Celebrating Excellence in Teaching: SCI’s Mary Hudachek-Buswell Receives Prestigious Faculty Award

School of Computing Instruction (SCI) Associate Chair and Senior Lecturer Mary Hudachek-Buswell has been awarded the prestigious Geoffrey G. Eichholz Faculty Teaching Award. 

This award from Georgia Tech’s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) recognizes senior faculty members who have made significant and long-term contributions to introductory undergraduate education, demonstrating outstanding teaching in freshman and sophomore core courses.

Hudachek-Buswell is the second College of Computing faculty member to receive the Geoffrey G. Eichholz Faculty Teaching Award in its 20-year history. The first recipient, Colin Potts, was honored in 2012.

She was honored with other faculty and staff during the honors luncheon on April 26. The event celebrated the exceptional contributions of faculty and staff members throughout Georgia Tech. 

Hudachek-Buswell was nominated by SCI Chair Olufisayo Omojokun, SCI Senior Lecturer Melinda McDaniel, former students, and her current head teaching assistant (TA).

“As Chair of SCI, I am fortunate to have a forward-thinking Associate Chair who puts student experience first and acts on her ideas no matter how large or difficult they are to realize,” Omojokun said.

“Her excellence in teaching is evident through her efforts in the classroom, her curricular innovations, her engagement of students in the classroom, and her direct impact on the students both in and out of the classroom. She is committed to teaching excellence and student success.”

Hudachek-Buswell joined Georgia Tech in 2014 and has since received numerous Institute and College awards for her work including Georgia Tech’s Innovation in Co-curricular Education, Undergraduate Educator and Education Partnership Awards, the College of Computing’s William D. “Bill” Leahy Jr. Outstanding Instructor Award, and the Monica Sweat Outstanding Lecturer in External Engagement Award.

She consistently employs innovative teaching strategies to support students. Omojokun notes that during the pandemic, her data structures and algorithms course flourished because of her online adaptation, which included 117 instructional videos.

Her development of the SCI TA training program and founding of a scholarship to honor SCI TAs has also left an incredible impact.

Image

[RELATED: Faculty Day in the Life: Mary Hudachek-Buswell]

Peers and colleagues joined in applauding her well-deserved recognition, acknowledging her profound mark on student success and academic excellence.

“Mary handles the substantial student load with remarkable patience and wisdom, ensuring that every student feels valued not only as a learner but also as an individual with distinct aspirations and dreams,” McDaniel said.

Image

The recognition of Hudachek-Buswell’s exemplary teaching abilities is also evident in nominations from her students. 

“Her office hours are well-known among students for her patient, personalized approach to addressing individual challenges. I’ve witnessed firsthand her extraordinary efforts to support students’ mental and emotional well-being,” said Anh Le, CS major and head TA.

“Beyond the classroom, she embodies the spirit of a true educator.”