UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Richard Mistrick, associate professor of architectural engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, has received the 2023 Graduate Faculty Teaching Award.
The award, established in 1992 by the Graduate School at Penn State, is presented to faculty members in recognition of outstanding teaching performance and advising of graduate students.
Nominators said Mistrick, a specialist in illumination engineering, has been continuously improving Penn State’s graduate program for more than 35 years. Along the way, he’s taught numerous graduate-level courses while expanding the program all the way to the doctorate level.
Mistrick helped initiate, develop and administer two graduate programs. Nominators said he was instrumental in creating the doctoral program in 1990 and the Integrated Master of Architectural Engineering program in 1994.
His students also have a track record of going on to do great things.
He co-advised the department’s first doctoral student, Clarence Waters, who became inaugural department head of the architectural engineering program at the University of Nebraska. Others have gone on to become deans, faculty members and postdoctoral researchers at elite institutions.
“Mistrick has a continuous history of excellence in his service to our graduate student body, through the dogged and high-quality teaching of his graduate courses and the ongoing refinement and advancement of our graduate programs through his past role as graduate coordinator and the direct supervision of his doctoral students,” a nominator said. “His Ph.D. students have earned particular distinctions in the academic community and are perpetuating his commitment to graduate education.”
Former students praised Mistrick’s excellent teaching, mentoring, and ability to help them, too, become great teachers. They said it’s a sign that his craft continues to pass down through the generations.
“I credit Mistrick with giving me an extremely strong and fundamental education which propelled me through my long and sustained academic career,” a nominator said. “Mistrick’s impact on his students is multiplied by the impact they have in industry and academia. And these lessons continue to be passed down. Mistrick’s great legacy continues to make a very significant impact on the world we serve.”
Mistrick said his graduate courses are often challenging, but they encourage his students to be critical thinkers and problem-solvers. They’re primed for success in industry, academia and beyond.
“My courses are designed to expand their problem-solving potential across multiple areas while providing them with in-depth knowledge of the course topics,” Mistrick said. “I’m always excited to learn of a graduate who is applying technology to advance their field or to solve a complex problem. I am similarly elated when I see that a former student’s strong command and understanding of the technical aspects of this field — some of which they acquired in my courses — has led them to a highly successful career.”