15 percent. Students who cheat on the homework usually fail his courses as a result.
“Just waiting for plagiarizers to get caught and then punishing them doesn’t work,” Smith said. “I advocate a two-pronged approach, dissuading people from cheating through incentives, as well as punishing plagiarizers after they’re caught. There’s no room for negotiation once a student is caught, so it’s essential to keep as many students as possible from trying in the first place.”
Weston reminds all professors to include a copy of the Student Honor Code at the beginning of their syllabi and to go over the correct formatting for citations and references. It is her hope that this clarification can prevent cases of ignorant plagiarism and prevent many of the cases that come to OSI.
And to help mitigate the dangers of time crunches, Frazee has a solution.
“You have to be willing to be a little flexible,” Frazee said. “While setting deadlines is important, you should make it clear to your students that you can be approached if work is piling up. If you’re willing to give an extra day or two to complete an assignment, it can encourage students to write their own work.”
For more information about dealing with plagiarism at Tech, visit http://osi.gatech.edu. Also, in an effort to safeguard academic integrity and prevent plagiarism, the Office of Graduate Studies now offers a limited number of iThenticate plagiarism detection licenses for use by dissertation advisors. For details, visit http://www.grad.gatech.edu/iThenticate.
]]>The award recognizes full-time general faculty who increase student learning outside the traditional curriculum and help Georgia Tech achieve its strategic goal of graduating global citizens who can contribute to all sectors of society. It includes a $3,000 prize, which is provided by the Jack and Francis Mundy endowment.
Hertel was presented with the award at the Faculty/Staff Honors Day Luncheon on April 21, 2017.
As creative director for Arts@LMC, Hertel runs the CoLab, a studio space and gallery where students have the opportunity to design materials that are then published for clients and public consumption. The CoLab professionalizes and engages the skills that students acquire through their coursework by producing real-world products while expanding their portfolios.
Learn more about the CTL Innovation in Co-curricular Education Award here: http://www.ctl.gatech.edu/faculty/awards/curricular-ed-award
]]>“Typically, faculty discuss teaching only when there is a problem, and they need to fix it,” said Dhongde, an assistant professor of Economics. “I think the big challenge is to encourage faculty to spend more time talking about what works or not in classrooms, and to think of ways in which they can help their colleagues become good teachers.”
Dhongde is one of 17 faculty selected for the Center for Teaching and Learning’s (CTL) new Provost Teaching and Learning Fellows program. The program is a partnership between CTL and the faculty of each of the colleges, with participants nominated by deans and department heads.
“The fellows have a proven track record of being effective problem solvers within their own educational field,” said Rafael L. Bras, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “By fostering communication among these professionals, we hope to facilitate intercollege collaboration and find innovative best practices directly from the experience of these faculty members.”
Each college has a minimum of two fellows, with additional fellows available for the larger colleges. These scholars will meet once a month over the next two years to discuss teaching and learning needs, mentorship, and dissemination of teaching and learning lessons, and techniques for wider use. Individual fellows will work closely with CTL to develop college-specific initiatives to address issues raised at the wider meetings.
“Faculty approaches to teaching tend to be discipline-specific,” said Joyce Weinsheimer, director of CTL. "If the Center for Teaching and Learning wants to have an impact on the quality of the learning environment at Georgia Tech, we must connect with our disciplinary colleagues. The Provost Teaching and Learning Fellows program has opened the door for such partnerships."
Congratulations to the following members of the inaugural class:
College of Computing
College of Design
College of Engineering
Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
College of Sciences
Scheller College of Buisness
They are Richard Barke, associate professor and director of Undergraduate Studies in the School of Public Policy, Shatakshee Dhongde, assistant professor in School of Economics, and Michael Wiedorn, assistant professor of French in the School of Modern Languages.
The Provost’s Teaching and Learning Fellows are part of CTL’s effort to enhance the learning and teaching environment at Georgia Tech by encouraging a fully engaged, sharing community with communication networks, resources, and innovative programs for faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students. The center is part of the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Development.
Learn more about the Center for Teaching and Learning here: http://www.ctl.gatech.edu/
]]>The fellows are part of the Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs), a cohort of 8-12 faculty who meet regularly over the course of a semester or year to engage in collaboration and discussion about teaching and learning (based on a specific theme or topic). Each spring, faculty have the opportunity to propose themes for faculty learning communities, followed by a period of application for participation.
In addition to his research and teaching, Barke is also a member of the faculty leadership team for Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities, and he has led the strategic initiative for College “X.”
The FLCs initiative is part of the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), which enhances the learning and teaching environment at Georgia Tech by encouraging a fully engaged, sharing community with communication networks, resources, and innovative programs for faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students.
]]>McNerney, a doctoral student in Bioengineering, was one of 10 doctoral students to compete in the final round of the competition on Nov. 15. Her presentation, Bacterial Biosensors: Low-cost, Field-friendly Nutrition Tests, earned McNerney a $2,000 research travel grant.
The following finalists also took home research travel grants:
For more information about the annual competition, visit grad.gatech.edu/3MT.
]]>Academic Programs Manager
]]>“After more than 40 years in education, I thought it might be time to retire,” said Weinsheimer, who is now director of CTL. “But, the opportunity to create a culture at this university that promotes and rewards excellence in teaching — something I’ve always been passionate about — presented itself. And I couldn’t say ‘no’ to the challenge.”
Recently, Weinsheimer shared her thoughts on CTL’s new name, other changes, and more about why she’s excited about her new role. Read on to find out more.
So, why change the center’s name?
We wanted our emphasis to be on teaching and learning. When newcomers read “the enhancement of” in our name, they thought our focus was on fixing poor teaching. We sent out a survey to faculty and administrators, and 90 percent thought the change to Center for Teaching and Learning was a good idea.
Who can use CTL's services?
