September 11, 2024
A Trine University faculty member has been selected to serve on the Advisory Board
for The Teaching Professor Conference, a prestigious role that involves shaping the
direction of future conferences for higher education faculty.
Jeremy Rentz, Ph.D., Schantz Distinguished Professor in the Reiners Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has attended The Teaching Professor Conference for the past decade. Over the last five years, he has led five sessions centered on active learning and teacher slide deck design. During the last two years, he has also facilitated two preconference workshops titled "Talk Less, Teach More," with Michelle Blank Rentz of Goshen College.
The Teaching Professor Conference, which last year attracted more than 800 attendees to New Orleans, gathers educators from across disciplines to discuss innovative teaching strategies and foster professional growth. The next conference will take place June 6-8, 2025, in Washington, D.C., where Prof. Rentz will review proposals and present once again.
"I am honored to join the Advisory Board and to continue contributing to a conference that has played such a pivotal role in my professional development," Rentz said.
At Trine, Rentz serves on the University's Center for Teaching Excellence committee, which supports faculty development across campus through workshops, seminars, and book clubs. Trine places a strong emphasis on teaching excellence, encouraging faculty to engage students in meaningful, active learning experiences that go beyond the traditional classroom. Rentz embodies this commitment by encouraging educators to design classrooms where students do the work, knowing that those who do the work are the ones who do the learning.
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Trine University’s Thunder Therapy Clinic, which provides pro-bono rehabilitation services to those in the Fort Wayne area with limited means, will offer occupational therapy beginning in January.
Six Trine University civil engineering seniors and two faculty members toured a cement plant and the Newburgh Lock and Dam, learned about the Ohio River Crossing project and traveled to bridge construction sites during a senior trip in November.