CSU System Board of Governors Recognizes Electrical Engineering Professor for Original Style of Teaching

Note to Reporters: A photo is available with the news release at http://www.news.colostate.edu/.

Branislav Notaros, associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Colorado State University, has been awarded the 2012 Board of Governors Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award for his innovative and unique approach to teaching.

Notaros was presented with the award Tuesday at Celebrate! Colorado State festivities.

After joining the university in 2006, Notaros quickly earned respect and praise among undergraduate and graduate students and staff members. Given the difficult nature of electromagnetics, his class subject matter, Notaros is highly revered by his students as an inspiring, superior teacher with an outstanding reputation.

For his inviting and exciting classes, Notaros received the ECE Excellence in Teaching Awards for the 2009, 2010, and 2011 school years as a result of nominations and votes from ECE students.

He also received the 2010 George T. Abell Outstanding Teaching and Service Faculty Award from the College of Engineering and is a past recipient of the IEEE Microwave Prize and IEE Marconi Premium, from the world’s two largest professional engineering associations.

“Dr. Notaros takes his job as professor of electromagnetics to a whole new level,” said Joe Zimlich, chair of the CSU System Board of Governors. “Every year, the board recognizes faculty members who make a difference with students, and Dr. Notaros is very deserving of this award.”

“Dr. Notaros is an outstanding educator who utilizes creative techniques and has developed pioneering assessment methodologies and tools to continuously enrich the learning environment for students,” said Tony Maciejewski, Electrical and Computer Engineering department head. “He infuses humor into his lectures and offers tangible examples that resonate with students and allow them to grasp challenging concepts.”

His teaching evaluations contain praise from students who appreciate his efforts and passion for electromagnetics. Some comments: “Not only does he engage students but he also keeps the class interested in learning more” and “I appreciate his learning-centered approach, it helped me relax and learn more effectively.”

Notaros received a doctoral degree from the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, where he served as assistant professor. He also worked at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth as assistant and associate professor before joining CSU. He is the author of Electromagnetics, published in 2010, which introduces many new teaching and learning approaches, techniques, and tools for undergraduate students and has gained a great deal of attention and appreciation by educators and scholars in the electromagnetics area.

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