Joel Tropp Receives Feynman Prize for Excellence in Teaching

Each year, a Caltech faculty member is selected to receive the Richard P. Feynman Prize for Excellence in Teaching for demonstrating "in the broadest sense, unusual talent, creativity and innovation in undergraduate or graduate classroom or laboratory teaching." Recipients, chosen by a committee appointed by the provost, are nominated by faculty, students, postdoctoral scholars, staff, and alumni.

This year's recipient of the Feynman Prize is Joel A. Tropp, Steele Family Professor of Applied and Computational Mathematics. The committee commended Tropp for "the inclusivity, innovation, intuition, and inspiration of his teaching, and for the sheer Herculean effort that students and colleagues testified that he puts into his classroom teaching."

Tropp has been teaching courses in computational mathematics, linear algebra and analysis, probability theory, and convex geometry at Caltech since 2007, and has already received two other teaching awards: the ASCIT Excellence in Teaching Award in 2008 and Professor of the Month in 2012, an award granted by the Academics and Research Committee.

Tropp is notable for successfully teaching classes with a diverse group of students, from second-year undergraduates to postdoctoral fellows. In nominating Tropp, one student described him as "a one-of-a-kind instructor, someone who is not only able to communicate his expertise on the subject … but someone who sincerely cares about the progression and understanding of each and every one of his students." Others noted "his intuitive way of unwrapping very abstract concepts" and "the clarity, organization, and logical flow" of his lectures. "What sets Professor Tropp apart," said a student nominator, "is his ability to make technical mathematics come alive. He interweaves rigorous proofs with lasting intuition, providing students with a framework to understand and apply probability theory far beyond the classroom. His teaching is both inspiring and transformative, equipping students with tools they carry throughout their academic and professional careers."

"When teaching, I try to convey the excitement and beauty inherent in computational mathematics," says Tropp. "I encourage students to link formal concepts with living applications in science and engineering, including their own research. Mathematics is not a spectator sport!"

Upon being awarded the Feynman Prize, Tropp commented, "I am grateful and deeply moved to learn that my work in the classroom has inspired students and colleagues on their own journeys as researchers and teachers."

The Feynman Prize is endowed by Ione and Robert E. Paradise and an anonymous local donor. Recent awardees include Rustem Ismagilov, the Ethel Wilson Bowles and Robert Bowles Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Lulu Qian, professor of bioengineering; Rob Phillips, the Fred and Nancy Morris Professor of Biophysics, Biology, and Physics; and Melany Hunt, the Dotty and Dick Hayman Professor of Mechanical Engineering.