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HOUGHTON MI -- Associate Professor William Sproule (civil and environmental
engineering) is this year's Distinguished Teaching Award winner in the
associate professor/professor category.
In addition, David Flaspohler, assistant professor in the School of
Forestry and Wood Products, will receive the 2002 award in the assistant
professor/lecturer category.
"Sproule is the best teacher on this campus and really knows how to
relate concepts to students!" said one of his students.
"He is extremely energetic and always willing to do whatever it takes
to make sure students understand the material and why it is important
in the real world," another student said.
"I attempt to teach in a practical manner," said Sproule, who earned
his BS in Civil Engineering from MTU in 1970 and, after receiving his
PhD from Michigan State University, came back to teach in 1996.
"I try to think like a student and explain to them how they are going
to use what they are learning when they get on the job. I also use fun
projects, experiments and tests. I will, for example, put names of fictitious
people in tests, so students will sometimes break into laughter during
a test."
Robert Baillod, chair of the civil and environmental engineering department,
is "surprised he hasn't won it before," when asked about Sproule's award.
"He is a true master teacher. Our department is extremely fortunate to
have someone of his caliber."
Another of Sproule's students wrote, "Professor Sproule represents what
Michigan Tech is all about; he is not only liked by the students, he is
more importantly, respected by all."
"I'm always touched when students use the word respect on evaluations,"
Sproule said. "I have a lot of respect for the students. We have an outstanding
group of students at Michigan Tech."
Sproule, who teaches a number of different classes including airport
traffic and design, transportation planning and traffic engineering, has
been influential in the lives of many of his students.
"Sproule's classes provide tons of first-hand experience and common senseā
learning. With Dr. Sproule's mentorship, I am ready for a career in traffic
engineering," wrote a student.
"I like to think that I make a difference," said Sproule. "When I looked
at my career, I thought that if I wanted to make a difference, I could
do it best in the classroom. I can make a much greater impact teaching
than I could in consulting or research. I think the students take away
some of that enthusiasm, which is always great."
When describing Flaspohler, one of his students wrote, "He makes time
for his students and genuinely wants them to learn the material so they
can apply it to their everyday lives."
"I'm fortunate to cover material that I believe in and that I'm excited
about," said Flaspohler, who currently teaches ornithology and conservation
biology. "I think they are subjects that relate fairly directly to people's
lives."
According to Glenn Mroz, dean of the School of Forestry and Wood Products,
Flaspohler has "done a great job ever since we interviewed him. You could
tell even then that he was really in love with teaching."
Students have also commented on how comfortable they feel in Flaspohler's
class. "He teaches in a way that makes students feel at home when in class
with him," said one.
"Flaspohler really cares if we learn the material and will do all kinds
of thing to make sure we will, even if it looks or sounds silly," said
another student.
"I like to have a casual and open atmosphere in the classroom," said
Flaspohler. "I try to accomplish this by using humor, by creating a lot
of interchange with the students and by drawing information out of them.
My preference is to share an experience with the students and have an
exchange of ideas rather than simply imparting my knowledge to them."
Flaspohler, who has been at MTU for 3 1/2 years, has been able to reach
students in a way that goes beyond the classroom
"I feel that he has made an impact on my life like no other teacher
or professor ever has; he is by far the most influential person in my
life to date," one student said.
Another student wrote, "I was so influenced by his teaching that I am
now working on my teaching certificate here at MTU."
"One of my favorite parts of teaching is forming relationships with
young people early in their careers when they are still sorting out what
they want to do," Flaspohler said. "It's really rewarding for me to share
the things that I believe in with people who are at a time in their life
that's often a bit turbulent but also very formative."
The Distinguished Teaching Awards, each of which includes a $2,500 cash
award, will be presented at President's Convocation on Sept. 18.
5/22/02
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