Susan Gentry Receives Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award
The University of California, Davis, Academic Senate has presented Susan Gentry, an associate professor of teaching in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, with a 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award for Undergraduate Teaching.
The award celebrates outstanding instructors who have greatly impacted their undergraduate students and who have taught at UC Davis for at least four years.
Gentry is recognized for her unparalleled dedication to fostering student success and innovation in education. She skillfully integrates innovative pedagogy, such as programming modules and interactive simulations, into her courses.
In her upper-division course “Materials in Engineering Design,” Gentry pioneered the use of Learning Assistants, where trained undergraduate students work as part of the teaching team and earn course credit for providing feedback to other students.
She also worked tirelessly during the pandemic to ensure continuity with the curriculum, and her mentorship has inspired students to achieve excellence in academics and research.
“I am proud to receive this university-wide award, as I know many great colleagues at UC Davis who are devoted to their teaching,” Gentry said. “I am thankful for my students, as I believe that learning is a partnership between an instructor and their students. They work hard to master course content, while I strive to create a supportive learning environment. Our interactions through class and office hours make my job very rewarding.”
Gentry has been honored for her teaching with multiple accolades, including the Best Teaching Award from the UC Davis Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 2021 and 2024, the Bradley Stoughton Award for Young Teachers from ASM International in 2019 and the New Educator Award, Materials Division from the American Society for Engineering Education in 2018.