“It was my privilege and honor to chair the 2007 Teaching Awards Committee,” said Barbara Entwisle, professor of sociology and director of the Carolina Population Center. “All of us on the committee were humbled by the outstanding quality of the faculty and graduate teaching assistants nominated for these awards. There are many fine teachers at UNC!

“Hundreds of nominations were submitted before last year’s deadline of Oct. 1, 2006. The committee logged many long hours reviewing these and other materials before making their recommendations to the chancellor. The winners of this year’s awards are an exceptional group.”

The winners:

Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching
 Stephen S. Birdsall

William C. Friday/Class of 1986 Award for Excellence in Teaching
 Linda Wagner-Martin

The John L. Sanders Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and Service
 Mark Schoenfisch

J. Carlyle Sitterson Freshman Teaching Award
 Abigail T. Panter

Tanner Faculty Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
 Ted Mouw
 Tim McMillan
 James A. Rose
 Ralph Byrns
 Marcie Cohen Ferris

Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement
 Lawrence L. Kupper

Distinguished Teaching Awards for Post-Baccalaureate Teaching and Mentoring
 John H. Grose
 Lawrence Grossberg
 Mark Hollins
 Allen Liles

James M. Johnston Teaching Excellence Award
 John Florin
 Marianne Gingher

University Professor of Distinguished Teaching
 Pamela Cooper
 Boka W. Hadzija

Tanner Teaching Assistants’ Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

Nominee for the Board of Governors Award
for Excellence in Teaching

Established by the Board of Governors in April 1994 to underscore the importance of teaching and to reward good teaching across the university system, the awards are given annually to a tenured faculty member from each UNC campus. Winners must have taught at their present institutions at least seven years. No one may receive the award more than once.

The winner receives a citation and one-time stipend of $7,500.

Birdsall

STEPHEN S. BIRDSALL

 Title: Professor of geography.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 1967.

 University awarding Ph.D.: Michigan State University.

 Classes taught last year: World Regional Geography; First-year Seminar: Making Myth-Leading Memories: Landscapes of Remembrance; World Regional Geography; Cultural Landscapes.

 Excerpts from citation: ... “He teaches us how to think, how to look at the real world and connect it with what’s going on in class. Sometimes this surprises me, whether it’s connecting a New York Times article to Dr. Birdsall’s geography maxims, or the evolution of pink flamingos or stadiums.” … “Best class I’ve taken at UNC. I’ve never felt so connected to the world around me as when listening to Professor Birdsall tell me about the world.”

 “Teaching philosophy: I think learning should be challenging but fun. Students should learn to think critically and flexibly. They should learn how to arrive at answers, recognizing in the process that there are multiple ways of arriving at a destination. I want my students to play with knowledge but put it toward a beneficial, serious purpose. I ask them to connect what we learn in class with their lives and the world’s.”

William C. Friday/Class of 1986 Award
for Excellence in Teaching

The award was created by members of the 1986 graduating class to recognize members of the faculty who have exemplified excellence in inspirational teaching and is named in honor of William C. Friday, who devoted a lifetime of service to the University as president of the UNC System.

The winner receives a stipend of $5,000 and a framed citation.

Wagner-Martin

LINDA WAGNER-MARTIN

 Title and department: Hanes professor of English and comparative literature.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 1988.

 Other Carolina teaching awards: Post-Baccalaureate Teaching Award, various Women’s Studies and campus awards.

 University awarding Ph.D.: Bowling Green State University.

 Classes taught last year: American Novel, American Women’s Writing, Honors Seminar in American Novel, 20th Century American Fiction.

 Excerpts from citation: ... “The perfect professor. She’s encouraging, helpful and engaging. You can see immediately that she is impassioned by what she does.” … “Her writing assignments were relevant and challenging, and her criticism helped my writing more than any other assignments at UNC. ... She has helped me to find my own voice.”

