Teaching Excellence Award

Every year since 2000 the senior class in the aerospace engineering department recognizes an impactful professor or lecturer by voting and presenting an award through Sigma Gamma Tau. 

The award is called the Thomas U. McElmurry Teaching Excellence Award.  It recognizes a professor or lecturer who exemplifies dedication and commitment to developing students professionally and academically by displaying a desire for students to succeed, creatively presenting classroom material, and offering opportunities for mentorship and guidance outside of the classroom. The award is named for Thomas Uriel McElmurry, Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.), who taught in the department for 13 years after retiring from the U.S. Air Force, and NASA.

Award Winners:

1998 Leland J. Carlson

1999 Donald T. Ward

2000 Donald T. Ward

2001 John Valasek

2002 Leland J. Carlson

2003 Leland J. Carlson

2004 John Valasek

2005 Leland J. Carlson

2006 David C. Hyland

2007 Leland J. Carlson

2008 Leland J. Carlson

2009 John E. Hurtado

2011 Wayne Lutz

2012 Helen L. Reed

2013 John E. Hurtado

2014 John Valasek

2015 Wayne Lutz

2016 Diego Donzis

2017 Helen L. Reed

2018 Alexei Poludnenko

2019 Vikram K. Kinra

2021 Brad Worsham

2022 Brad Worsham & Darren Hartl

2023 Darren Hartl