In May, the University of California, Riverside (UCR) recognized William Grover, assistant professor of bioengineering, and Emily Nudge, bioengineering academic advisor, at its annual Celebration of Teaching event for their contributions to enhancing the student experience. The event, now in its second year, highlights excellence in teaching and learning innovation among UCR faculty, graduate students, and advisors and is hosted collaboratively among the Academic Senate, Academy of Distinguished Teachers, Graduate Division, and Undergraduate Education.

Nudge has been with UCR for 12 years and has been a fearless advocate for students while continuing to challenge them to think outside-the-box. Her eagerness to improve the student experience at UCR made her a top candidate for the coveted Academic Advisor of the Year Award. With over 15 years of advising, she exhibits a plethora of skills within higher education and offers training and encouragement to students.

During the celebration, the Junior Excellence in Teaching (JET) Award was granted to Grover. He believes in the importance of innovative engineering in science education. In his lab, he works to develop educational tools that help students include engineering practices in their science classes. 

Since his time at UCR, Grover has won a number of grants, including his most recent from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. With the support of the grant, Grover’s lab is using microchips to embed patient data directly in biological samples, making it impossible to separate a sample from a patient’s medical record – thus, making some simple medical mistakes that have been costly or deadly consequences a thing of the past. Grover received his postdoctoral training in the Biological Engineering Division at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.