Engineering faculty recognized as exceptional teachers in new mentoring program
Three engineering faculty will serve as mentors as part of a new university initiative aimed at promoting excellence in teaching and learning at The Ohio State University.
The “Faculty FIT: Foundation, Impact, Transformation” program pairs new faculty with experienced and successful teachers. The year-long programming focuses on active support for instructional faculty at all levels of experience, and particularly strives to engage new faculty as they find their place or “fit” at Ohio State.
Among the 20 mentors in the Faculty FIT inaugural class, the following three engineering professors were selected—the largest representation of any unit on campus:
Professor
Engineering Education; Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
Robert A. Siston
Associate Professor
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Each faculty participant has the opportunity to complete a customized “health and wellness” approach to instructional development that is intended to support those new to their roles, as well as promote career-long efforts to cultivate expertise and achieve success in teaching and learning.
Ongoing FIT programming will include opportunities along three pathways, designed to best fit the needs of the diverse community of teachers new to Ohio State:
- Foundations — Faculty new to teaching; to accelerate essential classroom skills and improve effectiveness and efficiency of teaching.
- Impact — Faculty with some prior teaching experience; to develop greater expertise in educational pedagogy and enhance their reputation and influence as an educator.
- Transformation — Experienced faculty; to develop mentorship skills and expertise as an advocate for institutional goals. This pathway is for the “master teacher” who seeks to shape university culture and policy, and advance learning achievement at Ohio State.
Faculty FIT is the first signature program of the University Institute for Teaching and Learning, which supports President Michael V. Drake’s charge to make Ohio State as highly regarded for teaching and learning as it is for research. The institute will focus on four key areas: instructional development support; research to measure effectiveness of teaching outcomes; policy development concerning faculty roles, review and rewards; and communication to share success stories and learn from other institutions. Proceeds from a $10 million endowment from Nike will fund the institute.
