Professor Andrew Horner
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Course Taught: COMP 1943 Creative Sound and Video Design

Through an immersive, experiential approach to creative media production, Professor Andrew Horner delights in unleashing students’ creativity by immersion in the realm of music videos and trailers. In COMP 1943, students remix, recut, and leverage effects, serving as sound designers, editors, and directors and productively incorporating GenAI to maximize the “wow factor” in a spell-binding and transformative learning adventure.

Andrew’s innovative class takes in explorers from all majors, regardless of prior music experience. Far from being daunted, he uses the class diversity to widen student insights and maximize peer learning. Following hands-on open-ended assignments, he showcases in class the resulting videos and commentaries on how the creations were made. This brings home the different and surprising ways in which the same theme can be interpreted, encourages appreciation of others’ “cool” takes, and catalyzes an active educational spiral as students look forward to trying new techniques in future tasks. Through such self-learning and reflection, students also effectively develop their creative problem-solving and video documentation skills, discovering how to push beyond boundaries, and gaining invaluable out-of-the-box capabilities for the workplace and life.

Reflecting his commitment to developing cross-disciplinary teaching strategies integrating technology and the arts, Andrew adeptly uses GenAI to empower and increase inclusivity, ensuring all students thrive, regardless of musical background, and enabling their diverse perspectives to enrich everyone’s learning. He further generates motivation for high goal-setting by sharing and analysis of leading creative samples, detailed after-class online tutorials, and timely and supportive guidance.

Student feedback underlines the inspiring nature of COMP 1943, their increased confidence, and embrace of creativity. As one student notes: “Instead of following rigid project instructions, we are encouraged to create pieces that genuinely reflect our own artistic interpretations.” Another states: “The course has empowered me to take on projects I had long wanted to pursue.”

Through these imaginative and impactful practices, Andrew sets a strong standard for excellence in Common Core teaching. The Selection Committee therefore has great pleasure in recommending Andrew for the 2025 Common Core Teaching Excellence Award.

Professor Hnin Yin Yin Nyein
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Course Taught: CENG 1500 A First Course on Materials Science and Applications

In her inspiring course CENG 1500, Professor Hnin Nyein admirably addresses the challenge of making materials science engaging and accessible. She captivates learners through her dynamic teaching philosophy, which seeks to relate theory to lived experience, enabling each student to recognize material principles not by memorization but connections with everyday technology and their own fields of future work.

Even with lectures of up to 145 students from across the University, Hnin is committed to active in-person learning and a course rigorously calibrated to be both challenging and broadly accessible. She vitalizes interactivity through demonstrations and peer discussion exercises that clearly show how materials science is driving innovation from biomedicine to sustainability. Drawing on her research expertise, she challenges students to consider how to optimize performance for cutting-edge applications and spurring them to adopt the mindset of a materials scientist. In addition, Hnin has inventively aligned some assessment with catalytic learning by using structured in-class pop-up group quizzes and collaborative problem solving that build understanding rather than just measuring it.

Dedicated to creating a comfortable learning environment for varied student needs, she keeps highly attuned to class understanding of content, employing multiple modes of delivery while always ready to adjust the pace and provide support based on real-time responses.

Student feedback amply endorses this, noting in particular Hnin’s passion for teaching and her commitment to supporting every learner. One student recalls her “infectious enthusiasm, thoughtful course enhancements, and talent for making materials science both accessible and compelling”, creating “a standout” class. Another highlights Hnin’s “hard-to-miss joy” in her field and “unwavering support when approached with doubts”, being willing to meet on multiple occasions, frequently outside office hours, to resolve such concerns.

Thus, with her invigorating zest, inclusivity, and dedication to continuous improvement, all integrated into thought-provoking and perspective-changing student learning, Hnin models excellence in Common Core teaching and merits an Honorary Mention.