 Teaching philosophy: “My goal in teaching is to find those individual innate abilities that students may not have yet recognized. By asking that students contribute to various kinds of discussions and presentations, and by asking that writing assignments be done both in class and out — hopefully, assignments that students find interesting — I see my role in the classroom as coordinator, with my primary aim to prompt students to use their considerable talents in useful and sometimes new ways.”

The John L. Sanders Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and Service

The award was created in 1995 as a gift from Ben M. Jones III to recognize excellence in the teaching, advising and mentoring of undergraduate students in a manner consistent with the life and values of John L. Sanders. From his days as an undergraduate, Sanders has worked to improve student life and governance. As director and professor in the Institute of Government, he advised generations of students, quietly nurturing their devotion to the University and the state. At the same time, he has counseled effective political action and pursuit of constructive change.

The winner receives a one-time stipend of $5,000 and a framed citation.

Schoenfisch

MARK SCHOENFISCH

 Title and department: Associate professor of chemistry.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 2000.

 University awarding Ph.D.: University of Arizona.

 Classes taught last year: Analytical Methods, Bioanalytical Chemistry, Research in Chemistry for Undergraduates.

 Excerpts from citation: ... “One of the greatest things that I will take with me when I graduate from Carolina with a chemistry degree will be the fearlessness and confidence that I learned working with Dr. Schoenfisch.” A student noted that there are not many doors open in the vast halls of the chemistry research laboratories, but that Schoenfisch’s door is “literally always open” and that he has exceptional teaching and mentoring ability — even in a subject that some find as boring as analytical chemistry!

 Teaching philosophy: “My teaching philosophy encompasses motivating students to think critically about what they study and work on. In lecture, I focus the day’s material on something real-world to engage the class and provide students with an appreciation of the central role of analytical chemistry. In lab, each of my student colleagues has their own research project and problems to wrestle with as part of their journey to becoming independent scientists.”

J. Carlyle Sitterson Freshman Teaching Award

This award was created in 1998 by the family of the late J. Carlyle Sitterson to recognize excellence in freshman teaching by a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences. Lyle Sitterson was a Kenan professor of history and chancellor of the University from 1966 to 1972 and was a passionate advocate for inspired teaching of freshmen students. The first award was given in 2000.

The winner receives a one-time stipend of $5,000 and a framed citation.

Panter

ABIGAIL T. PANTER

 Title and department: Associate professor of psychology.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 1989.

 Other Carolina teaching awards: Tanner Faculty Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (1993); Psi Chi Undergraduate Teacher-of-the-Year (1992, 1997, 2003); the Access Award, for supporting and encouraging students with learning disabilities (2003).

 University awarding Ph.D.: New York University.

 Classes taught last year: First-year Seminar: Talking about Numbers: Communicating Research Results to Others; Statistical Principles for the Behavioral Sciences; Design and the Interpretation of Psychological Research; Classical and Contemporary Approaches to Test Theory; Structural Equation Models with Latent Variables.

 Excerpts from citation: ... “The best teacher I’ve had. Her ability to connect with her students is amazing, much better than any teacher I’ve ever had.” ... “She makes you fall in love with psychology and research.” She effectively shares her enthusiasm for the field with students and has been a strong role model for young women in quantitative psychology, an area traditionally dominated by men.

 Teaching philosophy: “I believe that statistics enjoyment should not be limited to an elite few. Through semester-long research experiences, in-class exercises, student presentations, and a lot of quantitative writing, I expose students to the real data challenges that researchers face and the multiple routes that one might take to address these challenges. When I see my students huddled together — arguing, generating, debating, laughing — about a challenging quantitative problem that I put before them, I know that the barriers are down, and the information is flowing through.”

Tanner Faculty Awards
for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

The awards were created in 1952 with a bequest by Kenneth Spencer Tanner, class of 1911, and his sister, Sara Tanner Crawford (and by them on behalf of their deceased brothers, Simpson Bobo Tanner Jr. and Jesse Spencer Tanner), establishing an endowment fund in memory of their parents, Lola Spencer and Simpson Bobo Tanner. The award was established to recognize excellence in inspirational teaching of undergraduate students, particularly first- and second-year students.

