Mechanical Engineering Student Receives Graduate Teaching Award

Mechanical Engineering Graduate student Todd Letcher was recently awarded the Graduate Associate Teaching Award (GATA). Letcher, a Doctoral student with Professor Herman Shen in Mechanical Engineering, is a Graduate Teaching Associate (GTA) in Aerospace Engineering. Letcher is one of 10 GATA winners at the University this year and the first mechanical engineering student to win in 10 years.

Letcher was a GTA for two years in mechanical engineering in ME 420 (Introduction to Strength of Materials), ME 481 (System Dynamics and Electromechanics), and ME 503 (Fluid Dynamics) before becoming a GTA in Aerospace Engineering where he has been a teaching associate for AE 510 (Aerospace Laboratory) and AE 580 (Analytical Methods in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering).

"I quickly discovered there was more to being a good teacher than coming prepared to class, knowing the material extremely well, and diffusing problems as they occasionally occur," Letcher said. "Those are the easy things I expect all teachers to be responsible for, however, that does not make a great teacher.  A great teacher must find a way to gain the students' interest in the course in order to engage the students' brains so they are ready to accept all of the information the instructor is providing."

Letcher often went above and beyond what was required of him and that has really made him stand out among other GTA's. "Todd was the best TA I have had throughout all 3 years I have been at Ohio State. He went above and beyond all expectations; he held extra office hours, was available all weekend, and cared and encouraged all students to do the best they could" one student said. "He made his own problems for recitation and went to lectures with the class to help us understand what the professor was explaining."

"My favorite part of my TA duties was holding office hours," Letcher said. "Office hours are a chance for me to get to know the students, and they get to know me.  It really helps in the classroom because they felt like they could ask anything and not be embarrassed about asking a "dumb" question." 

Letcher added, "I was extremely surprised to get the award.  It's nice to know that the students have appreciated the effort I put in to teaching them."

The Graduate Associate Teaching Award is awarded to GTA's who display exceptional teaching abilities at Ohio State. The University employs approximately 3,000 GTA's each year and roughly 120 are nominated annually for the award. Graduate Teaching Associate Award winners are awarded $1500 along with a plaque and a letter of recognition from the Dean of the Graduate School.