Anyone teaching at Georgia Tech — whether the person is a faculty member, a temporary/part-time instructor, a postdoctoral scholar, a graduate student, an undergraduate who serves as a teaching assistant (TA) or tutor, or a staff member who teaches GT 1000. There are a lot of different teaching roles on our campus, and CTL connects with them all.
What are some of the challenges that instructors at Georgia Tech face, and how can CTL help?
Having enough time to do everything well is difficult. This especially can pose a challenge to those who want to excel in both teaching and research. So, CTL provides a variety of ways to explore best teaching practices. Those who choose to invest just a little time can attend a workshop, consult about a particular class, or join our book club. Those who want to go into more depth can participate in a faculty learning community on a topic of their choice or participate in the future faculty program.
What are you looking forward to most about your work as director?
As I’ve mentioned, I’m really passionate about creating a culture at Tech that promotes and rewards excellence in teaching. I want our students to have an educational experience that energizes them and prepares them for the future. We have instructors here who are using innovative strategies that engage students in the hard work of learning. As CTL’s director, I want to highlight what these folks are doing and help more of our instructional staff use evidence-based practices that enhance student learning. In addition, I enjoy working with my campus colleagues on “Creating the Next” in teaching and learning. How will we respond to the challenges that are emerging? What bold actions will we take to ensure that the educational experience we offer is worthwhile? I like being part of the “next” and helping it take shape at Tech.
Are there any new additions to the CTL staff?
I’ve changed the structure of CTL a bit this year. David Lawrence is now associate director, and we have organized CTL into three areas: learning and technology initiatives, TA development and future faculty initiatives, and faculty teaching and learning initiatives. We’ve welcomed two new staff members — Kate Williams and Tammy McCoy — both of which will work with our TA development and future faculty initiatives. We also hope to have a postdoctoral fellow join us soon.
What changes will CTL make in the next few months?
I want to lead us into a new era of collaboration among administrators, instructional staff, and support units to maximize student learning on this campus. We have two new important partnerships underway:
What are some of the highlights of CTL’s recently redesigned website? How is it more useful to the campus community?
There was just so much information to digest on the old site. Now, whether you’re a faculty member, a postdoc, or a student, the information is easier to find. Also, our events page breaks out teaching and learning-related events according to audience. Best of all, the homepage now features news and information related to teaching and learning for the whole campus — so, it’s easier to know what’s happening at Tech.
Can you share a few new publications that you’d recommend to instructors trying to learn more about best practices?
Right now our book club is looking at Are You Smart Enough? by Alexander W. Astin. Next, we’re reading Minds Online: Teaching Effectively with Technology by Michelle D. Miller. We’ll discuss this book during the Oct. 28, and Nov. 11 meetings — so stop by CTL to pick up a book, then join us in book club for a glass of wine and a great discussion!
To learn more about CTL, visit ctl.gatech.edu
]]>Dr. Clint Stivers was a recipient of the 2015 Class of 1940 Course Survey Teaching Effectiveness Award.
The following Brittain Fellows were recipients of the Thank a Teacher Award, a student-nominated award which recognizes dedication to teaching:
]]>
FLCs are cohorts of eight to 12 faculty members who meet regularly over the course of a semester or year to engage in collaboration and discussion about teaching and learning, based on a specific theme or topic.
For the first time, the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) is inviting proposals from the Georgia Tech community for teaching-related topics and projects for FLCs.
For example, an FLC might be focused on adapting teaching methods to transform the learning environment to support all students, incorporating learning analytics into teaching, or understanding the impact of gun laws in the classroom.
Each FLC will receive a small budget for supplies and project development (around $2,000), and support from CETL consultants in the quest to reach their goals. FLC sessions will be facilitated by faculty and/or CETL consultants, depending on the needs and nature of the group.
The deadline to submit a proposal is Friday, April 29. Following submissions, FLCs will be listed online and faculty may apply to participate. The deadline for participation applications will be May 31.
CETL will also continue to host its three core FLCs for Junior Faculty Teaching Fellows, Senior Faculty Teaching Fellows, and EVPR Research Faculty Teaching Fellows.
To learn more about submitting a proposal or FLCs themselves, visit www.cetl.gatech.edu/faculty/flc.
]]>Teaching at Georgia Tech: A Handbook for Faculty, Instructors, and Teaching Assistants
]]>Announcement of the award was made this week but will be formally celebrated in March when CETL holds its annual Celebrating Teaching Day.
The Class of 1940 distinction is one of several awards made annually by CETL to instructors of small and large classes. It is based on the Course Instructor Opinion Surveys (CIOS) that were administered in the Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 semesters. A high response rate (85% or greater) and a near-perfect evaluation score are required for consideration. A maximum of 40 awards are made to Georgia Tech faculty annually.
"I take the mission of teaching very seriously, so this honor greatly humbles me," he said.
In November, Rimoli's commitment to the teaching profession was center stage when he served as a keynote speaker for a national education summit, Project Lead-the-Way. He currently holds the Goizueta Junior Faculty Professorship and was selected to receive the Lockheed Dean's Award for Teaching in February of this year.
A native or Argentina, Rimoli earned his doctorate at Caltech.
]]>Pritchett, the David S. Lewis Associate Professor of Cognitive Engineering, will formally receive the award at the Faculty Honors Luncheon, April 11.
A longtime member of the AE faculty, Pritchett was recognized by CETL and her aerospace engineering colleagues for introducing Problem Based Learning (PBL) to both upper and lower level AE courses.
"Dr. Pritchett has proven to be a tireless and data-driven advocate for using PBL to empower our students to take control of their learning," said AE Chair Dr. Vigor Yang. "In so doing, she has introduced many students to talents and capabilities they never knew they had."
