Griselda Conejo-Lopez Teaching Award Story

Penn State Teaching Awards

Advancing Excellence in Teaching at Penn State

As part of The Schreyer Institute’s mission to advance and inspire teaching excellence in the Penn State instructional community, we host three of the eight recognition awards offered to Penn State faculty.

The George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching is presented each year to six faculty members who have devoted substantial effort to undergraduate teaching. The Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching is generally awarded to two faculty who, in addition to being outstanding teachers themselves, have also provided support or mentoring to others. Finally, the Penn State Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes distinguished teaching and provides a forum for encouraging effective teaching.

Faculty Nomination Process

Each year, students, staff, and fellow faculty from across all Penn State campuses nominate faculty members for one of these awards based on their ability to connect with students and demonstrate excellence in teaching.

Award Recipient Spotlight

Griselda Conejo-Lopez

Assistant Teaching Professor of Computer Science and Engineering,
Penn State College of Engineering

Griselda Conejo-Lopez received the 2025 George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching in recognition of her outstanding contributions to undergraduate education.

Conejo-Lopez has been with Penn State for nearly eight years, beginning as a lecturer and advancing to her current role as Assistant Teaching Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, as well as serving as an Accreditation Coordinator. Her teaching is guided by three core philosophies: one size does not fit all, listen and emphasize, and embrace change. With a focus on students as individuals, she has created a personalized and inclusive learning environment that has left a lasting impression on students and colleagues alike.

Teaching Philosophy in Practice

Designing for Diverse Learners

Conejo-Lopez’s experiences with diverse learning styles in the classroom—and as a parent of a school-aged child with learning disabilities—have deeply shaped her approach to teaching. Over time, her students have reinforced the idea that there is no single method that works for everyone.

To address this, she incorporates a variety of instructional strategies, including live coding, group work, visual aids, guided worksheets, and reflection questions, offering students multiple entry points into the material.

“It’s made me more flexible and intentional in how I design course materials and other activities.”

Building Connection from Day One

At the beginning of each course, Conejo-Lopez invites students to create personalized PowerPoint posters featuring photos, hobbies, fun facts, and a “two truths and a lie” prompt. She models the activity by presenting her own poster and provides detailed, individualized feedback on each student’s submission.

She explains that starting the semester this way “helps establish a positive and supportive classroom atmosphere from the very beginning,” making students more comfortable seeking help and engaging throughout the term.

Encouraging Collaboration and Growth

Conejo-Lopez also emphasizes active learning through a driver-passenger activity she adopted from a Penn State Leonhard Center workshop. Students work in pairs, alternating roles between the “driver,” who actively codes or solves problems, and the “passenger,” who guides, reviews, and reflects on the process.

“Initially, I expected this to be just a way to keep students working together, but I found it actually deepens their understanding much more than I anticipated.”

She notes that switching roles ensures all students practice both hands-on problem-solving and higher-level critical thinking, boosting confidence and technical skills.

A Lasting Impact

Closing out her story, Conejo-Lopez encourages educators to prioritize trust and approachability in the classroom. Simple practices—such as learning students’ names, responding thoughtfully to introductions, and showing genuine interest in their backgrounds—can significantly increase student engagement and willingness to seek support.

“Teaching isn’t about having all the answers right away; it’s about listening, adapting, and being open to learning alongside your students.”

Learn More

Read Griselda Conejo-Lopez’s full teaching philosophy and explore the Penn State Teaching Awards on the Penn State Undergraduate Teaching Awards page.