Boxill |
"It was my honor and great pleasure to serve as the chair of
the 2008 University Teaching Awards Committee, especially working with a great
group of faculty, staff and students on the individual committees. My favorite
parts of this role were reading the many incredible nominations where I got a
glimpse of just what an amazing set of teachers we have at UNC, then hearing
the winners, and finally reading the write up on each of the winners.
After doing this, I invariably find myself saying, ‘Wow, I
would love to take this person’s class.’
How lucky our students are to have such dedicated, brilliant
and effective teachers. We are also fortunate to have these same teachers give
back by working on the various committees, who gave their time and commitment
to the success of this process,
especially as the selection process is not easy given the hundreds of
outstanding nominations.
The entire process runs smoothly thanks to Debbie Stevenson
who is just simply amazing in coordinating all of this."
— Jan Boxill, Chair, 2008 University Teaching Awards
Committee |
Board of Governors’ Award for Excellence in Teaching
| Stewart finds a rocky perch on campus behind the Ackland Art
Museum. |
|
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.
Carolina’s nominee, Kevin Stewart, will be recognized at a
May 9
luncheon to be held in conjunction with the Board of Governors’ meeting.
He will receive a commemorative bronze medallion and a $7,500 cash prize,
presented by Erskine Bowles, UNC president, and Jim
Phillips, chair of the board.
Kevin Stewart
Associate
professor of geological
sciences
Faculty
member: 1986
Classes
taught last year: Structural Geology, First Year Seminar on the Geology of
North Carolina, Geology of North America
STEWART |
How do you motivate your students to learn?
I’m fortunate because I get to teach something which I find
exciting and
interesting, and I hope my enthusiasm for the material is at least a little bit
infectious. Many of the world’s most pressing problems, such as global warming,
are geologic problems, so I think the students can see an immediate
connection between what they learn in the classroom and what they see in the
news.
Excerpts from award citation:
‘Professor Stewart is hands down my favorite instructor. His
approach is invigorating and engaging. I’ve taken
every class with Professor Stewart that I can. You really cannot overstate how
much he inspires students.’ …
Passion is a quality that distinguishes
Stewart’s teaching. Students find themselves drawn into geology
because of his enthusiasm and deep love of the subject. He awakens what he
calls the geologic imagination, an ability to think about the natural
world in innovative ways. As one
former student observed, ‘I was honestly caught off guard by how much I enjoyed
this course. I’m not a science person, but I found the material lively and
exciting.’
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.
Mark J.C. Crescenzi
Associate
professor of political science
Faculty
member since: 1999
Classes
taught last year: Introduction to International Relations; Introduction to
International Relations, Honors; Defense and National Security Policy;
International Conflict Processes
CRESCENZI |
How do you motivate your students to
learn?
My primary teaching goal is to get my students to think
analytically about politics. I want them to be able to understand the political
motivations for events that occur in world politics, such as trade agreements
or wars. I motivate my students by getting them to think about current world
politics in a new way. Just by taking a look at an event and breaking it down
into its causes and consequences, the students start to see politics in a new
light. They quickly make the shift from news consumers to political analysts,
and we can then proceed to learning about theories of international relations.
Events change rapidly in the political arena, but the underlying explanations
remain important.
Excerpts from award citation:
Students consistently praise Crescenzi for his classroom
manner, his concern for their learning and his ability to connect the abstract
with the concrete and to give them tools to carry beyond college into the real
world. It was striking how students also
appreciated Crescenzi’s ability to arm them with important tools for navigating
the real world. In describing his classroom manner, students and colleagues
called him an inspiration, very enthusiastic, understatedly funny,
laid-back, open to questions, bubbly and very effective. Crescenzi not only
embodies excellence in undergraduate teaching, but also changes students’ lives
on a daily basis.
William C. Maisch
Senior
lecturer, Romance Languages
Faculty
member since: 1995
Classes taught
last year: Spanish 204,
APPLES service-learning; Spanish 101; Spanish 260H, Honors fifth-semester
Introduction to Literature; Cervantes in Translation.
MAISCH |
How do you motivate your students to
learn?
The question that I am qualified to answer is not how I
motivate my students but how my students motivate me. If my students are
motivated, it is a product of what happens in the classroom when one has the
privilege to work with extraordinary students like ours. I am passionate about
teaching, but it only works when it works, because of the
motivation I get from my students’ amazing enthusiasm for life and learning.