Each of the five winners receives a one-time stipend of $5,000 and a framed citation.

Mouw

TED MOUW

 Title and department: Associate professor of sociology.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 1999.

 Other Carolina teaching awards: Edward Kidder Graham Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award, UNC General Alumni Association (2005).

 University awarding Ph.D.: University of Michigan.

 Classes taught last year: First-year Seminar: Globalization, Work and Inequality; Economy and Society; Social Stratification; Social Demography.

 Excerpts from citation: ... “Ted Mouw rocks!” is a typical student response to his courses. His course evaluations enthusiastically praise him as “awesome,” “engaging,” “the best at Carolina,” “generous,” “my favorite,” “amazing,” and “passionate.” ... In the words of his department chair, “He is the kind of instructor I would want my grandchildren to experience, if they are fortunate enough to get into Carolina.”

 Teaching philosophy: “I teach almost entirely with questions and discussion. When I walk into class, I have a list of questions in my hand and my goal is to engage every single student in a dialogue focused on the heart of the day’s material. The list of questions provides the structure and organization of the class, and the students’ responses to the questions and each other determines the actual narrative of the discussion.”

McMillan

TIM MCMILLAN

 Title and department: Adjunct assistant professor of African and Afro-American Studies.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 1997.

 University awarding Ph.D.: Carolina.

 Classes taught last year: First-year Seminar: Defining Blackness; Introduction to the Black Experience; Blacks in North Carolina.

 Excerpts from citation: “Professor Timothy McMillan wholeheartedly believes that no power is greater than the gift of education,” wrote one student. His teaching is so exemplary that one of his students noted, “He set the bar for me for what an education at Carolina should be … and he set that bar very high.” … He has been called “campus famous” because he has an “honest and humorous style of teaching [that] proves to be the tool that draws every one of his students into his lectures.”

 Teaching philosophy: “One great joy of teaching is what I learn from my students and I try to return that joy to them by making the material approachable and personal. Tying the national to the local, the complex to the simple, the unusual to the ordinary is the center of my teaching philosophy. Contexts that make the abstract and historically distant more immediate and personal help students to analyze and retain material that would otherwise require rote memorization.”

Rose

JAMES A. ROSE

 Title and department: Professor of astronomy.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 1986.

 University awarding Ph.D.: Yale University.

 Classes taught last year: Extragalactic Astronomy, Observational Astronomy.

 Excerpts from citation: ... On the last day of his Observational Astronomy course, Rose dons a wizard costume and presents himself as “AstroJim.” Calling each student by their astronomy nickname, he inducts them into an order of “astronomy knights” — an elect few who have mastered the art of astronomical observing. The humor, creativity and engagement demonstrated by this ceremony epitomizes why Rose is a memorable teacher. ...

 Teaching philosophy: “I don’t really have a teaching philosophy, just enjoy teaching a lot. My enthusiasm for it comes from the opportunity to learn each time I teach a class, and from seeing students get excited about the material. It certainly helps that astronomy is such a stimulating subject. Teaching also remains exciting because each class is a new group of individuals.”

Byrns

RALPH BYRNS

 Title and department: Adjunct professor of economics.

n Faculty member at Carolina since: 2001.

 Other Carolina teaching awards: Honored Professor, Omicron Delta Epsilon economics honor society (2004-06); Faculty Member of the Year, Delta Upsilon’s Annual Dr. Stanley W. Black Award for Faculty (2005-06); Annual Award for Excellence in Teaching Undergraduate Economics, Department of Economics (2002, 2004).

 University awarding Ph.D.: Rice University.

 Classes taught last year: Introduction to Economics; Honors: Introduction to Economics; Financial Markets; History of Economic Doctrines; Undergraduate Teaching Assistantship.

 Excerpts from citation: ... One student noted: “Dr. Byrns has a unique ability to connect with students, even in a large course and keep them interested in the subject matter. His own intense interest in the subject matter comes across through his mastery of the material and his passion for lively discussion with students in and outside of class. For many undergraduate students ... the ability to connect personally with a professor makes a huge difference in their learning, and Dr. Byrns works hard to make that possible.”

