Webster, Yiacoumi Recognized as Top Teachers

Raymond Allen Jones Chair Glaucio Paulino
Yiacoumi

Frederick Law Olmstead Associate Professor Kari Watkins
Webster

Two professors from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering have been recognized by their students for being among the best teachers at Georgia Tech.

Environmental Engineering Professor Sotira Yiacoumi was selected for the Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: Class of 1934 Award, while Professor Donald Webster, the Karen and John Huff School Chair, was named to the Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: Class of 1934 CIOS Honor Roll.

The Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: Class of 1934 Award, previously known as the Class of 1940 Course Survey Teaching Effectiveness Award, was created to recognize excellence in teaching at Georgia Tech.

The criteria for selection for the award include a high student response rate on the Course-Instructor Opinion Survey (CIOS) and scores based on three items: instructor’s respect and concern for students, instructor’s level of enthusiasm about teaching the course, and instructor’s ability to stimulate interest in the subject matter.

Just 40 awards are given out each year across Georgia Tech to faculty members with exceptional response rates and survey scores.

Webster was named to the Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: Class of 1934 CIOS Honor Roll, a new recognition based on the same criteria used for the award. Instructors in the top 50 percent of the composite survey scores for each class size group are eligible for the Honor Roll each semester. 

Yiacoumi joined the faculty of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering after earning her Ph.D. from Syracuse University in 1992. Her research interests include colloidal and interfacial phenomena in environmental and energy systems.

Webster has been widely recognized for his use of the “flipped classroom.” In this teaching model, students watch a recorded lecture before class, and use classroom time for more engaging hands-on learning and interaction with their instructor.

Most recently, he was selected as the recipient of the 2020 Felton Jenkins, Jr. Hall of Fame Faculty Award for the University System of Georgia, a prestigious teaching award that recognizes faculty for their strong commitment to teaching and student success.

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