The College of Science and Letters has named its first cadre of Distinguished Teaching Fellows to further teaching and learning excellence in the college.

They include Mattox Beckman, senior lecturer of computer science; Diep Nguyen, industry professor of chemistry and director of the analytical chemistry professional master’s program; Alan Glodowski, senior lecturer of physics and associate chair of the physics department; Greg Fasshauer, professor of applied mathematics and director of undergraduate studies; and Jon Hanrath, senior instructor of computer science.

The main goal of the fellowship, according to Matt Bauer, CSL associate dean for academic affairs and coordinator of the Distinguished Teaching Fellows, is to “strive for a community of teachers, where faculty members are comfortable sharing the successes and challenges of the classroom.” He indicated that every teacher, even the most gifted, can benefit from sharing insights and teaching strategies with peers. This, in turn, will allow teachers to better serve their students. Additionally, Bauer mentioned, there are new opportunities for utilizing technology in and out of the classroom that the Fellows will explore.

Earlier this month, the fellows organized and facilitated a new faculty orientation for both part- and full-time faculty from various departments across IIT. The goal of this orientation was to teach faculty about systems and processes of teaching at IIT and to share effective educational methods. Currently, the Fellows are planning optional mid-semester course evaluations for lower-level CSL courses. This will allow students to give their feedback anonymously, with enough time for the teacher to implement any necessary changes while the current students are still in the course. Next on their agenda will be a training session for teaching assistants.

To be nominated as a CSL Distinguished Teaching Fellow, a faculty member must demonstrate teaching excellence, progressive teaching methods, and success at working with fellow faculty. They must be willing and able to lead their peers in transforming teaching strategies to better serves students, explore new learning methodologies and technologies, assess how well students learn, and develop ways to mentor fellow teachers. Nominees are on a rotating appointment and are awarded a $2,000 stipend plus funding for conference attendance and materials for students assistance.

For more information on the CSL Distinguished Teaching Fellows or to find out how to nominate someone, contact Matt Bauer at bauerm@iit.edu.