Two EPICS teaching assistants receive CoE awards

Photos of Vishnu Pookat, Jorge Martinez, and Emmanuel Oyakojo
(From L-R) Vishnu Pookat, Jorge Martinez and Emmanuel Oyakojo. Pookat and Oyakojo received teaching awards from the College of Engineering. 

Two teaching assistants for Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) were recognized for impactful and unique service to the Purdue University community.  

Nominated by his peers, Vishnu Pookat, graduate student in industrial engineering, received the Outstanding Service Scholarship. A committed student with a knack for interdisciplinary team building and leadership, Pookat has served EPICS as a teaching assistant since January 2024 and Purdue since August 2023. The recognition includes $2,000, a certificate and recognition at the annual College of Engineering Awards luncheon and in a video production.  

The Estus H. and Vashti L. Magoon Award for Excellence in Teaching highlights a teaching assistant whose outstanding work has impacted engineering students, just like the award’s namesakes. Emmanuel Oyakojo, a graduate student in civil engineering, was recognized for his wide range of skills to ensure that students are truly learning in his class. His nine years of professional experience in Lagos, Nigeria, allow him to effectively communicate complex concepts to a class of students who range from first-year students to senior design students. Oyakojo received $2,000, a certificate and recognition at the annual awards luncheon alongside being featured in a video.