Problem based learning (PBL) is an instructional method that requires teams of students to solve tough, authentic problems as a means of learning challenging material. The PBL approach encourages students to:
Dr. Pritchett earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She currently holds a joint appointment in Georgia Tech's schools of Aerospace Engineering and Industrial Systems Engineering.
In additon to overseeing numerous research projects sponsored by industry, NASA and the FAA, Pritchett has served as director of NASA’s Aviation Safety Program, where she was responsible for planning and execution of the program.
She has published more than 170 scholarly publications in conference proceedings and in scholarly journals such as Human Factors, Journal of Aircraft and Air Traffic Control Quarterly.She is the the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making.
Dr. Amy Pritchett engaging with students in her Georgia Tech office
]]>
The event is held annually to celebrate and highlight the exemplary commitment that the Institute's instructors, graduate students,post-doctoral fellows, and mentors have to the enhancement of the campus learning environment.
More than a dozen AE faculty were recognized with a Thank-a-Teacher award, an honor that acknowledges the direct impact that they have made upon students in their courses and labs: Dr. Robert Braun, Dr. Narayanan Komerath, Dr. Michael Mello, Dr. JVR Prasad, Dr. Julian Rimoli, Dr. Stephen Ruffin, Dr. Joseph Saleh, Dr. David Scarborough, Dr. Marilyn Smith, and Dr. Jerry Seitzman.
Recognized with a 2013 Class of 1969 Teaching Fellow award was Dr. Marcus Holzinger, whose poster presentation, "Down the Rabbit Hole (and Back) in 20 Minutes" was singled out for its innovative perspective.
The ceremony also recognized the importance of grooming the next generation of aerospace engineering educators, awarding 2013 Tech-to-Teaching Higher Education Pathway Certificates to doctoral student Scottie-Beth Fleming and her mentor Dr. Amy Pritchett and to doctoral student Michael Miller and his faculty mentor Dr. Brian German.
Fleming was also recognized for her work as the president of the GT chapter of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).
]]>This makes the fourth year in row that faculty members of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts have received this award, including Anne Pollock (2014), Karen Head and Shatakshee Dhongde (2013), and Jin Liu (2012).
This award, offered through the joint support of the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) and BP America, provides Georgia Tech with the opportunity to highlight excellent teaching and the educational innovation that Junior Faculty bring to campus as they discover new knowledge through their research and choose teaching methods that make their knowledge accessible, applicable, and exciting to the learners they connect with in their classrooms and beyond.
Recipients of this award demonstrate educational innovations; impact on students' lives, both in and beyond the classroom; passion about teaching and learning; connections between research and teaching; educational outreach beyond the classroom; teaching excellence in core classes, required classes, and large classes; and overall Georgia Tech citizenship.
]]>
John Matthew Smith
john.smith@hts.gatech.edu
This is the fourth year in row that faculty members of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts have received this award, including Anne Pollock (2014), Karen Head and Shatakshee Dhongde (2013), and Jin Liu (2012).
This award, offered through the joint support of CETL and BP America, provides Georgia Tech with the opportunity to highlight excellent teaching and the educational innovation that Junior Faculty bring to campus as they discover new knowledge through their research and choose teaching methods that make their knowledge accessible, applicable, and exciting to the learners they connect with in their classrooms and beyond.
Past recipients have been selected based on variety of criteria, including educational innovations and outreach, connections between research and teaching, impact on students' lives, and a passion for teaching and learning.
In 2014 Smith also received the Ivan Allen College Teacher of the Year and the Class of 1969 Teaching Fellow awards.
John Matthew Smith is an historian of the twentieth century United States, specializing in race, sports, and popular culture. He is also the undergraduate adviser for the Sports, Society, and Technology (SST) program.
]]>The Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) Teaching Wall bears the names of faculty members who have been honored with Teaching Excellence Awards going back to the 1960s. Nearly sixty of the names featured on the Teaching Wall belong to faculty members and academic departments in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.
"Great teachers are immortal," said Rafael Bras, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, at the dedication event in late November. "They live on through the students that they inspire, who, in turn, go on to inspire others. The wall will forever be a tangible reminder of their greatness and the timeless service they have rendered to Georgia Tech."
The wall was several years in the making and a personal passion for Georgia Tech's associate vice provost for learning excellence and director of CETL, Donna Llewellyn, who said, "Thank you for the dedication, passion, and hard work that goes into teaching our students, and for caring that they learn."
]]>The Consortium to Promote Reflection in Engineering Education (CPREE) is supported through a $4.4 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. The group will focus on first- and second-year undergraduates who want to be engineers. The goal is to enhance students’ ability to learn, help a greater percentage complete their degrees, and ultimately foster a larger, more diverse and better-trained workforce.
“Given what we know about the important role that reflective practice plays in the development of effective engineers, there is great opportunity to expand the use of reflective practice in teaching and learning within the College of Engineering and beyond,” Dean Gary S. May said. “This works hand in hand with Georgia Tech’s commitment to developing effective practitioners who excel in complex problem solving and design.”
Reflection – giving meaning to prior experiences and determining how that meaning will guide future actions – has long been recognized as important in higher education.
“Reflection is important for achieving deep and enduring learning and remains crucial for problem solving and professional development,” said Esther Jordan, assistant director for programming for Georgia Tech’s Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) and Georgia Tech’s lead on this project. “We expect there is great need for teaching enrichment in this area, and CETL is uniquely positioned to lead this charge.”
Georgia Tech and others in the consortium will each receive $200,000 over two academic years to fund a principal investigator and other colleagues to carry out the work. Tools and practices developed throughout this initiative will be shared with engineering programs nationwide.
The 12-school consortium will involve nearly 250 educators who will collect data on 18,000 student experiences. The consortium’s member institutions each bring a distinct perspective on engineering instruction and great enthusiasm for expanding their focus on reflection, organizers said.
