1. Academic and Student Affairs
PO Box 875506 Tempe, AZ 85287-5506
(480) 965-6882 Fax: (480) 965-2557
January 24, 2016
To Whom it May Concern,
It is my pleasure to submit a recommendation for Ian McLeod. He is a deserving applicant, and has been
an inspirational student to work with. I was his mentoring professor for a course called “Introduction to
Engineering”, and have known Ian for over a year as a graduate student. Ian worked with me as a
Graduate Teaching Assistant for the past semester. This course is designed to introduce incoming
freshmen at Arizona State University to the design process and beginning principles of engineering. His
responsibilities in this position include attending a weekly lab, mentoring students through a guided
design project, and aiding in grading assignments. Ian and I were posed with a challenge with our
sections as we were undertaking a new class design project never done before at ASU to incorporate
renewable energy, motors, and automation all in one. He eagerly accepted this challenge with me and
worked tirelessly to stay on top of material that was new to him as an assistant. The leadership needed
for this job is not considered lightly, and Ian was an obvious choice for us to employ as a section leader.
Ian worked with me weekly on the lab curriculum to improve our standard material and make it more
engaging for these students. We were able to involve our class in lively conversations every week due to
his concern for student participation. Ian was always responsive for whatever challenge was presented
to us, including mitigating delicate situations with troubled students. One of our students approached
Ian with problems of intoxication during class, to which Ian immediately responded to myself and higher
authorities to ensure proper supportive services could be provided to this student. This student was able
to immediately examine his behavior and improve his collaboration in class. This is deeply in thanks to
Ian’s dedication to support our students and work with them one-on-one to provide care and guidance.
A large part of this position is to provide insight into the application of the design process in real
situations, and he took this responsibility very seriously. Every week he was prepared with personal
experiences to supplement the lesson plan. At ASU, we stress how important experience is in building
your career, and Ian was able to be a prime example for our students. He provided insight into his prior
internships at Raytheon, and how he was able to apply his knowledge of system design, integration and
testing, and customer collaboration to his employment. He also was able to stress the importance of
leadership through student engagement, and show what he gained from his experience as a Residential
Assistant, Engineering Camp Counselor, and an active member of the Petroleum club on campus. These
are valuable experiences we look for in our Section Leaders, and Ian possessed them all. I can clearly see
that Ian has a deep desire to be a successful engineer, and excel at team leadership. These qualities
prove to me that he is motivated to go above and beyond to reach his goals.
I believe Ian is the most deserving applicant, as he embodies the meaning of the words to advance,
aspire, and achieve every day. He has succeeded at tackling the grueling program of an accelerated
Master’s degree, and continues to drive himself to ensure that he achieves any goal. He will have no
issues embracing any challenge and has never showed the slightest concern of being overwhelmed. His
goal is to always strive to learn the most that he can about any problem, and will continue to grow as an
intellectual professional.
Sincerely,
Alicia J. Baumann
Lecturer, Academic & Student Affairs
Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
Arizona State University