Ivy Tech math instructor, Ryan Pennell, wins adjunct teaching award: Ivy Tech’s Adjunct Faculty Award for Excellence in Instruction is presented annually to one part-time faculty member from each campus

Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington has selected Ryan Pennell, adjunct faculty in mathematics, as the recipient of the 2024 Adjunct Faculty Award for Excellence in Instruction. He was named the winner among 11 adjunct faculty nominees on campus. Students submitted a total of 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 and displays a passion for teaching and learning, while ensuring his students grasp math concepts. In one nomination a student wrote that “he was the only math teacher who has helped me understand math, especially in an online course.”

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Another nomination said that 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 degree 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 for a former Ivy Tech president and recognizes an adjunct faculty member who exhibits excellence in instruction and represents the mission of the college.

Ivy Tech Bloomington offers more than 40 career and four-year transfer programs, with courses that start multiple times per year for quick entry and graduation. To get started, apply for free online at ivytech.edu/bloomington, call 812-330-6013, or email [email protected]. For information on free, short-term training programs at Ivy Tech Bloomington, visit ivytech.edu/bloomington/NLJ.