Tony Schmitz Among 2019 UNC BOG Teaching Award Winners

Dr. Tony Schmitz, professor Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science in the Lee College of Engineering, is one of the 17 recipients of the UNC Board of Governors Awards for Excellence in Teaching. He will be honored formally during one of the University’s May commencement ceremonies.

This annual system-wide teaching award recognizes one faculty member from each of North Carolina’s 16 public institutions and the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics.

Since joining UNC Charlotte in 2011, Schmitz, a professor of mechanical engineering and engineering science, has taught 10 different courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He said his role is to “train decision makers, not problem solvers.” A shining example of his self-described, innovative pedagogy is a junior-level design course in which he explains to students: “Design requires creativity, and there is not just one correct answer.”

This past fall, Schmitz was the recipient of one of UNC Charlotte’s most prestigious accolades, the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence.

View the 2019 recipients of the UNC BOG Awards for Excellence in Teaching. Each winner will receive a commemorative bronze medallion and a $12,500 cash prize.