Embodying The Mission: Teaching
Inspiring undergraduates through innovative teaching
By Carla Nelson
Erin Garcia, a lecturer in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE), was honored in November with the Alumni Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Award at Auburn University’s 17th annual Faculty Awards ceremony. The award recognizes the outstanding teaching of undergraduates. Each year, Auburn recognizes its faculty members’ achievements in teaching, research, creative scholarship and outreach with several honors.
Garcia has taught eight different undergraduate classes for the department and a new course this past spring. Industrial and systems engineering faculty members Yadrianna Acosta-Sojo and Greg Purdy also submitted letters of recommendation.
“She will make sure that she is available to answer the questions of the students who can’t quite get something right by hosting additional office hours,” Acosta-Sojo wrote. “She will also have multiple communication channels for the students to connect with her and answer questions. Dr. Garcia’s contributions go far beyond her instructional responsibilities.”
In his nomination letter, Purdy told the selection committee that Garcia is the epitome of what this award strives to recognize.
“She always provides the highest quality educational experience in the classroom and constantly evolves her pedagogy to provide new opportunities for students to connect with the material,” he wrote.
“Erin has a remarkable ability to foster a dynamic and inclusive learning environment, inspiring students to reach their full potential. Her dedication to teaching excellence has a profound and lasting impact — not only on the students she mentors — but also on our academic community as a whole. Erin’s impact extends far beyond the classroom and has left an indelible mark on our entire department.”
“While winning the award was an incredible honor that I am grateful for, it is the nomination from my students that means the most to me. I am grateful for their support and encouragement, and the nomination is the best compliment they could have given me about my teaching and the value that they also place on the relationships we have built while they complete their studies,” Garcia said.
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