Natural Sciences Professor A.P.W. Bohm Receives Board of Governors Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award

Note to Reporters: A photo of Professor A.P.W. Bohm is available with the news release at http://www.news.colostate.edu/ or www.flickr.com/coloradostateuniversity.

A.P.W. Bohm, a longtime computer science professor known for his teaching enthusiasm, creativity, inspiration and patience, has been honored by the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System with the annual Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.

Bohm, who received the award at today’s Celebrate Colorado State event, has been an educational innovator for the department’s curriculum, as well as a leader and role model to his students.

“Every year, the board has the pleasure of recognizing a faculty member who has made a difference with students through teaching at an extraordinary level,” said Patrick McConathy, chair of the CSU System Board of Governors. “Dr. Bohm takes his teaching enthusiasm into high schools to expose students to college, which could inspire a student to get a degree.”

Bohm has been a constant innovator. In an effort to assist a blind student, Bohm was challenged with teaching data structures. While sighted students draw and use diagrams to learn how pointers function in the structures, Bohm used a magnetic toy kit to create a tangible version of the diagrams. The magnetic box helped the student to “visualize” the structures.

One student said, “Dr. Bohm is exuberant in his teaching and he loves the material. You simply can’t be bored.”

Bohm’s innovations have also led to the enhancement of the department’s curriculum, largely to help motivate students by integrating concepts and practices.

”I believe in combining theory and practice in teaching,” Bohm said. “Many students’ eyes glaze over when they are just taught the theory of some concept. But when they see the connection with the real world, they get excited and are prepared to learn.”

A colleague says of Bohm, “He is quick to identity the strongest students, but he displays equal attention to students with weaker backgrounds. He recognizes the potential in every student and takes every student seriously.”

As a three-year member of the Information Science and Technology Center’s Education Advisory Committee at Colorado State University, Bohm has helped to organize the first annual High School Days at CSU. The event provides students from across Colorado with a first-hand look at CSU information systems and technology departments and gives them the opportunity to interact one-on-one with representatives from Colorado’s leading high-tech corporations. He also organized the first High School Day competitions in web design, video production, traffic light control, GPS campus navigation, and robot programming.

At CSU, Bohm also has received The Institute for Learning and Teaching Fellowship, Willard O. Eddy Teaching Award and the College of Natural Science Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.

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