Cornell Engineering celebrates Teaching and Advising Award winners

Cornell Engineering celebrated excellence in education at its 2024 Fall Faculty Reception, honoring outstanding faculty members and recognizing their contributions by presenting the college's annual awards for teaching and advising.

"This year's award recipients demonstrated passion, deep knowledge of topics and their applications, engaging teaching methods, and a genuine care for student learning and well-being," said Alan Zehnder, senior associate dean for undergraduate programs, who presented the awards.

This year's Teaching Award recipients included junior and senior faculty, first-time winners, and repeat honorees. The winners were:

• Brian Kirby, the Meinig Family Professor of Engineering in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, was recognized for transforming a large undergraduate fluid mechanics course and leading efforts on experiential learning through the development of learning studios.
• Andrea Giometto, assistant professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, excelled in teaching multiple courses, with students praising his engaging and interesting lectures.
• Matthew Reiter, professor of practice in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, demonstrated excellence across a wide range of structural mechanics and design courses, engaging students through short exercises and discussions.
• Gregory Fuchs, professor in the School of Applied and Engineering Physics, was honored for his effective teaching and his creation of a new course to meet the explosion of interest among students in quantum information science and technology.
• Andreea Minca, professor in the School of Operations Research and Information Engineering, was recognized for her expertise in teaching challenging courses with care and commitment.
• Ben Cosgrove, associate professor in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, received praise for his outstanding lectures and his role in enhancing the overall learning environment in the school.
• Clifford Whitcomb, professor of practice in Systems Engineering, made a significant impact in systems engineering through his teaching and curriculum development.
• Amal El-Ghazaly, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was lauded for her dedication and effective use of active learning in one of the school's most challenging courses.
• Buz Barstow, assistant professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, was recognized for his creative evolution of the Molecular and Cellular Bio-systems course.
• Olivier Desjardins, professor in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, received accolades for his long-term excellence in teaching fluid mechanics, which has garnered high praise from students.
• Vikram Krishnamurthy, professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was honored for being an effective, dedicated and inspiring instructor, setting an example for his peers.
• Sriramya Nair, assistant professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was recognized for her engaging lectures and thought-provoking presentation of new concepts.
• Rowena Lohman, professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, was recognized for the clarity and effectiveness in her approach to teaching at the sophomore level.
• Peter Frazier, the Eleanor and Howard Morgan Professor of Engineering in the School of Operations Research and Information Engineering, was honored for his compelling classroom presence and ability to bring practical experience to his courses.
• Debdeep Jena, the David E. Burr professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, as well as in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was recognized for his inspiring lectures in semiconductor courses and his influential textbook, "Quantum Physics of Semiconductor Materials and Devices."
• Elizabeth Fisher, associate professor in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, was celebrated for her outstanding contributions to teaching thermodynamics, combustion and propulsion, as well as her leadership in undergraduate education.

The Teaching Awards were made possible by the generous support of donors, including Robert '55 and Vanne '57 Cowie; James and Mary Tien; Dorothy and Fred Chau, M.S. '74; Sonny Yau '72; Douglas Whitney '61; Kenneth A. Goldman '71; Mr. & Mrs. Richard F. Tucker; John Swanson '61 M.E. in honor of his mother, Dorothy G. Swanson; Michael Tien '72; Daniel M. Lazar '29; Fiona Ip Li '78 and Donald Li '75; Ralph S. Watts '72; and Dennis G. Shepherd.

The Canaan Family Award for Excellence in Academic Advising, given in honor of K. Bingham Cady, a longtime professor of nuclear engineering and leader in the Cornell Engineering community, recognizes faculty members who excel in academic advising. This year's recipients were:

• Allison Godwin, the Dr. G. Stephen Irwin '67, '68 Professor of Engineering Education Research in the R.F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, for her outstanding formal and informal advising of students.
• Julia Dshemuchadse, assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, for her compassionate and approachable advising style.
• James Antaki, the Susan K. McAdam Professor of Heart Assist Technology in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, for his dedicated support and guidance to the Cornell Biomedical Device and DEBUT project teams.

The James McCormick Family Advising Award recognizes outstanding advisors of first-year undergraduate students, and the nominations for the award come from the students themselves. This year's winners were:

• Shaoyi Jiang, the Robert Langer '70 Family and Friends Professor in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, was honored for his incredible support and inspiration to students through the sharing of his research.
• Jacob Mays, assistant professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was recognized helping students through difficult periods and providing useful insight into the college.

The Albert R. George Endowed Faculty Award for Student Project Teams Mentorship, which was established in 2022 with a gift from Doug Deane, was presented to Hadas Ritz, senior lecturer in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, for exceptional work with the Engineers in Action team, providing crucial guidance in technical work and navigating cultural considerations in international projects.

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