At the annual Tau Beta Pi Awards Banquet held April 19, Civil engineering associate professor Tim Taylor was named the 2016 winner of the Henry Mason Lutes for Excellence in Engineering Education Award. Taylor is program manager for the Construction Engineering and Project Management program here at the University of Kentucky. A challenging, yet inspiring educator, Taylor has established a reputation for practical, effective teaching methods that stimulate further interest in the subject he is teaching.
Taylor is regularly praised by his students for helping them think and reason their way toward solving complicated problems and for providing a comfortable atmosphere for class participation. His use of tabletop simulations that mimic situations that arise in practice contributes to students’ understanding of the construction industry and creates a reference point for future lectures and class discussions.
Taylor welcomes visits to his office and graciously sets aside his work to meet with students. A former student remarked, “I often found myself visiting his office to ask a simple question that may demand a two minute response. Then after a lengthy discussion about my future filled with thoughtful advice, I found that the conversation stretched out to 45 minutes. These conversations are invaluable to his students with the advice that is given and the strengthening of the relationship.”
Taylor was recognized by the students with a University of Kentucky Alumni Association Great Teacher Award in 2015.