WKU News

As a structural engineer by training, mathematical problem-solving enthusiast and self-proclaimed trivia buff, Assistant Professor in the WKU Department of Management, Dr. Gihan Edirisinghe said he loves learning, thinking about how the world works and creating memorable experiences for his students.

“College is a time for students to explore options in life, fall in love with what they want to do for the rest of their lives, and, most importantly, gain the sought-after skillset that will give them an edge among the many who are similarly passionate about the same area,” Edirisinghe said.

With a specialty in Operations and Management Science, Edirisinghe said he is regularly tasked with convincing 20-year-old students about the value of quantitative methods and mastering rare skills with discipline - even when they don’t want to.

“Creating memorable experiences around laborious, boring, frustrating and arduous learning curves that eventually result in tremendously valuable skills is something I’m extremely passionate about,” Edirisinghe said.

Creating an in-class “memorable experience” has taken a little creativity for Edirisinghe. He joined the faculty in the WKU Gordon Ford College of Business in the fall of 2020. Both of his classes started in hybrid mode but transitioned to synchronous Zoom by mid-September that year.

“While this prospect was extremely unnerving at first, I soon realized that it provided a brilliant opportunity for virtual classroom innovations that generated the same level of excitement, interest and curiosity as in a physical classroom,” Edirisinghe said.

In his Operations Management class, Edirisinghe quickly adapted what was an in-class assembly line activity using paper airplanes and LEGO bricks to a macro-enabled Google Sheet. Students were able to interact with other students virtually while the rest of the class observed on-screen. In addition, he created an Excel-based Reliability Game and Newsvendor Game to support classroom concepts.

Edirisinghe said, “both were originally envisioned for face-to-face classes, but still generated the same memorable learning experience in a virtual setting.”

His most ambitious innovation to date is a new project entitled, The Apprentice: BG, which will require students to work on a project presented to them by a client. Much like the television show, the client – not the instructor – will be the sole decider on who will be ‘hired’ for the project.

“This competition format comes with many challenges, but also generates much-needed excitement for a ‘dry’ technical class. Edirisinghe said the project timeline involved multiple client visits to the classroom for open and private meetings, in addition to a final presentation.

The adaptations that Edirisinghe made for his classes have left a lasting impact. One student shared that they were completely burned out, but it was because of Edirisinghe’s class that they didn’t give up. Another student said Edirisinghe’s class was challenging, but his passion makes you want to show up to class.

Edirisinghe said one principle he lives by as an educator is, “… as Teddy Roosevelt says, ‘Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.’ There’s nothing I do in my classes that I’m not passionate about, and that helps me sell hard the challenging material.”

For more information about earning a degree in Management, visit www.wku.edu/management.