CSE graduate student Vidal Borromeo recognized with CoE Towner Prize

CSE graduate student Vidal Borromeo has been selected to receive a 2016 Towner Prize for Outstanding Graduate Student Instructors by the College of Engineering.

Each year, the College awards the Towner Prize to just four top graduate student instructors (GSIs) from throughout the College of Engineering. Recipients are chosen based on their exceptional ability, creativity, or innovation as an instructor, their thorough understanding of the course content, and for their remarkable dedication to student success.

Vidal is currently the GSI for EECS 381: Object Oriented and Advanced Programming.

In the classroom, Vidal makes use of innovative learning techniques to raise the level of engagement and to help students to remember key concepts. This includes the use color-coding techniques to create better associations, and asking students to create and solve their own practice problems.

Vidal also makes it extremely easy for students to receive help with his class. Students can attend any of his fourteen posted office hours. If that’s not enough, they are free to attend any of his bi-semester 12-hour exam review sessions.

Vidal organizes skydiving and other team bonding trips for his students. Even after a course is over, he continues to mentor students, helping them find success in the classroom and confidence in themselves.

In 2013, Vidal was recognized by the EECS department for his outstanding work as an Instructional Aide in EECS 182 and EECS 282. In addition to his work at Michigan, Vidal currently holds a post as Project Manager at the Intergalactic Mobile Learning Center, a CSE-based startup that develops mobile apps for use in K-12 education.