ISE instructor wins Outstanding Faculty Award

Dan O’Leary, an instructor for the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE), was recently recognized with the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s Outstanding Faculty Award.

Nominated by the student chapter of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), recent ISE graduate Matthew Harmon said O’Leary was repeatedly suggested as a nominee by IISE members. 

“He is always trying to improve himself as a professor and genuinely wants students to succeed,” Harmon said. 

From jokes to sports and old movies, O’Leary’s lectures keep class interesting and educational. 

“Dan does a phenomenal job of making his lectures very engaging, often by starting class with the latest news on generative AI while simultaneously discussing Auburn basketball,” Harmon said. 

Harmon also praised O’Leary’s dedication to students. 

“He keeps a promise of lifelong learning,” Harmon said. “He will continue to answer questions and help you even after you have passed his class.”

O’Leary takes student success to heart and says he does his best to honor it every day. 

“Being named Outstanding Faculty Member in a department full of talented instructors and students certainly helps validate those efforts,” he said. 

O’Leary has been an ISE instructor since 2020 and was previously a graduate research and teaching assistant in the department.  

“I am very proud to have been selected for this award, particularly since my nomination came from the IISE student chapter,” O’Leary said. “That endorsement was both very humbling and greatly appreciated.”