Three Faculty Members Named Teaching Professors at Columbia Engineering

Columbia Engineering has announced the first cohort of Teaching Professors, a new recognition the University established for faculty who have made exceptional contributions to teaching and education.

Teaching Professors have made sustained and innovative contributions to curriculum development and other initiatives critical to the educational mission of Columbia University, and have shown a strong track record of pedagogical leadership and service.

The first cohort to receive this honor is comprised of three longtime professors: Adam Cannon, Teaching Professor of Computer Science; David Vallancourt, Teaching Professor of Electrical Engineering; and Hardeep V. Johar, Teaching Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research.  

“These honors reflect the deep appreciation of students, peers, and alumni for transformative teaching in engineering and applied science,” said Dean of Columbia Engineering Shih-Fu Chang. “These three faculty members have gone beyond outstanding classroom instruction to develop the courses and programs that will equip students to be 21st Century engineers and leaders in their field.”

Adam Cannon: Expanding Computer Science and AI Education 

Image

Teaching Professor of Computer Science Adam Cannon develops and teaches large, cornerstone undergraduate computer science courses for majors and non-majors. In his research, he has pioneered inclusive methods to expand the teaching of computer science to liberal arts students through interdisciplinary collaborations with humanities, social sciences, and policy programs. A chair of the computer science undergraduate curriculum committee and a member of the SEAS Committee on Instruction, Cannon is also a member of the development committee for the new AP Computer Science Principles Exam. A champion for AI pedagogy, he has created pathways for more non-traditional computer science students to enter this field. 

Cannon received a BS and MS in aerospace engineering from the University of California Los Angeles in 1991 and 1994 respectively. He received a PhD in applied mathematics from Johns Hopkins University in 2000. From 2000-2005, he was a visiting scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory focused on machine learning. He joined Columbia Engineering in 2000. 

For his teaching, he has won multiple awards, including the 2016 Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching, the 2016 Great Teacher Award from the Society of Columbia Graduates, the 2009 Computer Science Faculty Teaching Award, and the 2002 SEAS Alumni Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award. 

“Few educators at Columbia have had such a profound and sustained impact on undergraduate education,” said Luca Carloni, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science. “Professor Cannon has not only expanded access to computing education but has redefined its methodology, scope, and inclusivity. His work has shaped generations of students, many of whom have pursued leadership roles in academia, industry, and public service.”

David Vallancourt: Introducing Students to the Depth and Breadth of Engineering

Image

David Vallancourt is Teaching Professor of Electrical Engineering. He created and teaches The Art of Engineering (AoE) course, the Columbia Engineering-wide introduction to engineering for all first-year students. He teaches introductory courses in electrical engineering for engineers and for non-engineers, electronics, and laboratory courses including the senior “capstone” project lab. He co-created and organizes the yearly Senior Design Expo, a major event where students can showcase their capstone projects. He also created and runs the Game Expo every semester for first-year students.

For his teaching, Vallancourt has received many awards, including the Engineering Alumni Association Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award (2007 and 2013), the Presidential Teaching Award (2013), and the Society of Columbia Graduates Great Teacher Award (2024).

Vallanourt received BS (1981), MS (1983), and PhD (1987) degrees from Columbia, and was an assistant professor at Columbia Engineering until joining Bell Labs in 1992. His focus at Bell Labs and subsequent positions at Texas Instruments, Vitesse Semiconductor, and PMC-Sierra was analog and mixed-signal integrated circuit design for communications applications, for which he was awarded a dozen patents. He returned to Columbia in 2005. 

“Dave’s DNA is teaching. He loves to teach, mentor, coach, advise, and support students, and will drop anything else to help his students,” said Gil Zussman, Kenneth Brayer Professor of Electrical Engineering and chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering. “The breadth of his teaching impact from EE to across SEAS to the College and high school students is a testament to Dave’s skill of making complex topics accessible to students at all levels and conveys his enthusiasm for the beauty, the fun, and the impact of engineering.”

Hardeep V. Johar: Updating Education for Future Engineering and Business Leaders

Image

Hardeep V. Johar is Teaching Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. He has extensive experience in industry and has worked as a quantitative proprietary trader at Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, and Morgan Stanley in New York. At Columbia Engineering, Johar is the program coordinator for the MS in Business Analytics and MS in Management Science, both run in collaboration with Columbia Business School. His interests are centered around the applications of AI and machine learning in business and he teaches classes on data analytics, machine learning, AI, and big data analytics on distributed environments. Johar has also taught in executive programs and participated in AI related industry panels. 

At Columbia Engineering, Johar has developed courses that have set new benchmarks for interactive and student-centered learning. He created the Data Analytics & Machine Learning class eight years ago to help train and educate students interested in data and business analytics. This course attracted students majoring in disciplines outside of IEOR from Columbia College and Barnard College and led to the department creating a concentration in analytics within the operations research major. As the faculty director of the MS programs in both business analytics and management science and engineering, Johar works with Columbia Business School to ensure that student needs are met. 

Johar was the recipient of two Provost grants for innovative course design in fall 2024, one grant to evaluate the effectiveness of AI teaching assistants and the other to evaluate the use of AI teaching assistants in MOOCs (massive open online courses). Johar is also developing the MOOC “Generative AI for practitioners” and, as a response to the rapid development of generative AI, he is working with Columbia+ to develop a course titled “Generative AI for Technical Professionals” to inform and educate practitioners about the evolving scope of this technology. 

Johar has a PhD in information systems from the Stern School of Business, New York University and is a fellow of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, and has an MA in economics from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India. He was on the management team of a startup, Peak Strategy and was on the advisory board member of another, mSpoke, Inc. For his contributions to teaching, he has been recognized with the Edward and Carole Kim Faculty Involvement Award in 2023 and received the Society of Columbia Graduates Great Teacher Award in 2025.

“Aside from his stellar teaching evaluations, I am especially impressed by Professor Johar’s teaching philosophy,” said Jay Sethuraman, professor and chair of the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. “He takes it as a given that his courses continually need changing to keep up with the tools and technology in the rapidly changing area of data analytics and leads by example.”

Lead Photo Credit: John Abbott/Columbia Engineering