Four AME graduate students receive outstanding teaching awards

Yuko Inoue, Daniel Martin, Robert Neal, and Jose Padilla have received 2021 Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Awards from the Notre Dame Graduate School and the Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning.

Graduate students are nominated by faculty in their department in recognition to their commitment to teaching excellence and dedication for the undergraduates they serve. The students receive a certificate, a letter documenting the award, and an honorarium.

Inoue assisted in AME 20214 Introduction to Engineering Computing. “Yuko was a dedicated, responsible, and knowledgeable teaching assistant,” said Meng Wang, professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering. “She was very thorough and effective in helping students in this large online course throughout a challenging semester.”

Martin served as a teaching assistant in the AME 20216 Lab 1 for several semesters. “Daniel was an outstanding teaching assistant,” said Paul F. Rumbach, assistant teaching professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering. “Students could always rely on his friendly and competent guidance as they were performing their weekly measurements and analyses.”

Neal served as a teaching assistant for 86 students in CBE 30361 Science of Engineering Materials. “Robert was instrumental in introducing the students to the online Gradescope platform and helped them with any technical difficulties they had,” said Svetlana Neretina, associate professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering.

Padilla was a teaching assistant for AME 20217 Lab II. “Jose was an asset to the instructors and students in the lab,” said Rumbach. “The course included two design project competitions — the Build-a-Beam and Wind Turbine Design. Jose consistently helped the students work through any challenges they faced with these projects and throughout the course.”

— Nina Welding, College of Engineering