 Teaching philosophy: “Education is a journey through a maze of conjectures and factoids, not a destination. My favorite teachers helped prepare me to be a tour guide for students who are now roughly where I once was. I envy the many who will travel much further down this road than I have gone. That so many bright students find some of my ramblings worth considering is incredibly gratifying, and I continue to learn much from them.”

Ferris

MARCIE COHEN FERRIS

 Title and department: Assistant professor, Curriculum in American Studies; associate director, Carolina Center for Jewish Studies.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 2005.

 University awarding Ph.D.: George Washington University. 

 Classes taught last year: Food in American Culture, Social History of Jewish Women in America, Material Culture of the American South.

 Excerpts from citation: ... “Marcie Cohen Ferris was extraordinary! Her insight, support and warm, welcoming nature made everyone comfortable.” … “Very interactive, extremely personable, so inviting.” … “The perfect teacher and the perfect woman. The one professor I would keep in touch with in the future.”

 Teaching philosophy: “When I stand in front of a class, I try to create a community that is dedicated to intellectual engagement. Hopefully this is a place where students feel a sense of responsibility to prepare and participate, to discuss and question, and to connect with one another and with me. There are no bystanders. Organization and structure are important and I present material that reflects students’ various learning styles. And if we do not laugh at ourselves or at me each class, something is awry!”

Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement

This award, created in 1997, acknowledges a lifetime of contributions to a broad range of teaching and learning, particularly mentoring beyond the classroom. It rewards those who help students to develop and attain their full potential in important ways during and after their departure from campus. Dean Smith, long-time coach of the men’s basketball team, was the first winner of the award and exemplifies the qualities that this award honors.

The winner receives a one-time stipend of $1,000 and a framed citation.

LAWRENCE L. KUPPER

 Title and department: Alumni distinguished professor of biostatistics.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 1970.

 Other Carolina teaching awards: John E. Larsh Jr. Mentorship Award (2003); Distinguished Teaching Award for Postbaccalaureate Instruction (1996); Bernard G. Greenberg Alumni Endowment Award for Excellence in Teaching, Research and Service (1990); Edward G. McGavran Award for Excellence in Teaching (1985).

 University awarding Ph.D.: Carolina.

 Classes taught last year: Probability and Statistical Inference I, Probability and Statistical Inference II.

 Excerpts from citation: ... “Kupper is extremely funny, charismatic, infectiously energetic, very warm and a great pleasure to work with.” … “Now that I am a professor, I model my own mentoring on Larry’s example.” … “What he has been doing and is doing for his students is a vivid realization of the idea ... pay it forward.”

 Teaching philosophy: “Whether it’s classroom teaching or professional and personal mentoring of individual graduate students, my underlying goal as an educator has always been to prepare graduate students in biostatistics for future professional careers characterized by high levels of scientific achievement and personal integrity. My teaching and mentoring philosophy is directed at helping my students to learn the thinking processes that good biostatisticians employ to develop solutions to real-life biostatistical problems that ultimately improve public health.”

Distinguished Teaching Awards
for Post-Baccalaureate Teaching and Mentoring

This award was first given by the University in 1995 to recognize the important role of post-baccalaureate teaching.

Each of the four winners receives a one-time stipend of $5,000 and a framed citation.

Grose

JOHN H. GROSE

 Title and department: Professor of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 1989.

 University awarding Ph.D.: Northwestern University.

 Classes taught last year: Physiological and Psychological Bases of Hearing, Auditory Evoked Potentials I.

 Excerpts from citation: ... “It’s amazing how well he can make complicated concepts understandable.” ... “He cares so much about both you and his subject that everyone wants to do well. He is someone you never want to let down.” A colleague explains, “John sees things through other people’s eyes rather than his own. This ability gives him tremendous value as a teacher.” … “Grose is close to the end of the continuum for clarity and for high principles. He is highly effective, an outstanding teacher.”

