The Purdue Engineering Dean’s Teaching Fellows program was established in 2020 to ensure that graduate engineering students have the opportunity to practice, establish and implement their own approaches to teaching undergraduates prior to entering the academic job market. The initiative is a partnership between the College of Engineering, the Office of Graduate Education, the Office of Undergraduate Education and the schools in the College of Engineering in order to enrich the mentoring and teaching experiences of outstanding Engineering Ph.D. students planning to pursue academic careers.

Students selected for this fellowship will shadow an exemplary faculty mentor, serve as the lead instructor of their own course and employ instructional technology in their classroom or laboratory. The Dean’s Teaching Fellows utilize the pedagogy learned from an engineering education course to master new methods and provide their undergraduate students with the best experience possible.

Applications were received and reviewed in the Fall of 2022, which led to the selection of four Purdue Engineering graduate students as the 2023 Dean’s Teaching Fellows: Aanis Ahmad (electrical and computer engineering); Bradley Fitzgerald (electrical and computer engineering); Andrew Fix (mechanical engineering); and Emilee Madsen (biomedical engineering).

Aanis Ahmad, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dean's Teaching Fellowship Faculty Mentors: Dharmendra Saraswat and Vetria Byrd

"I am looking forward to the responsibilities and acquiring the necessary skills by engaging with different faculty to develop and teach students through the Dean’s Teaching Fellowship. I believe that this exciting opportunity will play a critical role in helping me pursue a career in academia.”

Bradley Fitzgerald, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dean's Teaching Fellowship Faculty Mentor: Prof. Chih-Chun Wang

"I am so grateful for the opportunity to engage in teaching through the Dean’s Teaching Fellowship. I hope to pursue a career with an emphasis on teaching engineering, and I believe the Fellowship will provide a great opportunity to develop my skills in this area. Plus, teaching is just enjoyable for me, so I am excited about the chance to lead a full undergraduate course."

Andrew Fix, Mechanical Engineering
Dean's Teaching Fellowship Faculty Mentor: Prof. James E. Braun

"At my undergraduate institution (University of Tulsa), I had a very positive teaching-learning experience with my professors, and that really drew me towards pursuing an academic career, before discovering research. I'm very excited to start my teaching career as a Dean's Teaching Fellow as I believe teaching and mentoring the next generation of problem solvers is incredibly important."

Emilee Madsen, Biomedical Engineering
Dean's Teaching Fellowship Faculty Mentor: Prof. Deva Chan

"I am passionate about teaching, and I have enjoyed teaching and mentoring undergraduate students in the classroom and in research. I am honored to have been selected for the Dean’s Teaching Fellowship and am excited for the opportunities it will give me to develop as an educator."

The four graduate students selected this year have shown a strong commitment to mentoring, service and outreach. They are interested in a range of academic careers, from faculty positions at teaching-focused and primarily undergraduate institutions to Research (R1) institutions.

Graduate students interested in the Dean’s Teaching Fellowship should contact Stephen McBride (mcbrid44@purdue.edu). Further information about the 2024 Dean’s Teaching Fellowship application will be announced during the fall 2023 semester.