“The Trust is delighted to support such a diverse group of schools in this effort to increase our nation’s engineering capacity,” said Ryan Kelsey, program officer for higher education at the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “Helping first- and second-year students reflect on what it means to be an engineer as they learn foundational concepts is a very promising strategy for attracting and retaining a larger and more diverse future engineering workforce.”
The consortium is led by the University of Washington’s Center for Learning and Teaching.
Other involved schools are: Arizona State University, Polytechnic School, Mesa, Arizona; Bellevue College in Bellevue, Washington; California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California; Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York; Green River Community College in Auburn, Washington; Highline College in Des Moines, Iowa; Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana; Seattle Central College in Seattle; Seattle University in Seattle; Stanford University in Palo Alto, California; and the University of Washington.
]]>The Student Government Association and the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning partner to bring you Thank A Teacher, which lets students easily thank someone through an online form. Those who receive thank you notes are also recognized at Dean Griffin Day, an annual event in April commemorating the legacy of Tech’s first dean of students, George Griffin, who worked to improve the student experience at Tech.
“Hearing back from students is more rare than you may think, and the impact that your short note can make is more powerful than you can imagine,” said Ahsan Khan, SGA’s vice president of campus affairs.
For those who’ve had a great experience with a professor, teaching assistant, or staff member, the online submission form is now open, and students may even choose to remain anonymous. Thank you notes can be for any action large or small from the past year.
]]>For those who’ve had a great experience with a professor this semester, there’s an easy way to say “thanks” even without verbalizing it.
The Student Government Association and the Center for Enhancement of Teaching and Learning give students a way to show gratitude to their professors with Thank a Teacher. Through an online form, students can submit notes to professors throughout the year for actions big or small for which they’re thankful.
“Hearing back from students is more rare than you may think, and the impact that your short note can make is more powerful than you can imagine,” said Ahsan Khan, SGA’s vice president of campus affairs.
These notes are shared with professors in April, when they will also be honored at Dean Griffin Day. This annual event commemorates the legacy of Georgia Tech’s first dean of students, George Griffin, who worked to improve the student experience at Tech.
Notes are collected throughout the year, making the end of the fall semester an ideal time to submit kind words online about professors who you won’t see as much of in the spring. Students can also submit notes for staff, and may even remain anonymous in their submissions, if they choose.
]]>For Georgia Tech students looking for experience in the field of K-12 education, this location could hardly be more convenient. Stephanie Greear, a fifth-year international affairs and Spanish major from Woodstock, is spending her summer at Centennial Place as its first pre-teaching intern from Tech. Greear has been at it since May and will continue through the first few weeks of the school’s upcoming academic year.
“Life in an elementary school is always busy and hectic,” Greear said. “There is literally always something that needs to be done, and you’re never bored.”
Greear’s internship placement was facilitated by the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) and the Division of Professional Practice (DoPP), which are working together to broaden opportunities for the increasing number of Tech students interested in exploring careers in education. Nearly 300 of last year’s freshman applicant pool expressed an interest in teaching, up from just 20 the year before.
“Because Tech doesn’t have a college of education, students who wanted to become teachers had volunteer opportunities and classes they could take, but no way to truly explore the experience of being a teacher,” said Tech Pre-Teaching Advisor Susan Belmonte, who collaborated with the principal at Centennial Place to create the internship.
Enabled by Centennial Place’s year-round schedule, Greear has been privy to the closeout of one academic year and the summer preparations for the next. She has observed in the classroom, helped conduct reading comprehension testing, and participated in interviewing new teachers, which gave her insight into preparing for her own future job search. She’ll get more classroom time again in August when the internship will culminate with her teaching for a week.
“Everyone is really supportive of each other — kids, teachers, and staff alike,” Greear said. “I already know that leaving in August is going to be very difficult and sad, and I am already trying to work out my schedule for fall so that I can come volunteer at the school in my free time.”
Belmonte hopes to grow the internship next year to place two students at Centennial Place, and eventually establish middle and high school internships as well.
Tech has collaborated with Centennial Place, a STEAM-themed (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) school, in numerous ways in recent years. Among other activities, the Into the Streets freshman day of service has helped fill backpacks with supplies for students in need, an annual 5K race raises funds for students and teachers, and College of Architecture students have taught introductory architecture classes. Chris Burke, Georgia Tech’s director of community relations, even serves on Centennial Place’s foundation and school council.
The collaboration between Tech and Centennial Place supports Tech’s larger goal of helping K-12 teachers develop and offer a relevant, 21st-century STEM curriculum to prepare students to compete in a global economy.
“Having students within walking distance who are a little younger than our teaching staff is a wonderful way to have a little mentorship for our students,” said Alison Shelton, Centennial Place’s principal. “Sharing what college life is like helps the students see Georgia Tech as their college, and we’ve had several of our students go on to attend Tech.”
For the elementary school with the highest homeless population in Atlanta, having Tech students lend their time goes a long way toward helping students and families visualize college in their future. For students interested in pursuing a career in K-12 education, the new Centennial Place internship is a chance to try their hand at a classroom experience before pursuing a master’s or alternate certification program.
“Stephanie has been phenomenal,” Shelton said. “She supported us at the end of the year, has worked with with our administrative staff during the summer, and has come up with some great ways to improve our communications, even applying her expertise from leading Humans versus Zombies at Tech.”
Tech students interested in pursuing teaching can contact Belmonte to learn more about the pre-teaching program and available courses and opportunities.
]]>Kristen Bailey
Institute Communications
“Fall Teaching Kickoff is a chance to help returning faculty find solutions for challenges they may have faced last year and for new faculty to get off to the best start possible,” said Esther Jordan, assistant director for programming and learning excellence in the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning.
Workshops include:
To view the full agenda and register for workshops, click here.
