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“I care very much about whether you learn the material,” Mark French tells his students. “If you are willing to work hard to learn it, I’m willing to work hard to help you.”

French, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology, lets his student know they are able to learn the material and that it has practical applications that will make them better engineering technologists.

Recipient of the 2008 Dwyer Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching, he makes sure his lectures are broken up into segments and include interactive demonstrations or even YouTube videos when appropriate.

“This isn’t the Army,” he says. “It’s OK for the class to be at least a little bit fun.”

The fun he has in the classroom spills over into one of his current research areas: musical instrument design and manufacturing. His classes on guitar building fill quickly, and he has created summer camps for adults and high school students to help them understand how a guitar works and how it is made. Participants leave the program with their own handmade instruments.

Professor French’s workload includes teaching classes, conducting research and publishing results, and seeking funding for his projects and his department. At home, in addition to spending time with his family, he makes even more stringed instruments and sometimes dabbles in art.

“The instruments generally turn out pretty well. The paintings? Not so much,” he says.

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