 Teaching philosophy: “As a researcher, I seek to let the element of inquisitiveness spill over into my teaching. I attempt to convey course material in a way that encourages students to appreciate, and be curious about, the questions that the information raises. Post-graduate students are already motivated learners; my role as a teacher is to bring them to the front of current knowledge and to help train them to seek out, critically assess and integrate information on their own.”

Grossberg

LAWRENCE GROSSBERG

 Title and department: Morris Davis distinguished professor of communication studies and cultural studies; adjunct distinguished professor of anthropology; director, University Program in Cultural Studies.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 1994.

 University awarding Ph.D.: University of Illinois.

 Classes taught last year: Introduction to Contemporary Theories of Culture and Communication; Introduction to the Study of Communication; Cultural Studies and Modernities.

 Excerpts from citation: ... “Brilliant, extremely generous and compassionate” are words used to describe Grossberg’s teaching. … “He is the consummate lecturer who makes the old tradition of European-style teaching come alive for contemporary times.” ... He “enraptures” the students in his lectures, which another colleague describes as “dialogues with entire intellectual traditions.”

 Teaching philosophy: “I see the intellectual endeavor as a conversation that began before we entered into it, and will continue long after we abandon it.  My basic faith is that ideas and knowledge matter in the world! My task is to help students become the kind of intellectual they want to be and to teach them how to ask questions. I push them to understand the values and significance of both disciplinary expertise and interdisciplinary complexity. I encourage them to think contextually and modestly, to arrive at the best understanding of their object without universalizing the results, without arriving at final answers. ... I try to bring them into the conversation as critical and engaged scholars, who see themselves trying to change the world, and therefore always open to criticism and always generous with their own criticisms. That is the nature of the conversation and it must go on.”

Hollins

MARK HOLLINS

 Title and department: Professor of psychology.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 1973.

 University awarding Ph.D.: Brown University.

 Classes taught last year: Honors in Psychology, co-taught Biological Bases of Behavior I.

 Excerpts from citation: ... “Tireless, humble and dedicated to facilitating the success of all students. He is truly a gifted mentor.” … In the classroom, Hollins “is engaging” and “exhibits extreme clarity of thought. He is a patient and motivated teacher.” ... He is “brilliant, with a great understanding of the material. A great teacher.” … One student sums it up by noting that Professor Hollins “has had an incredible influence on my life.  I am indebted for all he has done for me.”

 Teaching philosophy: “An essential part of teaching/mentoring graduate students is to
recognize that they are junior colleagues, who will themselves be professors or other professionals in a few years. Our job is to encourage them, explicitly and by example, to develop their enormous talents and energies in a balanced way that includes establishing their independence as researchers, learning to convey the excitement of ideas through their teaching, and using their knowledge to serve the broader community.”

Liles

ALLEN LILES

 Title and department: Assistant professor of internal medicine and pediatrics.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 2000-02, 2003-present.

 Other Carolina teaching awards: Teacher of the Year, Department of Medicine (2006); William H. Gronenmeyer Award (2000); Henry C. Fordham Award (1998); David A. Ontjes Award (1997).

 University awarding M.D.: Carolina.

 Classes taught last year: Introduction to Clinical Medicine, How to Be an Effective Medical Educator.

 Excerpts from citation: ... “One of the most supportive faculty members I’ve ever worked with.” ... Liles’ colleagues and students describe his teaching and instruction in clinics and rounds as “interactive,” “rooted in evidence and concrete examples,” and “fantastic.” ... “He teaches the ‘why’ of medicine, in addition to the ‘how.’” … “Liles is a mentor in all aspects of the word, and he is someone whose footsteps I hope to follow.”

 Teaching philosophy: “Working with a student as they struggle through a class, a semester or a career decision is such a joy. Mentoring is all about the individual and developing our relationship together. Time and honesty are crucial as we explore the student’s values and goals. In addition I find myself sharing of myself in this process as the dialogue is advanced with give and take.”

