COD Physics Professor Named 'Most Influential Teacher' by U.S. Presidential Scholar
College of DuPage Physics Professor Dr. Jennifer Gimmell recently was named "Most Influential Teacher" by U.S. Presidential Scholar Joseph A. Popelka of Benet Academy in Lisle.
"I'm both excited and humbled to receive this recognition," Gimmell said. "Out of approximately 3,900 students invited, only 141 were awarded the Presidential Scholarship. It's quite an honor to be recognized by such a brilliant and accomplished student."
Gimmell said the secrets to her teaching success lie in her passion for the subject and through her encouragement of a proactive approach in the classroom.
"I don't like passive teaching and learning; it's a waste of my time and a waste of the students' time," she said. "I try to make each lesson a story. I want to bring each lesson to life and have my students associate emotions with the topics they're learning about."
Gimmell said that she aims to prepare her high school students for college, not just in terms of academics, but also in terms of responsibility.
"I put students in charge of their learning and encourage them to 'own' their education," she said. "I may lead the discussion but the goal is for the students and me to function together as a unit. If I can have them leave my class with just an inkling of personal responsibility and a sense of ownership over their education, then that is awesome."
Originally from Ohio, the Naperville resident said she came to physics through a lark. Initially pursuing a Math major with a minor in Spanish, Gimmell discovered an interest in physics after choosing a class to round out her schedule. While completing a class on electricity and magnetism, she was hooked.
"I was impressed with how challenging it was," she said.
Gimmell received a B.A. in Physics and Mathematics from Hiram College in Ohio and earned both her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Physics from the University of Rochester in New York. She has conducted research at the University of Chicago and Princeton and spent six years working in experimental high-energy particle physics at Fermilab. Gimmell has taught physics, computer science and a hybrid class combining physics and chemistry at Loyola Academy and currently carries a full load as an adjunct physics professor at COD and as an instructor of AP Physics, College Preparatory Physics and Honors Physics for Benet Academy.
Recently, she also received an Innovation Award from the College's IDEA Center for an innovative "flipped class" teaching method she employed in her introductory physics class. Using this approach, students view brief videotaped lectures before attending class and then spend the time in the classroom actively working on lesson assignments. It is referred to as a "flipped" classroom because students engage in the passive portion of learning by listening to lectures on their own and engage in the active portion of learning by working in the classroom with instructor support.
In addition to her work as a physics teacher, Gimmell is also a nationally recognized award-winning power weightlifter. Competing since 2007, she set 10 state records and four national records at the 2015 American Powerlifting Federation's Illinois meet and went on to compete nationally, setting three new world records and earning the title of best female lifter.
In terms of Gimmell's nominator, Popelka is one of nearly 7,000 U.S. Presidential Scholarship recipients since the program began in 1964. Popelka is an Illinois State Scholar, a National Merit Finalist, an Eagle Scout and a member of both the National Honor Society and the Classical and World Languages Honor Society. He is one of only six students nationwide in 2014 to earn perfect scores of 36 on the ACT and 2400 on the SAT.
Click here for more information about the Physics program at College of DuPage.