UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Patrick Cusatis, associate professor of finance at Penn State Harrisburg, and Gary L. Gray, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics in the Penn State College of Engineering, are the recipients of the 2023 Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching.

The award recognizes excellence in teaching and student support among tenured faculty who have been employed full time for at least five years with undergraduate teaching as a major portion of their duties. Milton S. Eisenhower, brother of former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, served as president of Penn State from 1950 to 1956.

Patrick Cusatis

Since 1993, Cusatis has taught more than 160 sections of 20 courses, but he also has extensive experience working on Wall Street. He’s also a chartered financial analyst and relies on his experiences inside and outside of the classroom to guide him.

“My goal as a finance professor is to prepare students for careers in business administration,” Cusatis said. “I believe that my background as an investment banker and portfolio manager for 11 years has given me a good understanding of the necessary skills to succeed in finance. In the classroom, I combine practical examples with the important theoretical and empirical concepts in finance.”

Cusatis uses his industry ties to help his students and remain current. He said his contact with financial professionals keeps him aware of changing conditions in the industry and employment market. A few of his students said Cusatis gave them great career advice and also helped open doors as they entered the market.

“Dr. Cusatis integrates knowledge from his experience working at Lehman Brothers to best prepare his students for careers in the financial industry,” a former student said. “While applying for a position on Wall Street, I sought his counsel to determine whether the position was right for my career goals. Not only did he speak with me at length about the job and my opinions, he supported me as a reference. These one-on-one conversations where he shared his personal experiences allowed me to confidently select a job that aligned with what I wanted to accomplish in my career.”

Cusatis uses technology to educate his students. He created a web-based teaching tool, called ValuePro, which creates instant valuations of most stocks.

“I encourage my students to differentiate themselves from the competition by increasing their technical and communication skills and by paying special attention to detail,” Cusatis said.

Cusatis works to keep his courses relevant in industry. In one course on derivative securities, he includes a topic on scandals involving derivatives. He wants his students to see the ethical dilemmas they might face in the industry. That class is now his highest-rated and best-attended course.

“I view this as an accomplishment because, although the course content continues to be technical and challenging for students, evaluations of the course have continually improved,” Cusatis said.

Cusatis’ students said his ability to understand his students and provide industry guidance based on experience make him an adept educator.

Colleagues called Cusatis a passionate educator who wants to educate his students with cutting-edge and current knowledge but also wants them to get the most out of their careers.

“Cusatis has a passion for teaching and students’ learning,” a colleague said. “He constantly works to include examples that easily bridge the textbook contents to real-life applications, which exemplifies his knowledge and use of effective, active and engaged teaching. Simultaneously, he works to create an inclusive environment where any student is comfortable and ready to engage with the course.”

Gary L. Gray

Gray is guided by his decades of teaching and researching how students learn. His approach is to teach students in ways that get them excited about the material. No matter the size of the classroom, Gray’s students know what’s expected of them and are given the tools they need to solve problems they’ve never before encountered.

“My philosophy for how I assess students is simple: demand rigor and excellence from them but be benevolent when assessing and grading their work,” Gray said. “Undergraduate students in engineering are still training for their profession, and I do not believe in beating them up as they do so. With that said, when I demand a high-level of work from my students, they are amazed at what they are able to accomplish and how powerful they feel when they accomplish it.”

Gray uses humor and real-world examples to engage his students. He’s always asking questions and encouraging students to ask their own. He said he creates a welcoming, safe environment where any respectful comment or question is welcomed.

Gray said he’s invested in his students. He gets to know them by name and holds office hours in common areas on campus so he can meet in small groups, moving from student to student, guiding them through their assignments. When students know he cares, Gray said, they’re more likely to reach out for help.

“Students know when you generally care about how they are doing, both in the class and in their life, and it makes their experiences so much more enjoyable and meaningful,” Gray said. “I have also been a strong ally to LGBTQ+ students. I have supported numerous students who are experiencing personal or family crises and in one instance helped a student secure money for tuition, food and rent when their family cut them off completely.”

Gray finds struggling students early. After the first exam, he reaches out to those who struggled so that together they can find a better path forward. In addition to office hours and mentoring, he gives advice on more efficient study practices. Gray said students are often encouraged that he cared so much about their successes.

“My philosophy of teaching is to be methodical, engaging, rigorous, fun, fair and respectful of the students as people and future engineers,” Gray said.

Students said Gray has a gift for teaching difficult subject matters on engineering science and mechanics. One student who struggled with engineering in high school feared the major might not be for her. But Gray’s courses her sophomore year made her think otherwise.

“From the first day, Dr. Gray made me and the other students feel comfortable,” a student said. “His sharp sense of humor kept everyone laughing and his knowledge of all things engineering kept us engaged. He is a brilliant man, there’s no doubt about that. But he brought a sense of fun to dynamics that no one expected. As absolutely impossible as his class felt at times, he was always so reassuring and encouraging.”