June 03, 2026
Trine University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering recently presented its annual Outstanding High School Teaching Award to Eric Wirick, a teacher at Fremont High School.
The award honors a teacher with exceptional dedication to inspiring students to pursue mathematics, science and engineering careers. It includes a $250 cash stipend and a commemorative plaque.
Wirick was nominated by Zakeri Pica, a software engineering major from Fremont.
Pica, who had Wirick for Digital Applications and Advanced Business Application classes, said Wirck’s teaching style and the opportunities he provided sparked the curiosity and problem-solving mindset that led him toward his major, as well as a data science minor.
“During my Advanced Business Applications class, I had a free period immediately afterward. Mr. Wirick allowed me to stay in his classroom, which gave me the chance to work on assignments and, eventually, to help other students troubleshoot issues they encountered during class,” Pica said. “This experience led me to discover how much I enjoyed working through problems — whether it was identifying errors in Access queries or fixing functions in Excel.”
“My interest in tools like Access and Excel grew into a broader appreciation for working with data, and I still apply many of the skills I learned in his classes today.”
Trine University students Isaac Braun, a senior chemical engineering major from Portland, Indiana, and Ryan Sederstrom, a junior electrical engineering major from Cedar Lake, Indiana, placed 15th in the collegiate pairs tournament at the North American Bridge Championships.
Two Trine University faculty members recently participated in the biennial Actuarial Teaching Conference (ATC), held July 19-21 in Columbus, Ohio.
Trine University has been selected to be part of a national program to help campuses respond to the challenges and opportunities artificial intelligence (AI) presents for courses, curricula and higher education in general.