UC engineering professor receives Distinguished Teaching Award
University of Cincinnati Professor-Educator of Chemical Engineering Stephen Thiel received the 2019 Distinguished Teaching Professor Award at the university’s faculty awards ceremony Thursday. The award honors UC professors who represent "the ideal of the educational profession and have made impactful contributions in teaching, curricular development, and the mentoring and supervision of students.”
Thiel’s influence as an educator reflects the academic excellence platform of UC's strategic direction, Next Lives Here.
Since he was a child, Thiel knew he wanted to make a career in the sciences. Something about the hands-on nature of chemistry appealed to him, said Thiel. At UC, Thiel applies this same passion for the sciences to the classroom. Thiel teaches the year-long capstone design course taken by all chemical engineering seniors.
I really try to link the course to professional practice. I assign projects where students have to push their skills and learn to be more creative and independent
Stephen Thiel, 2019 Distinguished Teaching Professor Award recipient
“In the capstone courses, I see students develop an understanding of chemical engineering as a unified discipline,” said Thiel, speaking to his favorite part of teaching the course. “They’re able to tackle complex problems they couldn’t imagine doing at the beginning.”
Much of Thiel’s teaching strategy is rooted in his industrial experience. For nearly 15 years, Thiel worked for Henkel Corporation (later Cognis), a worldwide supplier of raw chemicals. Thiel can talk design, process economics, process safety and strategic planning – all drawn directly from his time in engineering practice.
“I really try to link the course to professional practice,” he said. “I assign projects where students have to push their skills and learn to be more creative and independent.”
And it pays off. Thiel has received numerous teaching accolades, including the Neil Wandmacher Teaching Award, Outstanding Chemical Engineering Teaching Professor and Engineering and Applied Sciences Tribunal Professor of the Year. He has been honored twice at the Darwin Turner Breakfast of Champions and three times as Master Engineering Educator.
“Professor Thiel spends so much of his time trying to do what he can for his students, regardless of how busy he is,” said one of his students, Emma Lowe. “He genuinely cares that you understand the material.”
Featured image at top: UC professor Stephen Thiel received the 2019 Distinguished Teaching Professor Award at the university’s faculty awards ceremony. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Creative Services
“I really try to link the course to professional practice. I assign projects where students have to push their skills and learn to be more creative and independent," said UC professor Stephen Thiel, recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Teaching Professor Award. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Creative Services
Academic Excellence
UC is committed to providing students with a highly innovative academic and professional development program. Learn more about UC's strategic direction, Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
A look at the 'enrollment cliff' facing colleges and universities
November 18, 2024
"We hear a lot about college enrollment of late. And it’s a safe bet that at least once in any conversation or article you’ll hear the phrase 'enrollment cliff.' ... But many schools have been on an enrollment roll, including the University of Cincinnati, which saw record enrollment 10 years ago and every year since — even during the pandemic," President Pinto writes in a Cincinnati Enquirer opinion article.
Telling how keen your date is with an app
November 18, 2024
The UK Daily Mail highlights UC engineering technology that can track conversational synchrony to determine if your date is into you.
University of Cincinnati celebrates International Education Week
November 18, 2024
International Education Week, November 18-22, showcases study abroad around the globe. The annual event is sponsored in the United States by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. At the University of Cincinnati, a slate of student events will celebrate UC’s 4,616 international students, who make up 8.7% of this fall’s record enrollment.