Yacob Astatke Makes History as National Outstanding Engineering Educator

Morgan State Professor Yacob Astatke recently received the American Society for Engineering Education’s ‘National Outstanding Teaching Award.’ Dr. Astatke, who teaches electrical engineering in the Clarence M. Mitchell School of Engineering, was selected from a national pool of faculty and instructors teaching parallel engineering or engineering technology courses at two-year or four-year colleges.

“This is really a great recognition for me, but especially as an alumnus,” said Astatke. “I’m happy that I won this award as a faculty member, but as a graduate, this is coming full circle. When I graduated in 1991, I promised myself that I would come back to give to the school which gave me so much.”

Dr. Astatke is the first African-American and first faculty member from a historically black college to win the award.

According to ASEE, the award was established in 2003 and designed to provide national recognition to an engineering or engineering technology educator for excellence in outstanding classroom performance, contributions to the scholarship of teaching, and participation in ASEE section meetings and local activities.

For Astatke, who also has served as a guest lecturer and professor of engineering in Ethiopia for the past 10 years at Hawassa University, and Addis Ababa University (AAU), the recognition gives added credibility to Morgan’s standing as an international powerhouse in engineering education.

“They know that at Morgan, we have great teachers who are doing things that are on the cutting edge of education.”