Teaching Innovation Award
Nicholas Childs
The recipient of the Teaching Innovation Award is Nick Childs, an associate teaching professor in the Department of Physics in the College of Letters and Science. This award honors a faculty member who has incorporated outstanding teaching practices into their classes. Sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs, it carries a $2,000 honorarium.
Childs teaches undergraduate Physics I and II courses and created a first-of-its-kind online course on Sustainable Energy for MSU’s Master of Science in Science Education program. In that course, teachers produce practical materials such as lesson plans, experiments and demonstrations that they can use in their classrooms. The course has been offered 13 times and has helped teachers impact nearly 15,000 students.
“Throughout his career at Montana State University, Dr. Childs has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to advancing student learning through creative, research-based instructional design,” wrote Department Head John Neumeier in a letter nominating Childs for the award. “His work consistently bridges theory and practice, empowering both university students and educators in the broader science education community.”
Childs established a peer-mentoring program for 200-level physics courses that paired experienced students with small groups of current learners, fostering collaboration and support. In 2024, he developed a suite of learning modules for algebra- and calculus-based physics courses, which covered foundational topics to strengthen student understanding and problem-solving skills.
“Through these sustained and diverse contributions, Dr. Nick Childs has exemplified what it means to be an innovative educator,” wrote Neumeier.