]]>The following teachers were recognized:
Mollie Barnes
Joy C. Bracewell
Rebecca Burnett
Carl DiSalvo
Melissa B. Foulger
Leah H. Haught
Nassim Jafarinaimi
Anne Pollock
Carol Senf
Malavika Shetty
Katherine Tanski
Qi Wang
The following Brittain Fellows contributed posters:
Mollie Barnes
Sarah Bleakney
Christine Hoffmann
Emily Kane
Aaron Kashtan
Jennifer Lux
Olga Menagarishvilli
Jennifer Orth-Veillon
Iuliu Ratiu
Britta Spann
Finally, Narin Hassan was recognized as one of the 2012 Hesburgh Award Teaching Fellows while Carl DiSalvo, Anne Pollock, John Thornton, and Lisa Yaszek received the Class of 1934 Course Survey Teaching Effectiveness Award.
]]>Colatrella codirects Girls Excelling in Math and Science (GEMS) Club with Mary Lynn Realff, associate professor in the School of Materials Sciences and Engineering. The Club is a joint initiative sponsored by the Center for the Study of Women, Science, and Technology (WST) and Inman Middle School. Members of the educational partnership include:
Now in its fifth year of operation, GEMS attracts more than 40 girls in grades six through eight to its sessions. Club members meet after school for one and a half hours each week to engage in hands-on experiments and leadership activities.
The Educational Partnership Award is an annual Georgia Tech award of $7,500 that recognizes genuine and substantial partnerships between the faculty and students of Georgia Tech and the K-12 community. GEMS Club will accept the award at the annual staff and faculty awards luncheon in April.
]]>During a recent discussion, sponsored by the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL), a professor shared an experience from recent years that he hopes no other faculty member has to go through.
“The first indication I had that anything was wrong was when a colleague who had the student in a class mentioned that the student hadn’t shown up for a presentation,” the professor said. “No one could reach the student, so the police went to the student’s apartment.”
The student had died by suicide.
“This came as a complete shock to me,” the professor said. “In speaking with the student’s father, I learned that the student had been treated for depression in the past — but that was never shared with any professors or friends.”
Sometimes it can be difficult to detect students who are in trouble — as was the case with this professor and student. But many times, all it takes is simply asking a student if he or she is OK to get clued in.
Tech Students Seeking Help
Over the past seven years, the number of students coming to the Counseling Center for assistance has steadily increased, from 790 new students seeking counseling from 2005 to 2006 to 1,132 new students seeking counseling from 2011 to 2012, said Ruperto Perez, director of the Counseling Center.
“This is pretty consistent with the national data and can be partially attributed to the fact that students are more aware that these services are available and they should use them,” he added.
The number of students seeking treatment for depression and anxiety have remained relatively stable at Tech, which is consistent with national trends.
However, over the past four years, there has been an increase in the number seeking treatment for alcohol and drug abuse, from an average of 8.2 percent from 2004 to 2007 to 9.75 percent from 2008 to 2012.
Data from the past 12 years indicate that about 60 percent of the center’s clients are undergraduate students (primarily second year and beyond), and 40 percent are graduate students.
See Something, Say Something
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, more than 4,000 people aged 15 to 24 die by suicide each year in the United States. So if you sense a student is troubled, it’s better to trust your instinct than do nothing.
“You are the eyes and ears for us,” said John Stein, dean of students.
Faculty and staff members have two options when they feel concerned about a student. The first is to speak with a student one-on-one.
“I remember being concerned that a student was considering suicide, but I was hesitant to ask the student if this was the case,” said Joyce Weisenheimer, deputy director of CETL. “When I finally got up the nerve to ask, the student didn’t hesitate before saying ‘yes.’ Sometimes, we have to get over our own reticence and just ask students if they’re OK.”
The other option is to send a referral via the Dean of Students website.
During the discussion, Stein shared a few examples of referrals he has received, ranging from one from a faculty member who had learned that a student’s mother had been diagnosed with cancer and wanted to connect the student with some resources, to another from a faculty member who was concerned about a student’s continued absence from class.
And Stein pointed out that the faculty or staff member isn’t required to tell the student about the referral.
“I see all referrals, and if you want to remain anonymous, I will respect that,” Stein said. “We are here to help you, so if you ever have any sort of concern or question, let us know.”
Other Campus Resources
For faculty and staff members who would like to learn more about the signs to look for and strategies for assisting troubled students, here are campus resources to be aware of:
The book “Giving Advice to Students: A Road Map for College Professionals” offers the following advice for speaking with a troubled student:
“We are getting calls about what we’re doing and how we’re doing it,” said Rafael L. Bras, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, during yesterday’s town hall on online learning. “We’ve made a significant impact in a short period of time, and this is a source of tremendous pride for Georgia Tech.”
Through Coursera, an online learning platform that has partnered with Tech and other premier institutions to offer free courses for the general public, Georgia Tech has created eight massive open online courses (MOOCs), which currently have a combined enrollment of 162,133 students.
Additionally, the Gates Foundation recently awarded funding to develop three general education courses — English Composition, Physics 101 and Introductory Psychology. Some 10 to 15 other courses are also under development.
During the town hall, members of the audience had an opportunity to share their comments, questions and concerns regarding MOOCs.
Mark Braunstein, a professor of the practice in the School of Interactive Computing, is currently developing a Coursera course titled “Health Informatics in the Cloud.” He shared that creating the course had required more work than he initially expected and that he’d found himself putting a lot of thought into how to teach the material in a way that would be clear and compelling.
Bras stressed that professors should embrace creativity when it comes to engaging students, even if it means incorporating technologies into lectures that they may not be familiar with.
For example, if someone wanted to use animations in his lessons but didn’t have the subject matter knowledge to create them, he could ask the Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U) or the Division of Professional Education for help, Bras said.
Another member of the audience expressed concern about how faculty members would be compensated for the time they invested in creating and delivering MOOCs.
