Daniel Escobar and Jeff Tithof Receive Nugent Family Faculty Teaching Award

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is proud to announce Teaching Assistant Professor Daniel Escobar and Benjamin Mayhugh Assistant Professor Jeff Tithof as recipients of the 2025 Nugent Family Faculty Teaching Award.

The Nugent Family Faculty Teaching Award, established in honor of Dale Nugent’s long-standing relationship with the University of Minnesota, supports outstanding Mechanical Engineering faculty who show exceptional dedication to undergraduate teaching. Recipients are selected based on student ratings, course feedback, and a personal statement highlighting their contributions to education.

Daniel Escobar is recognized for outstanding instruction across multiple large-enrollment core courses, including ME 2011 and ME 3221. Students praised not only the quality of his lectures but also his empathy and accessibility as an instructor. In addition to his teaching excellence, he developed new course materials for ME 5221, enhancing the curriculum and student learning experience.

Jeff Tithof is recognized for his leadership in developing new courses and instructional materials, including ME 5351 and the innovative Biosystems & Biodevices Laboratory course. His commitment to undergraduate education is reflected in consistently outstanding student evaluations and his dedication to advancing hands-on, experiential learning opportunities for students.