Professor Racelis Recognized for Excellence at First-Year Engineering Experience Conference

In a testament to his innovative teaching approach, Professor Juval Racelis of Wentworth Institute of Technology has been awarded the "2nd Best Paper Award" at the First-Year Engineering Experience Conference. 

The recognition highlights Racelis' impactful contributions to enhancing the educational journey of first-year engineering students. 

“I can think of no better award to win,” said School of Sciences and Humanities Dean Thaddeus Guldbrandsen. “Professor Racelis’ care for our students, and devotion to excellence in teaching and learning—and equity in learning—is extraordinary. We are lucky to have him on our faculty.” 

Professor Racelis’ paper was on the topic of “Examining first-year students' nascent disciplinary identities and epistemological orientations.” 

FYEE—presented by the American Society for Engineering Education—is an opportunity for academic and industry representatives to discuss and share relevant topics in the first-year engineering experience. Participants include college deans, department chairs, student service professionals, advisors, faculty in engineering and engineering technology, K-12 teachers, and industry leaders from throughout the country.  

Visit the FYEE Conference History page for more information about the FYEE Conference over the years. 

Racelis is an associate professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at Wentworth. He earned his PhD in Applied Linguistics with a concentration in Second Language Writing and TESOL from Arizona State University. He holds an MA in TESOL from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In his teaching, he focuses on the writing development needs of students from multilingual and diverse backgrounds. His research focuses on writing curriculum development, pedagogical innovations in composition courses, and multilingual research methods.