Purdue University’s Multidisciplinary Engineering (MDE) and Interdisciplinary Engineering Studies (IDES) undergraduate programs recently recognized three outstanding teaching partners from across the university whose collaboration and commitment have significantly enriched the student experience.

Although not housed directly within MDE or IDES, these faculty members play an essential role in delivering high-quality instruction and experiential learning opportunities that support the programs’ interdisciplinary mission. Their impact on student learning is evident through excellent course design, strong classroom organization, meaningful student engagement, and the extra care they take to ensure complex concepts are fully understood.

Honorees include Venkatesh Merwade, professor of civil and construction engineering; Jorge Martinez, assistant director of Purdue EPICS; and Rich Dionne, chair and professor of practice in the Rueff School of Design, Art, and Performance. Each was presented with a certificate recognizing them as “one of the best of the best in teaching” by the School of Engineering Education during a February faculty appreciation lunch.

Students and faculty alike praised Merwade’s engaging instructional style in his CE340 hydraulics course, highlighting how his approach strengthens foundational knowledge for MDE and IDES students. Martinez was recognized for his ongoing commitment to student success through the EPICS experiential learning program, where students apply engineering skills to real-world community projects. Dionne was commended for cultivating a learning environment that consistently supports successful classroom-to-career transitions for students in MDE’s theatre engineering concentration — the first-of-its-kind ABET-accredited theatre engineering concentration in the United States.

Through their partnership and dedication, these instructors exemplify the collaborative spirit that defines MDE and IDES, demonstrating how cross-campus teaching excellence elevates interdisciplinary engineering education.