A Colorado State University professor has been named the recipient of the 2015 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ 2015 Undergraduate Teaching Award “for contributions to undergraduate electromagnetics education through inspiring teaching and innovative course materials.”
Branislav Notaros, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, is the sole recipient of the 2015 honor from the international engineering society, the world’s largest professional association with a membership topping 429,000.
The award is one of the most prestigious recognitions available for electrical and computer engineering teaching worldwide. Previous recipients include the most prominent names in educational innovation and authors of classic textbooks.
“I am exceptionally proud of Branislav for being recognized by the IEEE as one of the world’s leading engineering educators,” said Tony Maciejewski, chair of CSU’s electrical and computer engineering department. “Here at CSU, we know that Branislav is a shining star, but it’s truly impressive to see him honored at an international level for excellence in teaching.”
In a letter to Notaros, IEEE President and CEO J. Roberto de Marca wrote, “For nearly a century, the IEEE Awards Program has paid tribute to technical professionals whose exceptional achievements and outstanding contributions have made a lasting impact on technology, society, and the engineering profession.”
He added, “Each year the IEEE Awards Board recommends a select group of recipients to receive IEEE’s most prestigious honors, so you can feel justifiably proud. Congratulations on your achievements, which honor both you and IEEE.”
Notaros will be presented with the award at an IEEE ceremony slated for July 22, 2015 in Vancouver, Canada.
Past teaching honors
During his tenure at CSU, Notaros has consistently been named “best teacher” in his department.
He is known for infusing humor into his lectures on electromagnetics and providing tangible examples that help students understand challenging concepts. Notaros received top ratings on student course evaluations for Electromagnetic Fields I and Antennas & Radiation – the last two undergraduate courses he taught.
In 2014, Notaros was honored with the CSU provost’s N. Preston Davis Award for Instructional Innovation. He also received the 2012 IEEE Region 5 Outstanding Engineering Educator Award—with citation “for outstanding contributions to engineering education” and the 2012 Colorado State University System Board of Governors Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.
In 2010, Notaros won the George T. Abell Outstanding Teaching and Service Faculty Award for the College of Engineering.
Recognition for research
In addition to his teaching and educational honors, Notaros has gained much recognition for his research, including the 2005 IEEE Microwave Prize, 1999 IEE Marconi Premium, and 2005 Scholar of the Year Award from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.
Prof. Notaros is the author of the 2010 comprehensive textbook Electromagnetics with Pearson Prentice Hall, which introduces many new teaching and learning approaches, techniques, and tools, and is used by many schools worldwide.
He also authored a breakthrough textbook, MATLAB®-Based Electromagnetics (published in 2013, Pearson Prentice Hall), and Conceptual Questions in Electromagnetics, an e-supplement (Pearson). In addition, his Electromagnetics Concept Inventory (EMCI) assessment tool is being used extensively around the world for classes and educational research projects.
