Tingwen “Tim” Wu, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is the winner of the 2019 Henry Mason Lutes Award for Excellence in Engineering Education. The announcement came during the College of Engineering Awards Banquet presented by Tau Beta Pi.
Wu is completing his 30th year on the faculty of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, where he regularly teaches a sophomore-level course in Dynamics (EM 313) and graduate level courses in Acoustics (ME 610) and Boundary Element Methods (ME 611). In his undergraduate dynamics course alone, Wu has instructed over 500 students in the last four years. His graduate courses are also well populated and highly regarded among the graduate students.
Comments from students in Wu’s classes consistently point to his clarity as an instructor, his ability to keep students engaged through the use of humor and analogies, his organization and his availability to help students at any time outside of class.
In addition to his individual accomplishments as a teacher, Wu has been a significant contributor to the department’s efforts to grow distance education offerings. He has adapted his own EM 313 Dynamics course to an online mode and has delivered that course during the past three summers with excellent feedback from students on its effectiveness. Under his leadership as DUS—a role he has held since 2008—the department currently offers eight online summer courses that enable students to stay on track while working in co-op or internship positions.