Ryan Eastwood, a Robotics Engineering student, is the Peer Learning Assistant (PLA) of the Year 2020. Dr. Carlo Pinciroli wrote a terrific letter on Ryan’s behalf, highlighting the support Ryan gave the RBE teams to complete their projects, often spending much of his own, personal time to help them succeed.
Dr. Pinciroli noted, “The students praised Ryan’s knowledge, his ability to explain complex concepts in an accessible manner, and the exceptional dedication that he displayed in helping the students. I can confidently say that I am indebted to Ryan for the great success of this year’s edition of RBE 3002 Robot Navigation, and I consider myself lucky for having had such an outstanding student in my team.”
Ryan expressed his thoughts about winning the award, “I greatly enjoyed working alongside this year’s robotics students. I was not only able to help students learn, but also learn from the unique approaches the students took to solve their problems. Seeing the passion others have for robotics, the least I could do was spend extra time to make sure everyone was able to achieve the results they deserved. I feel lucky to have been given the opportunity to work as a SA, and I’m honored to receive this award.”
This award has been presented by the Morgan Teaching and Learning Center annually since 2013, in recognition of the key role of peer assistants in supporting distinctive undergraduate education at WPI.