Defense Technology Instructor at GTPE Wins Educator of the Year Award

Contribution to professional education recognized by world’s largest association for advancement of technology

April 20, 2018 | By Gordana Goudie
Glenn Hopkins next to computer screens displaying research

Glenn Hopkins, an administrator and instructor in the defense technology portfolio at Georgia Tech Professional Education (GTPE) and principal research engineer at Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) has been recognized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest technical professional organization for the advancement of technology, for his contribution to professional education. He won the IEEE Atlanta Section Outstanding Educator of the Year award in acknowledgment of his non-traditional teaching accomplishments.

He finds it notable that non-traditional teaching was recognized since, he believes, awards such as these tend to be given for traditional higher education. “It is especially great for me to see the recognition of the defense technology portfolio at GTPE by the IEEE. The defense technology classes at GTPE help to bridge the gap between traditional technology studies and what students need to know to be able to apply those technologies to systems that are key to our national defense,” he said. “The defense technology classes provide students from both the U.S. Department of Defense and industry partners with directly applicable training. I am very fortunate in that I enjoy my work at GTRI and GTPE and that I can, hopefully, open doors for others to excel in their engineering and our national defense.” 

Hopkins administers and teaches five defense technology courses as well as instructs in an additional six courses in the portfolio at GTPE. He also helped initiate the Certificate in Phased Array Antenna Engineering. Having begun teaching in 1991, he has instructed in 216 courses in 16 states to date.