Robert Stevenson, professor of electrical engineering, associate chair, and director of undergraduate studies, is the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Teacher Award in the Notre Dame College of Engineering.
The award honors an engineering faculty member — selected each year by undergraduates in engineering — for excellence in teaching and overall positive influence on student formation.
Stevenson teaches digital design for smart interconnected systems, multimedia signals and systems, and embedded systems. His research focuses on statistical and multidimensional signal and image processing and computer vision.
His students noted the breadth of skills they acquired in his classes. “During interviews, I was able to talk about all the things I did in his class — conceptual information plus hands-on experience,” said one student. “That definitely helped me land an internship.”
Students consistently praised his passion for his subject, ability to clarify difficult topics, talent as a mentor (“best advisor I could ask for”) and dedication. “He made a special effort to have late office hours for us,” said one student. “Professor Stevenson and this class were a large part of the reason that I decided to become an electrical engineer,” said another.
Stevenson’s teaching philosophy focuses on sparking student curiosity and fostering growth. “I believe in tailoring my teaching methods to accommodate various learning styles to ensure that every student has the opportunity to fully engage with and deepen their understanding of the material,” said Stevenson. “I strive to create an environment in which all students feel empowered and are inspired to excel.”
Stevenson, who has served electrical engineering as director of undergraduate studies since 2013, has won several teaching awards, including: the Department of Electrical Engineering’s Outstanding Teacher Award (1993 and 2023) and the Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2023).
— Karla Cruise, Notre Dame Engineering