“There is no question that at least initially the work required to create a quality course in this new format is significant,” Bras said.
Those interested in developing a MOOC should first consult with their school chair or supervisor. C21U can evaluate each offering and determine the appropriate support to make it possible for the professor to participate.
“It is clear, though, that these are experiments and educational research that require the individual’s self-interest and commitment,” Bras added. “As we learn, the development of this type of course will be easier. Furthermore, when MOOCs yield revenues from use outside of GT, the professor, his or her unit and the Institute will benefit. In addition, Georgia Tech’s promotion and tenure processes value educational innovation and experimentation with impact. Educational efforts of faculty are always valued.”
The audience was also curious about how Georgia Tech could use MOOCs to positively impact the on-campus community.
Bras explained that his office has provided a small grant, “Learning from MOOCs,” to the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) to facilitate five teams, or “mini innovation hubs,” that will examine questions such as this one.
Over the course of one to two years, each hub, which will be comprised of faculty members and students, will research a question or challenge related to MOOCs (or more generally, technology-enhanced education), which might include, for example, how to take a course designed for a small class and modify it for a MOOC or how to assess MOOCs using qualitative feedback.
During a November event, more than 80 participants brainstormed ideas that could be the basis of one of the questions or challenges that the hubs will examine. The event was organized by Donna Llewellyn of CETL, Michael McCracken of C21U and Wendy Newstetter of the College of Engineering.
“It is really exciting to see the enthusiasm for exploring these types of issues related to learning and teaching,” Llewellyn said. “The research mindset that we all expect to see in the technical arenas is being used to investigate how we can answer interesting questions related to higher education today.”
By the close of the November event, a set of 10 potential research ideas had been established, each with a “champion” charged with carrying it forward. Each of these champions has been asked to provide one or two paragraphs about their proposed question/issue by the end of finals week. The leaders of the project will then meet with each group to help them plan their next steps.
Faculty who are interested in learning more about the hubs should contact Donna Llewellyn.
Those interested in teaching a Coursera course should click here.
]]>“It was the size of the iPad that prompted me to start using it in class,” said Damon Williams, assistant director for education for the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL). “With iPads, you and your students don’t have to deal with using white boards any more. And using this type of technology enables you to do creative things in class like have students create quick presentations.”
Williams shared his experiences with using iPads in class at CETL’s teaching kickoff event in mid-August. He estimates that about 50 percent of students in his classes have an iPad or tablet, so he creates small groups for in-class activities around students who have one of the devices.
The technology especially lends itself nicely to business and science classes because certain apps allow students to easily create diagrams and presentations, according to Williams.
“And I’d encourage engineering and math professors to use iPads to slowly pull away from traditional lectures at the board and find ways to engage students in new ways,” he added.
Here are four must-have apps that Williams recommends for anyone interested in using iPads in their classes:
Each of these apps is fully functional on a second-generation iPad, which is what Williams has. However, if you have a first-generation (there are three versions of iPads), be aware that Williams has heard rumors that some apps and other display features don’t work properly on these older devices.
For more information, contact Williams.
]]>This was a topic of conversation at a Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) seminar on mentoring graduate students, which was held as part of the center’s teaching kickoff event in mid-August.
It featured a panel of Georgia Tech faculty and staff members who shared some of the challenges they face in mentoring graduate students, as well as advice on how to be a successful mentor. Read on for thoughts from some of the panelists.
Dennis Hess, Professor, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
YEARS TEACHING: 35
CHALLENGE: Since graduate school can be frustrating at times, it can be difficult for students to establish and maintain motivation over a four- to five-year period. So I involve them in decision making on project directions and approaches from the beginning. I also send them to conferences and have them meet with visitors to Tech. This allows them to hear views distinct from mine on the work that they are doing. Often students feel their work is significant only to their thesis director; after they realize this is not the case, their motivation increases.
ADVICE: Listen to students and offer
encouragement and constructive feedback on their concerns and performance. This includes showing respect for their opinions and concerns. This offers an opportunity to show professionalism and demonstrate how to deal with disagreement and conflict. Remind them that all of us make mistakes in judgment — both personally and professionally.
Laura Hollengreen, associate professor, School of Architecture
YEARS TEACHING: 17
CHALLENGE: It would be working with students who don’t begin as particularly critical thinkers or articulate writers. I address this head-on in the kinds of comments, directions and framework I provide for their work, nudging them in
the direction I want them to go, regardless of their point of
departure.
ADVICE: Meet your students. The time you invest up front can be significant but the long-term benefits are substantial. Students who’ve gotten to know you a bit will feel more confident approaching you for help when they need it. Consider how you want students to grow over the trajectory of whole courses and design your assignments to facilitate and reward that growth, while minimizing the penalties for early mistakes.
John Krige, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, School of History, Technology and Society
YEARS TEACHING: 15
CHALLENGE: It would have to be dealing with bad writing, disorganized arguments when students have no understanding of the professional norms that go with being a researcher. To remedy this, I insist that students take all the relevant CETL classes they can.
ADVICE: Get the student to plan his or her intellectual trajectory through the program from the get-go. Define milestones and deliverables with the student, and ensure that they are kept. If there is slippage — there always is — try to understand why, and redefine more realistic milestones and deliverables with the student.
Carrie Shepler, Director of Freshman Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
YEARS TEACHING: 7
CHALLENGE: When I first started working with graduate students, I avoided conflict if at all possible. Now, I make a conscious effort to provide feedback early and in smaller doses. I approach it from the perspective of making things better for all parties involved, and I try to help students embrace evaluation as a positive thing.
ADVICE: Make your expectations as clear as possible, and don’t be afraid to give constructive feedback when those expectations aren’t being met. Share your passion and excitement for the discipline with your students. If they understand what makes you tick, then your decisions and perspectives make more sense. This makes creating a teamwork environment easier.
