In This Issue:

NSF Early Career Awards

Grads and Frosh

Professor Morton Klein

Teaching Prizes Given

Young Alums Needed

Alumni Briefs

Homecoming 2001

School Mourns WTC Victims

FEATURE STORY

SEAS Great and Distinguished Teachers

Three members of the SEAS faculty have been honored for their teaching skills. Most recently, Dimitris Anastassiou, professor of electrical engineering, received the Great Teacher Award of the Society of Columbia Graduates. In ceremonies held in October in Low Rotunda, Prof. Anastassiou was commended for commitment to his students and for his willingness to explain, “with patience and delicacy,” the intricacies of his subject matter, from bioinformatics to signals and systems.

The Columbia Engineering School Alumni Association presented its Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award to Jeffrey W. Holmes, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, and Rastislav Levicky, assistant professor of chemical engineering, at Commencement ceremonies in May.

Dr. Holmes was cited as an excellent lecturer whose presentation of ethical issues in biomedical engineering was particularly praised. One student said, “I think it is an incredible feat to get a room full of almost 40 engineers to participate so enthusiastically in class discussions.” The biomechanics courses he teaches were described as “some of the most challenging and rewarding.”

Professor Levicky’s students were equally complimentary. “The concepts were difficult,” said one student, “but having an excellent teacher. . . made all the difference.” Another student noted that “he did so much for the students, including getting to know us as people and more than just names.