From student to faculty: Daniel Torres is giving back through teaching
1
As a proud UIC graduate and a Chicagoan, Clinical Assistant Professor Daniel Torres is excited to contribute to UIC and the city where he was born and raised.
“I want students to know that I was once in their shoes, and I want to help them succeed. I only ask that they work hard because, as Maryam Mirzakhani stated, ‘The beauty of mathematics only shows itself to more patient followers.’ I believe the same is true of engineering or any complex field of study. I hope that, with our combined efforts, I can assist all students in reaching their maximum potential here at UIC.”
Torres, who earned his bachelor’s degree and PhD at UIC, will be focused on teaching design courses, such as Intro to Engineering Design and Senior Design. As a professor, he aims to adhere to UIC’s stated mission of providing access to excellence for all.
“Every UIC student deserves a quality education that helps direct them toward their goals, whether that means pursuing a career in industry or continuing to graduate studies,” he said.
While his primary focus will be teaching, he wants to contribute to the field of engineering education.
“I think there are many ways that engineering education can be improved, which is something I began exploring as a graduate student,” said Torres, who was awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship as a graduate student. “I hope to take that research further and contribute to the field as a whole.”
Torres is also passionate about robotics research, a field he researched as a PhD student under the direction of Associate Professor Pranav Bhounsule in the Robotics and Motion Laboratory.
“I think it is very important for me to stay up to date in the robotics field, as that knowledge will also help me better support senior design students with their projects,” he said.