{"685556":{"#nid":"685556","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Revered Faculty Uses Teaching to Nurture Students and Research Community ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents in machine learning and linear algebra courses this semester are learning from one of Georgia Tech\u2019s most celebrated instructors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.raphaelpestourie.com\/\u0022\u003ERapha\u00ebl Pestourie\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;has earned back-to-back selections to the Institute\u2019s Course Instructor Opinion Survey (CIOS) honor roll, placing him among the top-ranked teachers for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy returning to the classroom this semester to teach two more courses, Pestourie continues to leverage proven experience to mentor the next generation of researchers in his field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStudents played a very important part in the survey process, and I thank them for making the classes great,\u201d said Pestourie, an assistant professor in the School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u0027m incredibly grateful that students shared their feedback so that I could go the extra mile to not only apply my expertise to teach in ways that I think work, but transform my instruction to reach students in the most impactful way I can.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ctl.gatech.edu\/student-recognition-excellence-teaching-class-1934-honor-roll\/\u0022\u003ECIOS honor rolls\u003C\/a\u003E recognize instructors for outstanding teaching and educational impact, based on student feedback provided through end-of-course surveys.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudent praise of Pestourie\u2019s \u003Cem\u003ECSE 8803: Scientific Machine Learning\u003C\/em\u003E class placed him on the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blog.ctl.gatech.edu\/2025\/01\/15\/fall-2024-cios-honor-roll\/\u0022\u003EFall 2024 CIOS honor roll\u003C\/a\u003E. He earned selection to the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blog.ctl.gatech.edu\/2025\/06\/11\/spring-2025-honor-roll\/\u0022\u003ESpring 2025 honor roll\u003C\/a\u003E for his instruction of \u003Cem\u003ECX 4230: Computer Simulation\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECSE 8803 is a graduate-level, special topics class that Pestourie created around his field of expertise. Scientific machine learning involves merging two traditionally distinct fields: scientific computing and machine learning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn scientific computing, researchers build and use models based on established physical laws. Machine learning differs in that it employs data-driven models to find patterns without prior assumptions. Combining the two fields opens new ways to analyze data and solve challenging problems in science and engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPestourie organized student-focused scientific machine learning symposiums in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sci-ml-symposium.github.io\/\u0022\u003EFall 2023\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciml-symposium.github.io\/sciml-symposium-2024.github.io\/\u0022\u003E2024\u003C\/a\u003E. CSE 8803 students work on projects throughout the course and present their work at these symposiums. Pestourie will use the same approach this semester.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECompared to CSE 8803, CX 4230 is an undergraduate course that teaches students how to create computer models of complex systems. A complex system has many interacting entities that influence each other\u2019s behaviors and patterns. Disease spread in a human network is one example of a complex system.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECX 4230 is a required course for computer science students studying the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/academics\/threads\/modeling-simulation\u0022\u003EModeling \u0026amp; Simulation thread\u003C\/a\u003E. It is also an elective course in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/academics\/degrees\/bachelors\/scientific-and-engineering-computing-minor\u0022\u003EScientific and Engineering Computing minor\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI see 8803 as my educational baby. Being acknowledged for it with a CIOS honor roll felt great,\u201d Pestourie said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn a way, I\u0027m prouder of CX 4230 because it was a large, undergraduate regular offering that I was teaching for the first time. The honor roll selection came almost as a surprise.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo be eligible for the honor roll recognition, instructors must have a minimum CIOS response rate of 70%. Composite scores for three CIOS items are then used to rank instructors. Those items are:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EInstructor\u2019s respect and concern for students\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EInstructor\u2019s level of enthusiasm about the course\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EInstructor\u2019s ability to stimulate interest in the subject matter\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and the Office of Academic Effectiveness present the CIOS Honor Rolls. CTL recognizes honor roll recipients at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ctl.gatech.edu\/ctd\/\u0022\u003Eits\u0026nbsp;Celebrating Teaching Day\u003C\/a\u003E events, held annually in March.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECTL offers the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ctl.gatech.edu\/1969-2\/\u0022\u003EClass of 1969 Teaching Fellowship\u003C\/a\u003E, in which Pestourie participated in the 2024-2025 cohort. The program aims to broaden perspectives with insight into evidence-based best practices and exposure to new and innovative teaching methods.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe fellowship offers one-on-one consultations with a teaching and learning specialist. Cohorts meet weekly in the fall semester and monthly in the spring semester for instruction seminars.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe fellowship facilitates peer observations where instructors visit other classrooms, exchange feedback, and learn effective techniques to try in their own classes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u0027m very grateful for the Class of 1969 fellowship program and to Karen Franklin, who coordinates it,\u201d Pestourie said. \u201cThe honor roll is not just a one-person award. Support from the Institute and other people in the program made it happen.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike in Fall 2023 and 2024, Pestourie is teaching \u003Cem\u003ECSE 8803: Scientific Machine Learning\u003C\/em\u003E again this semester. Additionally, he teaches \u003Cem\u003ECSE 8801: Linear Algebra, Probability, and Statistics\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELinear algebra and applied probability are among the fundamental subjects in modern data science. Like his scientific machine learning class, Pestourie created CSE 8801. This semester marks the second time Pestourie is teaching the course since Fall 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPestourie designed CSE 8801 as a refresher course for newer graduate students. This addresses a point of need to help students get off to a good start at Georgia Tech. By offering guidance early in their graduate careers, Pestourie\u2019s work in the classroom also aims to cultivate future collaborators and serve his academic community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI see teaching as our one shot at making a good first impression as a research field and a community,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI see my work as a teacher as training my future colleagues, and I see it as my duty to our community to do my best in attracting the best talent toward our research field.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Professor Rapha\u00ebl Pestourie has earned back-to-back selections to the Institute\u2019s Course Instructor Opinion Survey (CIOS) honor roll, placing him among the top-ranked teachers for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Assistant Professor Rapha\u00ebl Pestourie has earned back-to-back selections to the Institute\u2019s Course Instructor Opinion Survey (CIOS) honor roll, placing him among the top-ranked teachers for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2025-10-06 16:56:12","changed_gmt":"2025-10-09 01:30:09","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678279":{"id":"678279","type":"image","title":"Pestourie_CIOS_Head-Image.jpg","body":null,"created":"1759769781","gmt_created":"2025-10-06 16:56:21","changed":"1759769781","gmt_changed":"2025-10-06 16:56:21","alt":"Rapha\u00ebl Pestourie CIOS","file":{"fid":"262284","name":"Pestourie_CIOS_Head-Image.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/06\/Pestourie_CIOS_Head-Image.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/06\/Pestourie_CIOS_Head-Image.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":102318,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/06\/Pestourie_CIOS_Head-Image.jpg?itok=fsv1Ri6q"}},"678280":{"id":"678280","type":"image","title":"Raphael-Pestourie-Class.jpg","body":null,"created":"1759769835","gmt_created":"2025-10-06 16:57:15","changed":"1759769835","gmt_changed":"2025-10-06 16:57:15","alt":"Rapha\u00ebl Pestourie CIOS","file":{"fid":"262285","name":"Raphael-Pestourie-Class.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/06\/Raphael-Pestourie-Class.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/06\/Raphael-Pestourie-Class.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":56948,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/06\/Raphael-Pestourie-Class.jpg?itok=SbwyQ3_B"}}},"media_ids":["678279","678280"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/revered-faculty-uses-teaching-nurture-students-and-research-community","title":"Revered Faculty Uses Teaching to Nurture Students and Research Community"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"172443","name":"Center for Teaching and Learning"},{"id":"182978","name":"office of academic effectiveness"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}