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.
Isabel Soto, instructor, and her Spanish students have created an ofrenda (decorated altar) honoring Ana Boman, who taught Spanish in Trine University’s Department of Humanities and Communication for 16 years before she passed away last year.
Trine University has launched Dual Advantage, a new program that gives undergraduate students multiple pathways to earn both a bachelor’s degree and an advanced degree in less time than completing both degrees separately.
Trine University student organizations and the McKetta Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering recently offered activities for girls interested in science and engineering at the 2026 STEM Expo hosted by the Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana (GSNI-M).