James M. Johnston Teaching Excellence Award

The awards were created in 1991 to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching. The awards are funded by the James M. Johnston Scholarship Program.

Each of the winners receives $5,000 and a framed citation.

Florin

JOHN FLORIN

 Title and department: Associate professor of geography.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 1969.

 Other Carolina teaching awards: Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2002).

 University awarding Ph.D.: Pennsylvania State University.

 Classes taught last year: World Regions; Agriculture, Food and Society; The South; Historical Geography of the United States.

 Excerpts from citation: “Informative” and “engaging” are just two of the adjectives used to describe Florin’s teaching style. ... Florin’s experience, breadth of knowledge, positive attitude and openness are just a few of the virtues that his former students rave about. Those who take his courses are appreciative of the fact that “he maintains a positive attitude toward his material and remains passionate about his field.”

 Teaching philosophy: “First, and most obviously, students matter. Thus, effective teaching matters. A class is a not single unit; rather, it is a collection of individuals. I strive to speak to the members of my class as indivduals when I lecture. My teaching goal nearly always is to convey the character of places (that is, its geography) through an understanding of the interactions between physical and human environments. Thus, history matters, and my courses normally have a historical geography focus. If students leave my class with a recognition of the importance of place, and with an interest in and ability to ask why a landscape looks as it does, then I have been successful as their teacher.”

Gingher

MARIANNE GINGHER

 Title and department: Associate professor of English and comparative literature.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 1975-89, 1992-present.

n University awarding MFA: UNC-Greensboro.

 Classes taught last year: Stylistics (or “GRAM-O-RAMA” — grammar in performance); Honors Introduction to Fiction Writing; Writing Memoir: Coming of Age in America; Introduction to Fiction Writing.

 Excerpts from citation: ... A “fabulous instructor,” known for her good rapport with students and her enthusiasm for the course and its materials. ... “Marianne was fabulously diplomatic in class. She had wonderful insights and did a great job of helping to mold and make writers.” ... “To be in such a genial and charismatic classroom was an inspiration every day.”  … “She was a wonderfully encouraging person who never criticized unless it was constructive.” 

 Teaching philosophy: “At the core of my pedagogy is encouragement. I believe that any keenly observant and patient person with the strong desire to write, who has the opportunity for study and practice, who possesses curiosity, an enthrallment with language, a book fiend’s reading habits, an empathetic nature, and who doesn’t mind keeping an awful lot of their own company and is afflicted by a diehard devotion to craft that sometimes blindsides common sense, well, frankly, no matter how dull her beginnings, this person does stand an awfully good chance of becoming an excellent writer.”

University Professor of Distinguished Teaching

Two three-year term professorships with a stipend of $3,000 per year have been established to recognize career-long excellence in teaching. One is for tenured faculty in Academic Affairs (including professional schools) and one is for tenured faculty in Health Affairs.

Cooper

PAMELA COOPER

 Title and department: Associate professor of English.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 1990.

 Other Carolina teaching awards: Graduate Student Mentoring Awards (1999, 2006); Tanner Award (1996).

 University awarding Ph.D.: University of Toronto.

 Classes taught last year: The English Novel 1870 to World War II, British and American Fiction Since World War II.

 Excerpts from citation: ... “Cooper is an amazing teacher. She is enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable about every text that we covered, and her excitement transferred to the class.” ... “She taught through a person-to-person relationship, rather than teacher-to-student. It was an incredible way of teaching, having us work it out ourselves with a few well-placed questions.” ... “The consummate professional - informed, poised, articulate.”

 Teaching philosophy: “I love to see curiosity and enthusiasm in my students; instilling a passion for literature is something I aim for. I try to create my classroom as a place of discovery, where people from various backgrounds and with different kinds of experience can come together and learn from each other. Discussion and engagement, with some supplementary lecturing, work best for me in my teaching.”

Hadzija

BOKA W. HADZIJA

 Title and department: Professor, School of Pharmacy.

