Sanders honored for imaginative experiential education

On April 29, 2026, Grainger Dean Devesh Ranjan hosted a celebration at which he recognized engineering faculty and staff for outstanding daily work that shapes the heart of our college.

Scott Sanders, a professor of mechanical engineering, received the Harvey Spangler Award for Innovative Teaching and Learning Practices.

Engineering Measurements and Instrumentation is critical in cultivating students’ judgment and practical engineering skills. Importantly, it provides students hands-on experience with sensors, data acquisition and computer-aided analysis.

With remarkable creativity and vision, Sanders has reimagined the course through innovations that not only enable the department to expand its enrollment and enhance TA effectiveness, but also strengthen students’ experiential learning and elevate their technological literacy. He created a “lab in a kit” for each student that has increased both their independence and understanding of real instrumentation. Thanks to Sanders’ simple cardboard divider solution, up to 340 students take hands-on quizzes in the same space with fewer distractions. And he redesigned the lab space itself, doubling the number of lab benches and including 13 custom experiential packages on each so that all students can engage with real engineering systems. Recently, their comments about the courses have included statements like, “weekly quizzes made me care about figuring out the problem—not the grade,” “the knowledge actually sticks with you,” and “the hands-on setup is the best way to learn.”