Kevin Pitts selected for Nordsieck Award

College of Engineering Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Professor Kevin Pitts has been selected to receive the Arnold T. Nordsieck Physics Award for Teaching Excellence for the 2013–2014 academic year. The citation reads: “for his creation and inspirational teaching of innovative courses that introduce undergraduates to the philosophy, fidelity, and elegance of science.”

An inspiring teacher and mentor, Pitts regularly makes the List of Teachers Ranked Excellent by their Students and is a six-time recipient of the U. of I. Engineering Council’s Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Adviser. The passion and energy Pitts brings to his teaching is complemented by a commitment to best pedagogic methods. His teaching philosophy and style are shaped by the example of his own teachers and colleagues—and by his students.

“I am heavily influenced by students, because they provide great feedback,” shares Pitts. “Beyond that, their fresh perspectives and thirst for new understanding are invigorating. I thoroughly enjoy teaching and working with our extraordinary undergraduate students.”

Pitts has developed several undergraduate courses in physics that enhance the culture of scientific learning at Illinois. These include two courses that are designed to convey an appreciation for the benefits of scientific research and the importance of scientific thinking to nonscientists.

For the non-major, Physics 150: Physics of Societal Issues (developed in collaboration with Scott Willenbrock) and Physics 192: Science and Pseudoscience cover science, critical thinking, and scientific applications relevant to an informed electorate.  As community outreach, Pitts has also offered the Science and Pseudoscience course twice at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Pitts is equally committed to enriching the learning experience for physics majors. Along these lines, he developed Physics 199 RES: Undergraduate Research and Physics 199 EPP: Revolutions in Particle Physics, to introduce advanced students to the world of leading edge research. Pitts also offers independent study to undergraduate students who are doing research with him.

Pitts is a strong proponent of the department’s providing as many enriching research experiences to undergraduates as can be accommodated. He currently serves as the primary organizer of the department’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, funded by the National Science Foundation. Having run the program for the last three years, he has seen firsthand how students grow in technical skills and knowledge, as well as in passion for their field.

“Many of the REU students come from smaller schools that do not offer the research opportunities and facilities that we have here,” comments Pitts. “It’s really a marvelous program to be a part of. And of course, it improves the undergraduate experience at Illinois for our own students as well—many take part in programs offered at other leading institutions and broaden their appreciation and understanding of eventual career options.”

Pitts sets a high priority on helping undergraduate students to fathom the entire scope of careers open to physics-degree holders after graduation.

“It’s really incumbent on physics departments across the US to consider how to make the curriculum we offer more relevant to 21st century students,” comments Pitts. “It’s something our physics department has really worked diligently for more than a decade to achieve, and we need to continue to be responsive to the changing landscape.”

In all of his professional activities, Pitts has demonstrated a strong commitment to increasing the participation in physics of women and other traditionally underrepresented groups. In 2012, he worked with the campus chapter of the Society for Women in Physics and with special programs coordinator Toni Pitts to host the largest-to-date Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics.  Since then, he has served on the national organizing committee for the conference, which he currently chairs.

Department Head and Professor Dale Van Harlingen shares, “Both in and out of the classroom, Kevin demonstrates his absolute commitment to ensuring the best possible undergraduate experience for our students. He is a gifted teacher and a broad-sighted mentor and administrator whose truly noteworthy contributions to this department are too many to name.”

The Nordsieck Award is made possible by a memorial endowment from the family of distinguished Professor Arnold T. Nordsieck (1911-1971), a theorist in the mathematics of computation at Illinois from 1947 to 1961.

Among his many contributions, Nordsieck built the first computer to be used at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the differential analyzer. This innovative analog computer was assembled in Urbana in 1950 from $700 worth of surplus World War II supplies and is today on display at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.

Pitts was recognized for his teaching at a special Physics colloquium on May 7, 2014. He also received a plaque to display in recognition of this award.