WWU's Jill Davishahl named the Outstanding Teacher in the Pacific Northwest by the ASEE

WWU Assistant Professor of Engineering Jill Davishahl has been awarded the American Society of Engineering Education’s Outstanding Teaching Award for the Pacific Northwest, which includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Western Canada.

The award is given to a teacher that possesses exemplary teaching and mentorship, works to improve teaching techniques and develop new curriculum, and is endorsed by their students through course evaluations and letters of recommendation.  

“I am extremely honored to receive this recognition from those who inspire me daily – fellow engineering educators, my WWU colleagues, and most importantly, my students,” said Davishahl, who also serves as the director of Pre-Engineering Program Development at Western. She said the award itself was not what meant a lot to her, but the endorsement of her current and former students that went with it.  

“[Davishahl] made it very clear she cared for her students and was genuinely interested in their success in and out of her classroom,” wrote former student Chloe Boland in a letter of support. “[Davishahl] tried to get to know each student as an individual and humanized an environment that can otherwise be more impersonal and uncomfortable, especially being one of the few females. This constantly inspired me in the classroom and left an eternal impression as I left academia and began my career in the Aerospace Industry.” 

ASEE is a nonprofit organization with over 12,000 members across North America. It was founded in 1893 with the mission of promoting excellence in instruction and research by developing policies, programs, and professional opportunities to promote student enrollment in engineering.