That’s why the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) is offering an opportunity for faculty members to join forces with their peers for a new one-week Course Design Studio, July 16 to 20.
“We all need to plan our courses anyway, so why not do it in an environment where you can get peer feedback?” said Esther Skelley Jordan, a faculty development fellow with CETL who will be leading the studio. “What is discussed each day will really be driven by whatever it is that attendees want to improve.”
The studio will meet on campus from 9 a.m. until noon. Jordan will facilitate a discussion on best practices in course design, with an emphasis on areas of particular interest to the participants. Faculty will then devote time each afternoon to their own course redesigns, working individually to strengthen what they offer, and will report on their progress the next morning for feedback.
All full-time faculty members are encouraged to attend. Participants should be committed to teaching the redesigned course during the fall semester and have the support of their school/department chairs.
For more information, contact Jordan or register here.
]]>The Whistle asked Nancy Ruggeri, faculty development fellow in the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, to share her top five books that focus on teaching and learning.
Below, Ruggeri shares her list of must-reads.
The University System has asked Donna Llewellyn, director of Georgia Tech’s Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, to chair a task force that will recommend a next generation Learning Management System. Georgia Tech will continue to use T-Square and will not be directly impacted by the decision facing the University System. However, since feedback is being gathered across the System, it was not appropriate to omit the Georgia Tech community from this process.
One of the major tasks ahead is getting input from instructors and students across the system about the important features of an LMS. As stated above, it is important to the task force to gather this feedback from all institutions in the system – even those who will not be influenced by this decision. To this end, we have created two surveys – one for students and one for faculty — that will remain open until November 12.
Student Survey: http://www.surveys.usg.edu/se.ashx?s=06C2C3B90CF6E14E
Faculty Survey: http://www.surveys.usg.edu/se.ashx?s=06C2C3B933C99A3A
For more information about the task force, visit http://www.usg.edu/lms. If you have any questions, e-mail donna.llewellyn@cetl.gatech.edu.
]]>Georgia Tech's Office of Success Programs’ Peer-Led Undergraduate Study (PLUS) program recevied two awards for excellence in academic support at the International Conference on Supplemental Instruction held June 2-4 in New Orleans Louisiana. PLUS, coordinated by Eric Moschella, Assistant Director of Success Programs at Georgia Tech, is based on the Supplemental Instruction (SI) model of academic support and utilizes peer-assisted study sessions. Dr. Joyce Weinsheimer, Associate Director of Tech’s Center for the Enhancement of Learning (CETL), was selected as the winner of the 2010 Outstanding SI Support by a Campus Administrator award, and Sam Coogan, a graduating senior in Electrical and Computer Engineering, received the 2010 Outstanding SI student leader award.
Weinsheimer’s award recognizes the special supporting role she and CETL play in the success of the PLUS program at Georgia Tech. PLUS began in the Fall of 2009 in select Biology and Calculus classes. The program has grown, logging over 4600 student contact hours among 2100 undergraduates in the 2009-2010 academic year. Weinsheimer's support of collaborative learning and innovative teaching practices played a large role in getting the program piloted and generating faculty interest in PLUS.
Coogan was nominated by students who attended his PLUS sessions and the faculty who taught the Calculus course he supported. Sam was one of only two students internationally to receive the honor. Exceptional facilitation skills, thorough understanding of the course material, and his creative study sessions are a few of the reasons he received the award. More than 500 student visited to his Calculus PLUS sessions in the Spring 2010 semester. He is also credited with being the first to pilot "Calculus Jeopardy" in his sessions.
In addition to PLUS, the Office of Success programs oversees FASET Orientation, New Student Convocation, GT1000 Freshman Seminar, Sophomore Programs, 1-to-1 Tutoring, and a variety of transition and academic support programs. The office strives to support the orientation, transition, and academic success of Georgia Tech undergraduates throught their various offerings. For more information, visit www.successprograms.gatech.edu.
]]>Director, Office of Success Programs
]]>To date, only one individual has met all of these qualifications: George C. Griffin.
Many on campus may know him by the contemplative statue of his likeness that sits outside the Ferst Center for the Arts. The former dean of students was exceptionally influential in shaping the Georgia Tech we know today, earning him many superlatives including “The Original Mr. Georgia Tech” and “A Friend to Every Student.” His impact was so widely felt that former Governor Carl Sanders declared May 16, 1964, Dean Griffin Day.
Though Griffin died in 1990, his spirit still imbues many on campuswith a sense of passion and pride. His contributions are honored eachyear at the Dean Griffin Day Luncheon—held this year on Friday, April 23—through recognition of facultywho, through their actions, best emulate him.
“Although the date has varied in years since, [Dean Griffin Day] has been celebrated annually with the purpose of remembering his awesome legacy and impact on Georgia Tech,” said Dean Griffin Day Luncheon Chair, Georgia Tech Ambassador, and industrial systems engineering student Zack Higbie.
Arriving at the Georgia School of Technology in 1914, Griffin began a lifelong commitment to the Institute that spanned more than seven decades. Among his many notable contributions, he served as the executive secretary of the Alumni Association, founded the Georgia Tech Placement Center and the Alumni Career Services Program, and started an emergency loan program that he called the “Hip Pocket Fund” that enabled many students to remain at Tech when their money ran out. In his many roles at Georgia Tech, Griffin’s preoccupation with helping students always emerged as a priority. In his final role at Tech, he served as dean of students from 1946 to 1964.
“The addition of a luncheon [to the day’s festivities] did not come until many years later, but it has been used as a method of recognizing the faculty, staff and teaching assistants who still embody this legacy today,” said Higbie. Sponsored by the Georgia Tech Ambassadors and the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL), the luncheon brings together more than 300 students from across campus to thank professors that have been influential in shaping their Georgia Tech experience.
