Saxon Ryan, assistant teaching professor in agricultural and biosystems engineering, is the recipient of the term faculty 2024 Early Achievement in Teaching Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. Ryan began his faculty career in January 2019 and immediately took a leadership role in the manufacturing curriculum by teaching two core courses: advanced automated manufacturing process and fluid power systems technology. These are critical, hands-on, laboratory-based classes with multiple sections taught in both fall and spring semesters.
In both courses, Ryan has updated the technology and revised the content. He has brought in industry support with grants or in-kind donations to support and enhance the student learning environment in the labs. Since 2019, he has also secured $71,000 in grants from the Gene Haas Foundation to help students purchase textbooks and tools that they use in his courses and other manufacturing courses in the curriculum. He has developed and implemented instant feedback tools for the laboratory sessions to allow students to promptly assess the accuracy of their work. This immediate feedback facilitates the instant correction of any misunderstanding or errors, ensuring that learning is more efficient and effective. He also works extensively with industry to identify the needs of future manufacturing professions and then develops experiences in the lab to prepare students for career success after graduation.
In the spring of 2020, when Iowa State went to 100% remote learning, Ryan was required to rapidly adapt his laboratory experiences to an online environment. Using a mobile camera, he captured videos of all lab exercises from the student perspective, posted the videos for the class and provided all of the data collected from the process so the students could complete the lab assignments. His approach not only earned him an Iowa State University Teaching Innovation Award, but his ability to make the best out of a bad situation also resulted him being profiled in the CALS alumni magazine.
Part of Ryan’s teaching philosophy revolves around the diverse array of students in his classroom; each bring their unique backgrounds, beliefs and problem-solving approaches. He believes that this diversity of perspectives strengthens and enriches the learning experience, and his students understand this. “Dr. Ryan’s passion for teaching extends beyond simply making learning more fun; it encompasses making learning more engaging,” states a former student. “He pushes students to think critically… and is talented in his ability to explain a topic in ways that make sense to each individual student.”