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Since joining the NC State faculty in 1997, Dr. Brian Hughes has introduced two new graduate courses and revised the undergraduate “Introduction to Communications Engineering” course to include the latest technologies and worked with Dr. Keith Townsend to improve the communications engineering lab experience. Brian is consistently among the highest rated professors in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His success comes from his ability to teach to a variety of learning styles and to motivate students to learn. Brian is known for his personal involvement in the progress of his students.
One student points out that “Dr. Hughes has the ability to provide students with responses and guidance that encourages them to actively engage with the subject matter and make it their own. His obvious erudition, deep understanding and passion for the field inspire a level of interest in the subject matter that is unique.”
Another student states that “From day one I found myself impressed by Dr. Hughes' lecturing style, which is both engaging and informative. He brings to class an infectious enthusiasm that makes learning about power spectral densities and duobinary correlative coding an enjoyable experience, even if communications engineering isn't your area of interest. His step-by-step approach to solving problems and his encouraging attitude toward questions from his students create a positive classroom environment that is exceptionally conducive to learning.”
For his love of teaching and his dedication to excellence, we honor Dr. Brian Hughes as an Outstanding Teacher.
In just four and a half years, Dr. Orlin Velev has established himself as an excellent teacher and researcher. Among the highest rated teachers in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Orlin brings an enthusiasm to the classroom that inspires his students to learn the subject matter. He consistently seeks new techniques and works to improve his teaching skills using the concepts developed by Dr. Rich Felder and folding them into his own ideas for engaging students in active learning. Recognized as a promising researcher in chemical engineering applications of nanotechnology, Orlin uses his research in his classroom and brings his undergraduate students into his research. As a result, his students not only learn the material, they see the necessity for learning it, and several have published papers from their involvement in his research.
A former student in thermodynamics states, “Thermodynamics appears daunting to most engineering students. On the first day of class, Dr. Velev walked in with a big smile on his face. He spoke excitedly about all the thermodynamics topics we would cover. His unquantifiable amount of energy to teach thermodynamics snapped my pessimistic attitude in half. I was ready to learn.”
Another student writes, “It is in very subtle ways that teachers help us learn, not only about studies but also about ourselves. Dr. Velev focuses on helping us learn. He shares in such a way that he makes those he interacts with feel just as smart and capable as himself.”
For his exceptional talent in the classroom and his ability to inspire his students, we honor Dr. Orlin D. Velev as an Outstanding Teacher for 2006.
Dr. Laurie Williams is both an excellent teacher and researcher who has been instrumental in organizing, extending, and improving the software engineering curriculum in the Department of Computer Science. Her efforts have contributed greatly to this area, which has become one of the department’s four core areas of strength. Laurie has a unique teaching style. During her lectures, she uses an innovative technique of displaying slide material with a Tablet PC and then writing additional notes and student comments directly onto the slides with the stylus. Her re-structuring of the undergraduate software engineering course to a lecture plus lab course enables students to gain much-needed hands-on experience. She has also incorporated team projects as part of the course requirements. In addition she created a new graduate course, “Software Testing and Reliability,” that introduces software reliability processes, reliability growth models, and techniques to improve and predict software reliability.
Known for her mentoring and dedication to her students, Laurie inspires her students. One student writes, “Dr. Williams provides excellent out-of-class support and mentoring. While I had already intended to obtain a master’s degree, after working with Dr. Williams over the summer, I decided to pursue my Ph.D. Dr. Williams is an excellent advisor and mentor and is an inspiring female role model for her students.”
Another student states that Dr. Williams has incorporated ways to effectively convey ideas to her students, and she uses critical thinking activities during her lecture to encourage students to participate in class and enhance her students’ understanding of the material.”
For her ability to inspire her students and her excellence in the classroom, we honor Dr. Laurie Williams as an Outstanding Teacher.
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