The UT System Board of Regents on Oct. 11 honored Etienne Vouga, UT associate professor in computer science, with the Outstanding Teacher Award. 

The board selected honorees based on “extraordinary classroom performance and innovative teaching,” according to a press release. Board Chairman Kevin P. Eltife said in the release the award honors educators’ achievements but also reinforces the UT System’s role in preparing students for success in and out of the classroom. The award comes with a medallion, certificate and $25,000, which Vouga said he will use to fund a conference for computer graphic design next year.

Vouga started teaching at UT in 2014. In addition to running a research lab, he teaches an undergraduate computer graphics class and a graduate physical simulation class. 

“There’s a tension oftentimes, as a research faculty, between the time I spend doing research and the time I spend teaching,” Vouga said. “I think that the time I invest in teaching is important. It’s validating to have the University tell me yes, this is something that we value, too.” 

Computer science professor Scott Aaronson was part of a group of faculty and students to write recommendation letters on Vouga’s behalf. Aaronson, who previously sat in on Vouga’s classes as part of a routine evaluation committee, said Vouga forms a tight connection between theory and practice.

“He was an unusually excellent teacher, and I said so in my report … what was really unusual is every concept was directly illustrated with these beautiful graphics,” Aaronson said. “He really involved the students in discussion. It made me feel like, ‘Man, if I had time, I would enjoy taking this class.’” 

UT alumnus Arnav Sastry also recommended Vouga for the award. Sastry said Vouga teaches with passion and enthusiasm. 

“You can tell he really cares about whatever he’s teaching,” Sastry said. “Even when he was teaching the most basic algorithms, he does it with this bouncy enthusiasm that is just so infectious.”