Patrick O’Neill wins Ivy Tech Bloomington President’s Award: The President’s Award for Excellence in Instruction is the most prestigious teaching award, presented annually to one faculty member from each campus

Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington named Patrick O’Neill, assistant professor of anatomy & physiology and life & physical sciences, the winner of Ivy Tech’s 2024 President’s Award for Excellence in Instruction. He was selected among 12 full-time faculty nominees on campus. Students submitted a total of 169 nominations.
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 “I care deeply about my students’ success, growth, and learning,” O’Neill said. “In my experience students can detect when their instructor is genuinely invested in their learning, and this is both reassuring and inspiring to them. I have found students at Ivy Tech to be resilient and gracious, and I feel privileged to be working with them.”

 O’Neill’s nominations prove that he has a passion for educating students and that he has positively impacted learning outcomes in the classroom.

In one nomination, a student said that O’Neill has by far been the most supportive instructor they have ever had. “Mr. O’Neill has a very difficult subject to teach and has a true passion for explaining it and getting students excited about it,” the student wrote. “I would have quit and given up on nursing if wasn’t for him. If anyone deserves instructor of the year, it is him!”

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Another student said that he was the most amazing teacher they’ve ever had and that he’s beyond helpful. “I am thankful I had this experience with him as my teacher,” the student wrote. “O’Neill has amazing teaching skills and is very creative in his techniques for helping us remember the intense amount of coursework, without making it overwhelming.”

O’Neill began teaching full-time at Ivy Tech Bloomington in 2023 after serving as adjunct faculty for two pervious terms.

He is a member of the statewide Physical Science Curriculum Committee and the Ivy Tech Bloomington Teaching and Learning Advisory Board. He is also director of Science Olympiad. O’Neill represents the state’s community college as a member of the Indiana University Political and Civic Engagement panel on the cost of higher education, where he will present on how to build a sense of community and encourage collaboration within a course.

O’Neill is pursuing his doctorate in educational leadership at Rockhurst University and holds a master’s degree in chemistry from Western Governors University. He also holds bachelor’s degrees in biology, chemistry, and sociology from Indiana University.

The President’s Award is presented annually to one full-time faculty member from each Ivy Tech campus statewide. As recipient of the award, O’Neill is a nominee for the statewide Ivy Tech Founder’s Award for Excellence in Instruction. The Founder’s Award is presented annually to one full-time faculty member statewide.

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.