(Self) Determined to Inspire Students
As an undergraduate and graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, Kara Bocan got her first taste of teaching when she tutored and worked as a teaching assistant.
In 2018, as a postdoc at Pitt, she taught her first class and remembers thinking, “Yeah, I definitely like this.”
Her love of inspiring students to take ownership of their education has only grown since then. Now an assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at her alma mater, Bocan has been recognized as the Institute of Electrical and Electric Engineers (IEEE) Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) 2025 C. Holmes MacDonald Outstanding Teacher.
“I can’t put into words what this award means to me,” Bocan said. “Knowing that students have got something out of my courses or that I’ve helped them in some way is what I love about teaching. It’s so rewarding."
Each year, IEEE – HKN student chapters can nominate one professor, and Bocan was an easy selection. As Abby Magistro, a former student and teacher’s assistant, said, “Dr. Bocan is a favorite professor of many students in our department. She provides many resources like lecture videos and other materials for curious students to investigate.”
Added John Klamut, a Pitt graduate student, “Dr. Bocan always ensures that students have access to whatever support they need, whether in the form of office hours or supplemental materials.
“She structures her courses so as to create a strong conceptual foundation while encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving."
Bocan teaches courses in C++ programming as well as in software architecture and software simulation. Drawing on research in self-determination theory, she builds lessons that motivate students “to do something hard, to learn difficult things.”
“I’m interested in how students learn, especially in the age of ChatGPT,” Bocan said. “How do you structure a course and develop activities that will encourage students to intrinsically realize the value in what they’re learning?”
Questions like this one guide Bocan’s work to develop adaptive classes that uplift students who are struggling while challenging those who have excelled. She creates and provides materials and adjusts projects to reach students across levels and interests.
She also encourages collaboration, building a vital skill students will need when they enter the workforce. She teaches an upper-level course where students will code in teams, practicing on Github, a coding platform, and collaborating on the repository.
“Working in teams can be difficult,” said Bocan. “I’m careful to structure the team interaction to ensure students get the most out of working together and stay motivated.”
Bocan researched wireless electronic medical devices as a PhD student and simulation and modeling as a postdoc. Today, she researches engineering education and values the opportunity to learn from and work with her colleagues through her involvement with the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET and through the Engineering Education Research Center (EERC).
“Kara has been a tremendous addition to Electrical and Computer Engineering and to the Swanson School and larger Pitt community,” said Alan George, Department Chair, R&H Mickle Endowed Chair, NSF SHREC Space Center Director, and professor of electrical and computer engineering. “Her commitment to innovative learning and to fostering in her students an intrinsic interest in the material ripples far beyond her classrooms. Kara embodies the spirit of this prestigious award.”
IEEE – HKN launched the award in 1972 in honor of its namesake, C. Holmes MacDonald, a Bell Telephone engineer who would go on to teach at Drexel University. Given to one professor from around the world each year, the award highlights “the central and crucial role of college professors in training and motivating future… engineers.”
IEEE – HKN will recognize Bocan at the 2025 IEEE EAB Award Presentation Ceremony on Friday, November 21, in New York City.