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Sastry Named to Thurnau Professorship

02/20/2008

SastryProfessor Ann Marie Sastry has been recognized as one of the six new Thurnau Professors this year.

Sastry, Professor of Mechanical Engineering ( http://me.engin.umich.edu/ ), of Biomedical Engineering ( http://www.bme.umich.edu/ ) and of Materials Science and Engineering ( http://www.mse.engin.umich.edu/ ) in the College of Engineering (CoE) ( http://www.engin.umich.edu/ ), is known for her availability and responsiveness to students, and “her rare ability to be both demanding and supportive.”

Sastry teaches a wide range of courses and is known for her approach to teaching Introductory Engineering, in which she uses pizza production to teach concepts such as optimization modeling and thermodynamics. Her innovation in the classroom resulted in an appointment to the College Engineering Teaching Academy. One student wrote: “She leads me to the door and challenges me to open it myself.”

Each year Thurnau Professorships recognize and reward a select group of 5-6 tenured faculty members for their outstanding contributions to undergraduate education. Criteria for the award include a strong commitment to students and to teaching and learning, excellence in teaching, innovation in teaching and learning, a strong commitment to working effectively with a diverse student body, and a demonstrable impact on students’ intellectual and/or artistic development.

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