Peter Stone, a professor of computer science at The University of Texas at Austin, has won the Minnie Stevens Piper Teaching Award, which celebrates outstanding postsecondary teaching.

 

Since 1958, the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation, a non-profit, charitable corporation focused on postsecondary education in Texas, has selected excellent educators from four- and two-year institutions from across Texas to be named "Piper Professors" for their superior teaching at the college level.

 

Stone holds the David Bruton, Jr. Centennial Professorship in Computer Sciences, and he is a Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University. He previously won both a Regents Outstanding Teaching Award and a College of Natural Sciences teaching award. 

 

His numerous teaching and research awards stem from work he has led in the Department of Computer Science advancing teaching, research and scholarship related to artificial intelligence, machine learning, multiagent systems, robotics and e-commerce. He oversees a research stream of UT Austin's award-winning Freshman Research Initiative and leads the UT Austin Villa, a robotic soccer team programmed by UT Austin student researchers who compete in RoboCup events held around the world.

 

UT Austin submits just one nomination annually for the Piper Award, and the Piper Foundation selects 10 winners from across the state. The award honors outstanding academic, scientific and scholarly achievement, as well as dedication to the teaching profession. 

 

Stone is the 15th faculty member in the College of Natural Sciences to receive the prestigious award and the first UT Austin computer science professor to win.

 

Source: College of Natural Sciences