Professor Joe Zachary Named Outstanding Teacher

August 25, 2015

The 2015 Outstanding Staff and Teaching Awards were announced Friday, Aug. 21, representing stellar work by individuals in the University of Utah’s College of Engineering.

Dean Richard Brown honored the recipients during his annual fall faculty and staff meeting held this year at the newly-refurbished Rio Tinto Kennecott Mechanical Engineering Building.

Outstanding Teacher — Joe Zachary, professor (lecturing), School of Computing

Teachers do more than just give lessons to students. They make a positive impact on people that will last their whole lives. Nothing could be more true of a professor’s legacy than School of Computing professor Joe Zachary. For more than 25 years, Joe has tackled and mastered complex topics in computer science and conveyed them in classrooms with passion, dedication and an innate ability to reach out to students in an effective way. Each year, he continues to get the highest scores from students and fellow faculty members. Whether it’s been one year or 10 years since graduating, former students of Joe’s always ask about him and gladly mention the impact he has had on their lives. And the students who have him today already are passing on similar accolades. As one student says: “I want to pursue a degree in computers science . . . and I owe it to Joe Zachary for fueling this desire.” Another added: “I can say definitively that he is the most talented and dedicated professor that I have ever had.” The College of Engineering is proud and fortunate to have someone as committed and gifted as Joe Zachary.

View the rest of the award recipients here.


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