Gillian Ryan Earns 2026 Ashkin Award
Heidi Opdyke
- Associate Dean of Marketing and Communications, MCS
- Email opdyke@andrew.cmu.edu
- Phone 412-268-9982
As a student, Gillian Ryan’s favorite class was physics. Now as an associate teaching professor and director of undergraduate affairs in Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Physics, she works to pass that same excitement on to the next generation.
“I benefited from a lot of really great instructors and advisors as an undergraduate myself, so I greatly enjoy the opportunity to give back to current undergraduate students,” Ryan said.
Ryan teaches a variety of classes in the Department of Physics and the Mellon College of Science, focusing primarily on first- and second-year students. She teaches Physics I for Science Students, a course designed for both physics majors and non-majors, and Sophomore Colloquium I and II, which introduce physics majors to subfields that they can pursue and show them opportunities for internships and research experiences. She also has served as an instructor for EUREKA, a first-year seminar for MCS students.
“There’s an opportunity to introduce people to a topic that they may or may not be familiar with and to get students excited about physics,” Ryan said.
Despite primarily teaching larger courses, she focuses on ensuring each student gets the attention and support they need. Her enthusiasm and dedication to teaching are evident to her students; one said Ryan transformed physics from their least favorite subject to their favorite class of the semester.
As director of undergraduate affairs, Ryan works to make sure that every physics student has the best academic experience possible. She regularly engages with students to better understand what they want from their experiences and collaborates with students and colleagues to translate that feedback into meaningful improvements. Her efforts working with students and faculty have helped the department strengthen the computational physics track, create the quantum physics track and offer new junior and senior astrophysics electives. She also created a website that serves as a student handbook to help majors navigate all aspects of the physics program.
“I want to make sure all of our students have the same access both to resources and to understanding what is and isn’t typical in the department,” Ryan said. “I try to be transparent and provide documentation and guidance.”
For her efforts, Ryan earned the Julius Ashkin Teaching Award, which was presented on May 5 at the Mellon College of Science Annual Meeting. The award recognizes unusual devotion and effectiveness in teaching undergraduate students in the Mellon College of Science.
“Gillian excels at making physics accessible and fostering a genuine interest in the subject,” said Rachel Mandelbaum, professor and department head of physics. “She has shown outstanding dedication and effectiveness to her students and in her work for physics and MCS. She is highly deserving of the Ashkin Award.”
Ryan said she was glad to have made such a positive impact both on her students and on the department.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by my colleagues and by my students,” Ryan said. “To know that some of my students wrote letters of support is really encouraging and makes me feel that I’m doing my job well.”
