BLOOMINGTON— Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington has selected Ryan Pennell, an adjunct faculty member in mathematics, to receive the 2024 Adjunct Faculty Award for Excellence in Instruction. He was named the winner among 11 adjunct faculty nominees on campus. Students submitted 46 nominations.
This is the second time Pennell has won the campus Adjunct Faculty Award for Excellence in Instruction, the first in 2019.
“Receiving the Ivy Tech Bloomington Adjunct Faculty Award for Excellence in Instruction reaffirms the effectiveness of my teaching methods,” Pennell said. “This recognition fuels my dedication to guiding students on their academic journeys.”
Pennell’s student nominations showed that he goes above and beyond expectations, is passionate about teaching and learning, and ensures his students grasp math concepts. In one nomination, a student wrote, “He was the only math teacher who has helped me understand math, especially in an online course.”
Another nomination said Pennell was good at adjusting his plan to meet student needs. “He was very good at giving us multiple ways to do a certain problem,” the student wrote. “I have always struggled with math, and this class made so much sense to me.”
“Witnessing students’ newfound appreciation for mathematics is incredibly gratifying,” Pennell said.
Pennell began teaching at Ivy Tech as a math tutor in 2013 and became an adjunct instructor in 2017. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s in mathematics.
The Adjunct Faculty Award for Excellence in Instruction is presented annually to one adjunct faculty member from each Ivy Tech campus statewide. As a recipient of this award, Pennell becomes the nominee for Ivy Tech’s statewide Gerald. I. Lamkin Award for Excellence in Instruction. The award is named after a former Ivy Tech president and recognizes an adjunct faculty member who exhibits excellence in instruction and represents the college’s mission.
Ivy Tech Bloomington offers more than 40 career and four-year transfer programs, with courses that start multiple times yearly for quick entry and graduation. To get started, apply for free online at ivytech.edu/bloomington, call 812-330-6013, or email askBloomington@ivytech.edu. For information on free, short-term training programs at Ivy Tech Bloomington, visit ivytech.edu/bloomington/NLJ.
