ENE student receives teaching award
Rynearson, who plans to complete his PhD studies through the School of Engineering Education in Summer 2016, has been a teaching assistant in the First-Year Engineering (FYE) program since Fall 2012. He served in that role for ENGR 141 & 142 during the 2012-2013 academic year, for which he received the Magoon Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Rynearson was the Lead Graduate Teaching Assistant for ENGR 141 & 142 during the 2013-2014 academic year. In this role he coordinated more than 20 other graduate and peer teaching assistants in addition to his regular graduate teaching assistant duties. He was awarded Purdue’s Teaching Academy Graduate Teaching Award in 2014 as well.
This year, Rynearson is a Future Faculty Fellow for ENGR 141 & 142, which allows him to take on a primary instructor role and teach FYE student directly, instead of supporting another instructor. Rynearson was the first-ever graduate student instructor of record for either class, and has contributed new content and active learning exercises to both.
He is pursuing the Advanced Graduate Teaching Certificate through Purdue’s Center for Instructional Excellence. The program is designed to enhance the teaching capabilities of graduate students at Purdue.
A plaque and award in the amount of $500 will be presented to Rynearson at the 17th Annual Celebration of Graduate Student Teaching Excellence on April 29.