Ray J. Toal
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Dedication Earns Professor Ray Toal Teaching Distinction
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Ray J. Toal, professor of electrical engineering and computer science, has been a dedicated member of the LMU community since his student days. This year, he was elected by his peers as recipient of The President’s Fritz B. Burns Distinguished Teaching Award.
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Ray J. Toal, professor of electrical engineering and computer science, has been a dedicated member of the LMU community since his student days. This year, he was elected by his peers as recipient of The President’s Fritz B. Burns Distinguished Teaching Award.
The award, named after an LMU benefactor, was established in 1993 and recognizes teaching excellence, dedication to the university and commitment to research.
“My goal as a teacher is to go beyond the usual conveyance of ‘understanding,’ ‘critical thinking skills’ and ‘lifelong love of learning’ standbys,” Toal says. “I want students to gain a fluency in the things they want to do.”
Toal favors the apprenticeship-style approach to teaching, which allows students to make connections between theory and practice. The method also gives him the opportunity to bring his own cutting-edge industrial experience into the classroom.
His commitment to his students is evident in the way he works by their side during extended lab hours. Additionally, he makes himself available through instant messaging, and supervises a large share of independent courses and master’s theses every year.
“It gives me 50-hour work weeks, but doing it this way is still my passion after 20 years,” Toal explains, “The one-on-one time is such a plus for both them and me.”
As an LMU student, Toal worked as a teacher’s assistant and tutor in the Seaver College of Science and Engineering. The experience ultimately served as a launching point for his career as an educator. Upon completing his bachelor’s (1985) and master’s (1986) degrees in computer science, he officially joined the faculty.
Toal received his Ph.D. in semantics from UCLA, where he minored in database technology and computer science theory. His current research interests are in programming languages (particularly in the areas of static versus dynamic theory and introspection), distributed computing and internet worked enterprise technologies.
The LMU alum says he doesn’t notice many changes at LMU since his days as a student. Although the opportunities to conduct research have increased, he proudly acknowledges that the focus of the university remains in providing quality education for its students.
“I am really lucky to be in a department where everyone is supportive,” he says, “LMU is a special place with rich traditions – the university fills an important niche in Los Angeles.”