Published: June 30, 2009 07:41 pm         

Rose faculty, staff honored for teaching, research, service

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology recognized faculty members Elton Graves and Sudipa Kirtley, and staff member Timothy Chow for career achievements, commitment to their students, continued learning through research activities and service to the college during this year’s commencement.

Graves, professor of mathematics, received the Dean’s Outstanding Teacher Award. A member of the Rose-Hulman faculty since 1981, Graves has been director of the Rose-Hulman’s Fast Track Calculus program, chair of the mathematics division of the American Society of Engineering Education, and Indiana director for the American Mathematics Competitions, and state and regional director for the Indiana Society of Professional Engineers’ MATHCOUNTS competition. He also has served as longtime chair of the college’s Admissions and Standing Committee, advisor to the Pi Mu Epsilon mathematics society, and a freshman adviser.

In evaluations, students praised Graves for his enthusiasm, interesting and understandable lectures, and, most of all, his genuine caring attitude toward students. One student noted that the professor was “always available for help both in and out of class; will NOT LET students fall behind.”

Kirtley, professor of physics and optical engineering, earned the Board of Trustees’ Outstanding Scholar Award after publishing 20 refereed papers and conference proceedings, making more than 30 conference presentations, and writing a well-received book chapter summarizing her 15 years of research. She investigates the composition of crude oil using X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Kirtley introduced Rose-Hulman students to her research team and they contributed to data acquisition and analysis, and appeared as co-authors on several research papers.

Bill Fenoglio, acting chairman of the board of trustees, noted that Kirtley, a member of the faculty since 1993, also was a trailblazer, introducing the studio model for instruction and has been among the first faculty to introduce tablet personal computers into the classroom and physics laboratory.

Chow, director of the office institutional research in the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment, received the President’s Outstanding Service Award. He collects, manages and analyzes data for campus offices and national organizations, including the Department of Education, Association of Independent Technical Universities and the American Society for Engineering Education. Chow also helped develop the RosE Portfolio and RosEvaluation Tool System, which examines student learning.