Purdue ECE launches Birck Teaching Fellowship to recognize outstanding graduate instructors
Graduate students play a vital role in the teaching mission of the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Purdue University. Each semester, the school has an army of around 170 to 180 teaching assistants (TAs) who support courses through grading, managing the Learning Management System (LMS), and providing direct student support in labs and office hours.
However, a select few go beyond these responsibilities and take full ownership of an undergraduate course—handling all aspects of instruction, assessment, and course management. To formally acknowledge these students’ exceptional contributions, the Birck ECE Teaching Fellowship was established.
The initiative was launched in the 2024-2025 academic year to formally recognize graduate students who take on significant teaching responsibilities. This program honors graduate students who have served as sole instructors for an undergraduate course or section—an opportunity that provides invaluable experience for those pursuing a career in academia.
“These graduate students were already doing a great job supporting our teaching mission, but for the small subset that went above and beyond, we wanted to recognize their contributions,” said Mithuna Thottethodi, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Associate Head of Teaching and Learning.
In addition to the formal title, Birck ECE Teaching Fellows received a higher stipend, further incentivizing this significant commitment.
The inaugural recipients of the 2024-2025 Birck ECE Teaching Fellowship are:
- Wafaa Kanakri (Fall 2024 and Spring 2025)
- Kent Gauen (Fall 2024)
- Somosmita Mitra (Fall 2024)
- Hyung Zin Lim (Fall 2024)
- Omar Yaqub (Fall 2024)
These students were selected based on strong faculty recommendations, demonstrated excellence in teaching, and prior experience with the courses they taught.
For many PhD students, gaining significant teaching experience is essential for pursuing academic careers. By serving as sole instructors, Birck ECE Teaching Fellows developed strong teaching credentials that set them apart in the job market.
“If you’re interested in a career in teaching, this program gives you an opportunity to strengthen your skills and showcase meaningful experience on your CV,” Thottethodi explained.
While the program initially recognized graduate students who took full responsibility for a course, there are plans to expand its scope in the future. ECE is exploring ways to include course development, pedagogical research, and other faculty-level teaching contributions as additional criteria for the fellowship.
Ultimately, the Birck ECE Teaching Fellowship serves as an incubator for future faculty, preparing the next generation of educators while recognizing the crucial role graduate students play in the department’s teaching mission.