Professors Feinberg and Siston honored for teaching excellence
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College of Engineering professors Martin Feinberg and Rob Siston are two recipients of The Ohio State University’s 2014 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching.
Martin Feinberg, the Richard M. Morrow Chair of chemical and biomolecular engineering, is considered a world leader in the application of mathematics to chemical engineering problems, particularly understanding how complex chemical reaction networks behave.
He is described as one of those rare engineers who can combine innovative research breakthroughs—which influence an entire field of research—with superior teaching and preparing tools for both education and engineering practice. His pioneering Chemical Reaction Network Toolbox, a powerful software tool for the study of chemical reaction networks, has had a major impact on hundreds of students, and countless chemical engineers and researchers. There have been more than 10,000 downloads of the tool, which he makes freely available online.
Feinberg is also credited with adding a much-needed coherent conceptual framework to many chemical and biomolecular engineering courses, which students have praised as giving courses much greater clarity.
But his teaching prowess garners the most glowing reviews.
“Dr. Feinberg is the best instructor I’ve ever had,” one student nominator wrote. “He is enthusiastic about his subject, highly effective in communicating difficult material in an easily understandable way, and deeply invested in his students’ learning experience.”
Feinberg received his doctorate from Princeton University and has been teaching at Ohio State since 1997.
Rob Siston, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, is known as an effective and enthusiastic teacher who goes above and beyond to help his students succeed.
Praised for his innovative, adaptive teaching style and use of technology to best connect with students, he was instrumental in "flipping" the ME 3671 machine elements course by putting lecture content online and using class time to answer questions and work on examples. He is also recognized for being an effective coordinator and advisor for the mechanical and aerospace engineering honors program, all while establishing a successful research program.
Siston created an experiential interdisciplinary capstone sequence that gives students from multiple disciplines the opportunity to create a novel device, pursue opportunities to commercialize it, and then ultimately see how their invention influences the lives of persons with disabilities.
His efforts have not gone unnoticed by students.
“Dr. Siston is easily my favorite professor. He is knowledgeable, makes class interesting and is always available to help students,” one of Siston’s students commented. “He was the first professor here to take a personal interest in my education, and has inspired me to do lots of challenging, but rewarding, things.”
He received his doctorate from Stanford University and has been teaching full-time at Ohio State since 2007.
Recipients of the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching are nominated by present and former students and colleagues and are chosen by a committee of alumni, students, and faculty. They receive a cash award of $3,000, made possible by contributions from the Alumni Association, friends of Ohio State, and the Office of Academic Affairs. They also receive a $1,200 increase in their base salaries from the Office of Academic Affairs. The recipients will be inducted into the university's Academy of Teaching, which provides leadership for the improvement of teaching at Ohio State.
Martin Feinberg, the Richard M. Morrow Chair of chemical and biomolecular engineering, is considered a world leader in the application of mathematics to chemical engineering problems, particularly understanding how complex chemical reaction networks behave.
He is described as one of those rare engineers who can combine innovative research breakthroughs—which influence an entire field of research—with superior teaching and preparing tools for both education and engineering practice. His pioneering Chemical Reaction Network Toolbox, a powerful software tool for the study of chemical reaction networks, has had a major impact on hundreds of students, and countless chemical engineers and researchers. There have been more than 10,000 downloads of the tool, which he makes freely available online.
Feinberg is also credited with adding a much-needed coherent conceptual framework to many chemical and biomolecular engineering courses, which students have praised as giving courses much greater clarity.
But his teaching prowess garners the most glowing reviews.
“Dr. Feinberg is the best instructor I’ve ever had,” one student nominator wrote. “He is enthusiastic about his subject, highly effective in communicating difficult material in an easily understandable way, and deeply invested in his students’ learning experience.”
Feinberg received his doctorate from Princeton University and has been teaching at Ohio State since 1997.
Rob Siston, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, is known as an effective and enthusiastic teacher who goes above and beyond to help his students succeed.
Praised for his innovative, adaptive teaching style and use of technology to best connect with students, he was instrumental in "flipping" the ME 3671 machine elements course by putting lecture content online and using class time to answer questions and work on examples. He is also recognized for being an effective coordinator and advisor for the mechanical and aerospace engineering honors program, all while establishing a successful research program.
Siston created an experiential interdisciplinary capstone sequence that gives students from multiple disciplines the opportunity to create a novel device, pursue opportunities to commercialize it, and then ultimately see how their invention influences the lives of persons with disabilities.
His efforts have not gone unnoticed by students.
“Dr. Siston is easily my favorite professor. He is knowledgeable, makes class interesting and is always available to help students,” one of Siston’s students commented. “He was the first professor here to take a personal interest in my education, and has inspired me to do lots of challenging, but rewarding, things.”
He received his doctorate from Stanford University and has been teaching full-time at Ohio State since 2007.
Recipients of the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching are nominated by present and former students and colleagues and are chosen by a committee of alumni, students, and faculty. They receive a cash award of $3,000, made possible by contributions from the Alumni Association, friends of Ohio State, and the Office of Academic Affairs. They also receive a $1,200 increase in their base salaries from the Office of Academic Affairs. The recipients will be inducted into the university's Academy of Teaching, which provides leadership for the improvement of teaching at Ohio State.
