Faculty of the Year Award
Each year, Indiana Tech honors one full-time faculty member with its Faculty of the Year Award. The award is presented at the university’s annual Celebration of Service for faculty and staff members, which takes place the day before commencement. The honoree is also highlighted during Indiana Tech’s commencement ceremonies.
The Faculty of the Year Award recipient demonstrates excellence in teaching in the following ways:
- Knows the subject matter well and effectively teaches the material
- Has high expectations and helps the students to achieve them
- Is approachable and willing to help individual students
- Models the kind of behavior he or she desires in the students
- Provides opportunities for learning and growth to students
- Builds strong relationships with students and colleagues
2025 Faculty of the Year Winner Dr. Naga Musunuri
Dr. Naga Musunuri, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is Indiana Tech’s Faculty of the Year award winner for 2025.
Dr. Musunuri is very passionate about our students’ professional preparation. His commitment to ensuring student success is evident in every communication he has with students colleagues. His teaching evaluations are always impressively positive; students frequently comment how much they learned and how much guidance they received. His classes are challenging, but his classroom approach keeps the learning experience fun and engaging.
One student shared that Dr. Musunuri is a great mix of “funny and intellectual.”
Another student shared, “He understands the need for individuality with students. He continually shares all resources necessary for students to excel in life. He truly cares about each student inside and outside the classroom, constantly checking up on how we are as individuals and how our families are doing.”
Colleagues describe Dr. Musunuri as student-centric. He has a very deliberate approach improving student learning, for focusing on student engagement, for ensuring students graduate and methodically connecting students to their profession. Colleagues observe that he is a great team member, enthusiastically supporting university events such as Explore IT, Select IT and Become IT. He extremely passionate about each student’s own path to success.
Since joining Indiana Tech in 2018, Dr. Naga Musunuri has made countless contributions to the Talwar College of Engineering and Computer Sciences and to our students.
Previous Award Winners
- 2025: Naga Musunuri
- 2024: Sharon Drapala
- 2023: Zakariya Al Hamouz
- 2022: Staci Lugar-Brettin
- 2021: Carrie Rodesiler
- 2020: Jeff Walls
- 2019: Amy Shank
- 2018: Jerome Heaven
- 2017: Kim M. Spielman
- 2016: Sherrill Hamman
- 2015: Susan McGrade
- 2014: Justin Boyce
- 2013: Steve Dusseau
- 2012: Jack Phlipot
- 2011: Susan McGrade
- 2010: Jeff Walls
- 2009: Steve Malloris
- 2008: Jeff Walls
- 2007: Rose Arrant
- 2006: Kent Young
- 2005: Steve Malloris
- 2004: Jeff Walls