M. Ellen Mitchell receives the 2018 Lewis College Excellence Teaching Award

Interim Provost Russell Betts recently announced that M. Ellen Mitchell, professor of psychology, was selected to receive the Lewis College of Human Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award for the 2017-18 academic year. Mitchell was honored at the Faculty Recognition and Awards Reception on April 18.

Joining the Illinois Tech faculty in 1987, Mitchell has regularly received excellent teaching evaluations from both undergraduate and graduate students during her 30-year tenure at the university. An advocate for improving the quality of the Illinois Tech student experience, she led a substantial revision of the undergraduate psychology curriculum to incorporate more opportunities for students’ professional and career development, as well as significant research opportunities through senior capstone projects. She also led the implementation of a peer observation and mentoring program in the psychology department to improve the teaching performance for junior faculty.

In addition to her work with the psychology department, Mitchell  played a central role in the development of General Learning Strategies, a program for academically at-risk students to help them get back on track and help improve student retention.

Her nominator said, “Dr. Mitchell has enhanced the quality of education in the psychology department in so many ways. [Her] work at IIT represents the highest standards of teaching excellence, and her broad contributions to teaching are deserving of recognition by the university.”

Congratulations, Ellen!