Throughout the school year, CETL collects letters written by students to their professors through their Thank A Teacher program. “All of the notes written to these outstanding members of the Tech community [are] presented at the luncheon or sent via campus mail to let them know how much the students value their contributions,” said Higbie.
“[Griffin] was a team player, willing to do just about anything Georgia Tech asked him to do," said President Bud Peterson at the luncheon. "But he was best known for his passion for students, and would do anything he could to help them succeed. If he had just invested in programs, we probably wouldn’t be celebrating him today. His real legacy is about the people he touched, and specifically, students.”
This year’s letters consistently expressed gratitude for teaching assistants’, instructors’, and professors’ prompt responses to e-mails, a knack for making material interesting, and accessible and inspiring success. In true Georgia Tech style, today’s professors and instructors innovated on the lessonsof the Original Mr. Georgia Tech to inspire future generations ofprogress and service.
The 2009-2010 academic year saw the largest student enrollment in Georgia Tech’s history—20,000. “Those of you who we are celebrating today are here because you don’t see 20,000. You see individuals,” said Peterson. “You have been nominated by students because you care, you’re willing to go the extra mile, and you have a passion for teaching and helping students get everything they need to succeed.”
]]>Known as 'Tech to Teaching,' the program integrates existing NSF-funded projects that provide instruction and support for faculty and students who are interested in teaching. The goal of the program is not only to support Georgia Tech students who choose teaching careers at any level, but also to help supply qualified K-12 teachers, with an emphasis on STEM fields, to Georgia classrooms.
"Georgia Tech is in a unique position to be a leader in this area and to assume the responsibility of educating more teachers at all levels in the science, technology, engineering and math disciplines," says Anderson Smith, senior vice-provost for Academic Affairs. "Georgia imports a large number of science and math teachers. It makes sense for these teachers to be home-grown."
The Tech to Teaching program creates an infrastructure at Georgia Tech that encourages and enables students to pursue careers in K-12 or college teaching, according to Donna Llewellyn, director of the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL).
"It is Georgia Tech's responsibility to help solve the shortage of math and science teachers in Georgia," explains Llewellyn. "We not only need to supply top-quality teachers to support an educated workforce in our state, but we also need to provide our K-12 schools with teachers equipped to fully prepare students to pursue a higher education here at Georgia Tech."
The Tech to Teaching program will also reinforce existing collaborations between Georgia Tech and schools such as Georgia Perimeter College and Spelman College, where Georgia Tech graduate students will gain teaching experience by serving as instructors in introductory STEM courses. In addition, a partnership with Kennesaw State University provides the opportunity for undergraduate students to receive National Science Foundation stipends while completing their undergraduate degrees, and while working toward their Master's degree in chemistry or physics teaching. Finally, nearby Georgia State University serves as the provider of professional training and licensure through convenient cross-registration options.
"An increasingly popular educational path for students interested in K-12 teaching is to get their four-year bachelor's degree in a particular content field, and then pursue a one-year Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree to earn their teacher certification," says Marion Usselman, senior research scientist at the Institute's Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC). "Georgia Tech students interested in STEM teaching are perfectly positioned to complete their teacher education training at one of the many colleges and universities in Georgia offering MAT degrees. Given the shortage of high school math and science teachers, they are very likely to quickly land a job, even before they are fully certified."
"We aren't going into the education degree business, but we are sending our exceptional students to our colleague universities that offer advanced education degree options," says Llewellyn. "We also hope to initiate and develop partnerships with other universities as the program evolves."
Tech to Teaching, led by Georgia Tech Interim President Gary Schuster, is an initiative funded by a $1 million NSF grant combined with a $1.67 million commitment from Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech is one of six institutions that received NSF funding via the Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3) program, an effort intended to link institutions' existing NSF-funded projects in STEM education and to leverage their collective strengths. The goal of I3 is threefold: to broaden participation of underrepresented minorities in STEM; to focus on critical educational junctures; and to integrate research and education resulting in a more globally engaged workforce.
"Our goal is to add a new stanza to the Georgia Tech fight song," says Usselman. "Students can come to Georgia Tech to be a 'helluva teacher,' not just a 'helluva engineer.'"
The Tech to Teaching program will formally begin in January 2009. For more information, please contact Donna Llewellyn at donna.llewellyn@cetl.gatech.edu.
]]>“I want to show the rest of the campus that the School of Math is committed to excellence in teaching,” said Baker, a professor in the School of Mathematics. “Hopefully I will also pick up some useful tips and ideas that I can share with my colleagues.”
This year’s event will be held on Thursday, March 26, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom and will begin with a poster session featuring research-based teaching initiatives that are underway on campus.
The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) Players from the University of Michigan will perform during lunch. The players are a touring company that create interactive performances centered around current issues in higher education.
“CETL invited the CRLT Players to perform and engage participants in a discussion about some of the common challenges we face in teaching,” said Esther Jordan, CETL’s assistant director for programming. “We hope that experiencing the performance will bring the issues to life and prompt a highly engaging dialogue.”
Register for the Celebrating Teaching Day festivities at www.c.gatech.edu/teachingday2015.
In addition to the morning program, a Teaching Enrichment Workshop will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the Peachtree Room, Student Center Commons. The workshop will focus on disrespect and disruption in the classroom.
“CETL chose the topic for the afternoon workshop based on an increase over the last year in requests for help we have received from educators regarding disrespectful and disruptive behavior by students in classes,” said Jordan. “We do not infer from this that such behavior is on the rise. However, it is clear that faculty are increasingly seeking ideas regarding how to respond to such behavior.”
The workshop will be conducted by Theresa Braunschneider, assistant director and co-coordinator for diversity initiatives for the CRLT at the University of Michigan. It will focus on specific research-based strategies for setting up and maintaining respectful classrooms and will provide opportunities to practice these approaches. Register for the workshop at www.c.gatech.edu/disrespectworkshop.
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