David Chopp Named Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence

May 28, 2008

David Chopp, associate professor of engineering sciences and applied mathematics at the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University, was one of three Northwestern faculty members recently named the 2008 Charles Deering McCormick Professors of Teaching Excellence.

The McCormick teaching awards recognize individual faculty members who consistently demonstrate outstanding performance in classroom teaching, or faculty who have developed significant innovations that positively influence their own teaching and the teaching effectiveness of others.

Chopp has successfully experimented with new teaching methods, including a Web-based tool identifying the best time -- from a student viewpoint -- for faculty office hours. The information provided by the Web tool affords Chopp significant out-of-classroom contact with all his students, including those in high enrollment classes.

Chopp also uses the Web to update and make available comprehensive lecture notes from his classes to his students and faculty colleagues. A specialist in scientific computing and applications, he is co-director of the Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics at the master’s degree level.

McCormick Professors are appointed to three-year terms. Faculty members are nominated for the teaching awards by the deans of their schools.

A committee chaired by the provost and comprised of senior faculty members, administrators, and a student representative reviews the nominations. The committee submits its recommendations to the University president, who makes the appointment.