Wednesday, April 4th, 2012

Professor Pam Lowry is the 2012 winner of Lawrence Tech’s Teaching and Learning Using Technology Award, and College Professor Jamie Hsu is the winner of the 2012 Henry B. and Barbara J. Horldt Excellence in Teaching Award.

Lawrence Tech alumnus Henry B. Horldt, BSIE’55, funds the annual Horldt award in honor of his father who was a professor of mechanical engineering at Ohio Northern University.

Hsu joined Lawrence Tech in 2004 as College Professor for the College of Management and the College of Engineering as well as serving as a consultant to the University. Today his primary teaching responsibilities are for the MBA program.

One of his practices is to ask all of his students to describe their backgrounds, experiences, and goals for pursuing an MBA. He uses this information to adjust the syllabus and assignments in order to increase his students’ desire to learn and to apply the learning.

Hsu asks his student teams to develop business concepts and plans  for “virtual companies” in a fun and creative environment. They refine the proposals during every class and at the end of the semester make presentations to sell the company to investors and consumers. Hsu encourages open dialogue and gives the students the ownership of learning.

The Teaching and Learning Using Technology Award was initiated in 2009 to honor a faculty member who has used technology in innovative and exemplary ways to improve his or her students’ learning.

Lowry has been in the Department  Math and Computer Science Department since 1985. She has taught undergraduate and graduate level courses. She has also participated in the Focus: HOPE Greenfield Blackboard Coalition that involved LTU and other local universities.

From 2001-2009 Lowry served as the director of the Veraldi Instructional Technology Resource Center. In 2001, she was named associate director of the Master of Educational Technology Program and currently serves as the co-director.

When developing her courses incorporating technology Lowry feels it is important to develop concepts and strategies pertaining to the instructional design of the course and to include activities to promote student engagement. She strives to be motivating and positive in corresponding with her students by using different strategies such as discussion boards, podcasts, Wimba lectures, inking, and group work.

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