PhD candidate honored for teaching

The School of Engineering Outstanding Contributor to Engineering Education Award recognizes full-time graduate students who, through teaching assistant work, voluntary service, and/or other activities, have significantly enhanced significantly the education programs of a department in the School of Engineering. PhD candidate Matthew Ahrens of the Department of Computer Science is a 2020 recipient of this award.

As a recipient of a Graduate Institute for Teaching (GIFT) Fellowship, Ahrens was required to teach in a classroom. He instituted a number of changes and new activities, including revising the course, restructuring classroom time, and instituting innovative assessments. Ahrens’ teaching practices produced in-depth classroom discussions and a high quality of student projects.

Ahrens is a PhD candidate in Computer Science and is interested in pursuing a teaching faculty position after graduation. He received a Graduate Institute for Teaching (GIFT) Fellowship for the Fall 2019 semester.

Read more about the 2020 Graduate Awards.