Classroom Innovation Earns Nouhad Rizk 2022 Piper Professorship
Nouhad Rizk, instructional professor of computer science, has been named a 2022 Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation.
Rizk joins a select group of teachers throughout the state to receive this honor and is the 13th UH faculty member to be named a Piper Professor. She has the additional distinction of being the first UH woman instructional faculty member to be selected as a Piper Professor.
Each year, Piper Professors are chosen by the Foundation based on their superior teaching abilities and each receives an award of $5,000.
Rizk is not playing around when it comes to student success. She has learned the value of classroom creativity in enhancing students’ learning experiences. This includes “gamifying” her classes or incorporating fun and friendly competitions within the curriculum.
“I refuse to be a boring teacher,” said Rizk, who also serves as director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Computer Science. “I always try to find new methods of teaching to promote collaboration and make the learning experience of my students more enjoyable.”
Rizk also is a proponent of mentoring students at Houston-area middle and high schools. She launched the program “Women Coding for Success,” supporting STEM mentorship of middle and high school students. Through this project, she works with Microsoft Technology Education and Literacy in Schools in managing mentor training.
Additionally, Rizk is leading her students in an initiative to mentor and provide technological guidance to local entrepreneurs and non-profit leaders in underserved communities. This project is supported by a grant from the Cougar Initiative to Engage.