Multi-disciplinary Professor of Aerospace Engineering

David C.

I am an assistant professor of aerospace engineering in Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. I graduated from my Ph.D. in Astrodynamics and Space Applications in the multi-body dynamics research group under the supervision of Dr. Kathleen C. Howell in Purdue University. I have always had a passion for teaching. During my undergraduate studies, I tutored high school and university students in various subjects and found it incredibly fulfilling to witness my students amass confidence as the semester progressed. My goal was not only to help students succeed in their classes, but also to equip them with the required skills to succeed in the future. Before coming to Purdue University, a colleague and I aimed to create a method through which middle school students could learn advanced topics of science and engineering.

My thirst for knowledge combined with previous teaching experiences have shaped my teaching philosophy. When a student attends class, reads a book, or watches a documentary, he generates and shapes an opinion on that specific topic. There is nothing more fulfilling than helping people build their own opinions with your previous experiences. A successful professor should be able to leave the classroom every day knowing they have instilled a sense of curiosity and thirst for knowledge in their students. Students should be challenged and encouraged to use critical thinking and reasoning, while also being empowered to reach beyond the limits they may have set for themselves. When it comes to preparing classes, I consider a large repertoire of perspectives considering the message I want to convey, timeline and rhythms of the semester, and state-of-the-art research in the topic I want to discuss. I like to alternate between theoretical knowledge and examples that reinforce the acquisition of those concepts.I want my students to feel well-equipped to apply the skills and concepts they learn in class to their professional lives.