Eyler named director of Center for Teaching Excellence

A dedicated educator and advocate for faculty development has been named director of Rice’s Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE).

Joshua Eyler

Joshua Eyler, who had been associate director of the Center for Teaching and Faculty Excellence at George Mason University from 2011 to 2013, succeeds Professor of Computational and Applied Mathematics Steven Cox as director of Rice’s CTE.

Established in 2012, the CTE fosters communication, collaboration and research on effective teaching methods by offering consultations, workshops and other opportunities for those who teach or wish to teach on campus. The center seeks to transform teaching through mentoring, innovative practices, collaboration, scholarship and advocacy.

Eyler received his Ph.D. in medieval studies from the University of Connecticut and served as a member of the faculty at Columbus State University’s English Department for several years, but he said it was his love of teaching and desire to work with instructors from different disciplines that led him to the field of faculty development.

“Rice’s CTE began as a faculty initiative, and it is very exciting for me to be a part of a center that is so deeply embedded in the work of faculty and students here at the university,” Eyler said. “I look forward to collaborating with as many individuals and organizations as possible to support Rice’s culture of teaching and learning.”

“The faculty and I were delighted that Josh agreed to bring to Rice his experience and knowledge about education, as well as his energy,” said Rice’s Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson. “His enthusiasm for teaching is contagious.”

CTE includes 16 faculty fellows from across the university and supports the entire Rice community, including faculty, undergraduates, graduate students, staff and administration.

For more information on the center, visit http://cte.rice.edu.