School of Engineering Assistant Teaching Professor Isabella Stuopis, Hugh W. Pearson ’58 Professor of the Practice of Technology and Entrepreneurship Jason Harry, and Lecturer and Academic Director of the Master’s program in Innovation, Management and Entrepreneurship Ja-Naé Duane were among those honored with Brown University’s awards in teaching, mentoring, and diversity and inclusion in the annual ceremony sponsored by the Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning.
Stuopis was presented with the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in Engineering, while Harry was honored with the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring in Engineering. Duane was presented with the School of Engineering’s Impact in Diversity and Inclusion award, a recognition of efforts to create a more inclusive and welcoming place for teaching and advising.
Isabella Stuopis: Excellence in Teaching
Stuopis joined the Brown Engineering faculty in February of 2025, after completing her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University in 2023 and a postdoctoral stint at Boston College’s Humanizing Engineering Research (HER) Lab. Her doctoral work focused on “Learning Assistants in Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering: Goals, Discourse, and Community.” Learning assistants (LAs) are near-peer members of the instructional team in undergraduate courses, promoting student thinking and discourse while learning pedagogical techniques in a weekly pedagogy seminar. Typically, LAs do not have grading responsibilities so that students are more likely to come to them about course questions. At Brown, Stuopis has instructed ENGN 0030 (Introduction to Engineering), ENGN 0040 (Engineering Statics and Dynamics), and ENGN 0520 (Electricity and Magnetism).
“Professor Stuopis is exceptionally engaged and committed to students in ENGN 30 and 40,” said a nomination. “What distinguishes her most is the depth and authenticity of her care. She is deeply invested in her students’ learning and well-being in a way I have never seen before.
“One of the clearest examples of this is her constant pursuit of feedback. She actively seeks input from fellow faculty, her teaching assistants, and, most importantly, her students. She does not ask for feedback perfunctorily; she genuinely considers every perspective and thoughtfully implements changes when appropriate. I have seen her weigh multiple viewpoints carefully and ultimately choose the approach that best supports student understanding, even when it requires additional effort on her part.”
Jason Harry: Excellence in Mentoring
Harry, who has over 40 years of commercial and academic experience in the medical device field and early-stage venturing, served for seven years as the Director of the Breakthrough Lab, a student venture accelerator in the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown University. His teaching focus in engineering – at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive levels – is entrepreneurship, innovation management, and intersections between technology and business.
He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University, Master of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Bachelor of Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology, with primary research focus in mechanical and biomedical engineering and biophysics. Nominations for Harry’s mentoring award emphasized the way Harry actively connects students with industry professionals and creates opportunities to work on real world business challenges, ensuring the application of learning to practical scenarios in preparation for the workforce.
“Professor Harry is one of the most effective and supportive instructors I have had at Brown. He is extremely responsive in class and constantly adapts his teaching based on how students are following the material. He explains difficult concepts clearly, invites questions, and creates a classroom atmosphere where people feel comfortable speaking up,” said one nomination.
“He sets high expectations while giving students the tools to meet them,” said another.
“He makes time for students, answers follow-up questions, and gives thoughtful advice about academics and future plans. He is patient, thoughtful, and incredibly insightful, always providing meaningful feedback that strengthens our presentations and sharpens our thinking. More than a professor, he has been a true mentor to the PRIME cohort.”
Ja-Naé Duane: Impact in Diversity and Inclusion
Duane, who is also the author of bestselling books like SuperShifts, Startup Equation and Designing the Future, is a four-time entrepreneur and angel investor with over 13 years of innovation experience in various domains, including future forecasting, digital transformation, innovation strategy, product development, and consumer experience. Her unique perspective and expertise have made her a sought-after consultant for senior executives and governmental leaders, who rely on her to think exponentially, foster resilience, and identify trends that pave the way for the future.
Her research focuses on the intersection of behavioral sciences and design within computer information systems, and Duane’s work has been published in journals such as Virtual Reality, Big Data & Society, and the Association for Computing Machinery. She teaches entrepreneurship, innovation, and decision-making courses at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive levels. She holds degrees from Brown, I.E. Business School, Northeastern University, Carnegie University, Bentley University, and Boston University. She is a member of the Loomis Council at the Stimson Center, and collaborates with National Institute of Health and MIT’s Center for Information Systems Research. Nominations for this award highlighted her inclusive leadership, which empowers students under her tutelage to share her commitment to helping entrepreneurs create impact.
“Experience has taught me how to recognize true leadership,” said a master’s student from Duane’s class. “True leadership does not come from the person who gives the best orders, but from someone who is always willing to empower and support the people around them. Professor Duane has exceptional abilities to motivate, empower and drive impact with her students. I have had the pleasure of working at tables with presidents and UN officials, and Professor Duane's approach to teaching is equivalent to those of world leaders.”
Another student said, “Professor Duane created a respectful, welcoming classroom environment, inviting participation from many different students and responding to questions with patience and openness. She acknowledged that people come from different backgrounds and experiences, and this was reflected in the way she framed examples and encouraged us to listen to one another.”
The University’s Sheridan Awards Ceremony took place on Wednesday, April 29.