 Faculty member at Carolina since: 1971.

 Other Carolina teaching awards: Among many more than 30 teaching awards, her recent ones include: Award for Lifetime Achievement in Teaching and Mentoring (2001);
Edward Kidder Graham Teaching Award (2002, 2004, 2005); Edward Kidder Graham Advising Award (2003); Dean’s Award for Significant Contribution to Graduate Education (2007).

 University awarding Ph.D.: University of Zagreb, Croatia.

 Classes taught last year: Basic Pharmaceutics I, Advances in Drug Delivery.

 Excerpts from citation: ... She does not hold office hours; her door is always open and students often line up to talk to her. One said, “When you leave, you feel like you’ve just left church … enlightened and a little more open minded.” … “What sets Dr. Hadzija apart is an intense interest in pushing you far beyond what you think your limits are and forcing you to really think through grander possibilities in your life. … Even once you leave Chapel Hill, you know she is available to you in times of joy and sorrow and any time there is guidance you think you need, in education or in life.”

 Teaching philosophy: “The important qualities of good teaching are thorough knowledge of one’s field, the ability to present new concepts and to make any difficult topic easily understandable. A good teacher also knows how to make the learning processes engaging and to stimulate enthusiasm for the subject. Teaching, however, goes well beyond the classroom.  Teachers should spend time talking with students and to get acquainted on a personal level. A good teacher knows the daily lives of students and is able to discuss a student’s future plans. Above all, a good teacher must have a caring attitude and demonstrate it every day.”

Tanner Teaching Assistants’ Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

In 1990, the University expanded the purview of the Tanner Awards to recognize excellence in the teaching of undergraduates by graduate teaching assistants.

The awards go to five graduate teaching assistants this year. Each of the winners receives a one-time stipend of $1,000 and a framed citation.

The 2007 winners are:
 Mike Aguilar, Department of Economics;
 Michael Allsep, Department of History;
 Elizabeth C. Bruno, Department of Romance Languages;
 Teresa E. McAlpine, Department of Communication Studies; and
 Stacy-Lynn Waddell, Department of Art.

Nominations open for 2008 University Teaching Awards

Which of your professors or teaching assistants have aroused your curiosity, opened your mind to new ideas, or influenced your choice of career? The University’s annual effort to identify and reward exceptional teaching is under way. The University Committee on Teaching Awards would like to encourage students, faculty, staff and alumni to submit nominations for several campuswide awards. The deadline for nominations is Oct. 1.

Details
   Board of Governors’ Award for Excellence in Teaching. This award is given by the Board of Governors to a tenured faculty member on each UNC campus for excellent and exceptional teaching at the undergraduate level over a sustained period of time. If you nominate someone for this award, include a curriculum vitae.

   Distinguished Teaching Awards for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction. Four awards are given to faculty members for exceptional teaching of post-baccalaureate students.

   Awards to Faculty for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Five Tanner Awards, one Friday Award, one Sanders Award and one Sitterson Award are given to full-time faculty members.

   Tanner Awards to Graduate Teaching Assistants. Five Tanner Awards are given to graduate teaching assistants for excellence in undergraduate teaching.

   Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement. This award acknowledges lifetime contributions to teaching, learning and mentoring beyond the classroom and is not limited to traditional faculty. If you nominate someone for this award, focus on his or her long-term impact on students.

How to nominate
The 2008 committee is chaired by Jan Boxill, director of the Parr Center for Ethics and senior lecturer and associate chair in the Department of Philosophy. Contact Boxill at 962-3317 or e-mail jmboxill@email.unc.edu. Debbie Stevenson, executive assistant to the provost, can also assist you with more information. She can be reached at 962-7882 or debbie_stevenson@unc.edu.

The University Committee on Teaching Awards values your nominations of deserving faculty members and graduate teaching assistants for distinguished teaching awards. More information and nomination forms are available online: provost.unc.edu/teaching-awards.

Winners will be recognized at a basketball game in early 2008 and will receive framed citations and checks at the annual awards banquet in April.