Excellence in Teaching Awards
The Lee College of Engineering awarded its top honors for teaching, the Undergraduate and Graduate Excellence in Teaching Awards, on Nov. 28th. The undergraduate award had two winners, Mr. Dan Hoch of Engineering Technology and Construction Management, and Dr. Robert Cox of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The graduate award went to Dr. Chris Vermillion of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science.
Mr. Hoch was recognized for his teaching philosophy of delivering structured, well-planned and clearly articulated lectures, while being flexible enough to allow ample time for example problems and discussions. Depending on whether classes are large classes or small, Mr. Hoch’s goal is to pair the course with the most-effective instructional methods needed to keep the students engaged and foster learning. He provides students with an understanding of the course learning objectives, so they always know where they stand with respect to mastering those objectives.
Quotes from letters of recommendation written by Mr. Hoch’s students include:
“Prof. Hoch was one of the best professors I’ve ever had. He was very constructive and taught in a way that’s interesting and a way that people understand. This class has probably been the most helpful class in my UNCC career.”
“Professor Hoch is among the top professors at UNCC. He has an intelligent and calculated response for each question and is always willing/ readily available to help.”
“Mr. Hoch teaches in a way that makes the material matter to me. He is always well prepared with a clear lesson plan. I believe he is extremely effective as an instructor.”
Dr. Cox was recognized as a passionate and effective teacher and the top choice of many ECE students. He is known to hold high standards, but is widely appreciated for his teaching style. He teaches a wide range of courses and his course on Energy Analytics, which he has been teaching for the past few years as part of his efforts on sustainable buildings, fills up very quickly. Dr. Cox’s excellence in teaching was also recognized when IEEE Region 3 awarded him its Outstanding Educator Award in 2014.
Quotes from letters of recommendation written by Dr. Cox’s students include:
“In all of my years as a student at UNC Charlotte, there is no other faculty member that has challenged me in my coursework and research as much as Dr. Cox. The amount of dedication required to succeed in the course was truly a blessing as it led me to truly believe that electrical engineering was where I wanted to base my career.”
“Dr. Cox has the rare ability to take difficult subjects and simplify them in a way that gives you a better understanding of the subject.”
“Dr. Cox is an excellent teacher and an even better mentor. Dr. Cox shows how class material can be applied to real-world applications. He will go above and beyond to help students understand material.”
Dr. Vermillion was recognized for his teaching philosophy that engineering represents a marriage between physical systems and the mathematical underpinnings that describe those systems. To teach mechanical engineering, he believes an instructor must establish clear connections between mechanics with mathematics, emphasizing fundamental principles, not memorization, and focus on synthesis rather than just analysis.
Quotes from letters of recommendation written by Dr. Vermillion’s students and peer faculty members include:
“He has melded high-level practical application with traditional, theory-oriented instruction to create a powerful and unique teaching approach. For example, in Introduction to Control Systems, student teams design an auto-trim and auto-pilot control system for a simulated sailboat and then race each other at the end of the course.”
“At this point in my life, I have been a college student for more than six years as both an undergraduate and graduate student. Dr. Vermillion is the best teacher I’ve had. His enthusiasm extends well beyond scheduled lecture periods. Homework help sessions and one-on-one discussions outside of class are the norm in all his classes.”
“Dr. Vermillion is always available, not only during office hours, but throughout the day. He always has a positive attitude and is never too busy to give guidance as needed and does not hesitate to provide advice on how to improve projects.”