Excerpts from award citation:
William Maisch is an expert on Spanish poetry and literature
— all of his students note that; but what is even more impressive is his
expertise in teaching. His passion for Spanish and his creative and fresh
teaching strategies inspire his students to immerse themselves in their
coursework and to continue learning even outside of the classroom. Maisch’s
students feel his investment in their education, whether he encounters them in
class, office hours, or even on a quad. One student said that when Professor
Maisch was teaching and interfacing with students, she felt that ‘There was
nothing else in his life that he would rather to be doing.’ With his passion,
creativity, energy, and teaching expertise, Maisch inspires the lives and the
intellectual pursuits of his students.
Mark McCombs
Senior
lecturer, mathematics
Faculty
member since: 1989
Classes
taught last year: Algebra, Precalculus Mathematics, Calculus of Functions of
One Variable II, Discrete Mathematics,
First Year Seminar: Math, Art and the
Human Experience.
MCCOMBS |
How do you motivate your students to
learn?
Whenever possible, I try to illuminate the human face behind
the numbers and formulae which often make mathematics classes seem so
intimidating. Even the most complex mathematical concepts grow out of real
people’s attempts to make sense of their world. My most gratifying teaching
moments include those in which students have said, ‘Before your course, I never
thought I really belonged in a math class. But I’m actually
understanding some of this stuff now!’
Excerpts from award citation:
Many students have approached their first class in
mathematics at Carolina with anxiety and even dread; yet those fortunate to be
taught by Professor Mark McCombs
complete their course not only with a
confident understanding of mathematical principles but also with a renewed
faith in their abilities to think and learn for themselves. The contagious
enthusiasm of
McCombs extends beyond his work in the classroom. As a generous mentor, adviser
and department member, McCombs epitomizes the approachable teacher who earns
the loyalty of his students through his own dedication to his subject. One
student
credited McCombs with being the most
inspiring and entertaining teacher that I had throughout my entire academic
career.”
Jesse Prinz
John J.
Rogers Professor of Philosophy
Faculty
member since: 2003
Classes
taught last year: First-year Seminar
on Human Nature, Moral Psychology,
Philosophy of Cognitive Science
PRINZ |
How do you motivate your students to
learn?
Students come into a class motivated; they enjoy learning,
and they select courses that sound interesting. The trick to maintaining that
level of motivation is to teach material
that is as fascinating as it sounds from a course description. I am especially
drawn to questions that challenge us to deepen our understanding of human
behavior, but absolutely anything can be an object of wonder if you ask the
right questions about it.
Excerpts from award citation:
Good teachers help their students learn about a subject.
Great teachers help their students learn how to make real contributions to it.
By this measure, Jesse Prinz is one of the great teachers at Carolina. He
displays a scintillating intellect and has the expectation that his students
will be intellectual beings throughout their lives. Under his guidance, they
too become philosophers. His devotion to his subject is matched by his devotion
to engaging with his students. Such teachers are rare, but Jesse Prinz is one
of them. One senior declared him to be ‘the most energetic, devoted and
inspiring
professor I have had throughout my
undergraduate career.’
Jane Thrailkill
Associate
professor and director of
undergraduate studies, Department of
English and Comparative Literature
Faculty
member since: 2000
Classes
taught last year: The American Novel,
American Nervousness (graduate seminar),
American Literature
After the Civil War.
THRAILKILL |
How do you motivate your students to
learn?
I try to cultivate a spirit of inquiry and open conversation
in my classes. We spend a good deal of time discussing the cultural context of
a work of fiction, on the principle that characters such as Daisy Miller or
Huck Finn can come into focus only with some knowledge of the changing economic
and social structure of the Gilded Age. Together we look closely and deeply,
focusing on passages and talking about the strangeness, humor, complexity, or
sheer beauty of an author’s language.
Excerpts from award citation:
Students are excited and engaged in the variety of classes
that Professor Thrailkill instructs. Her large lecture courses are infused with
the same level of passion and insightfulness as smaller classes. One such
example is a course on the American novel offered last fall. One colleague said
that Thrailkill thinks about issues like class size pedagogically as well as
logistically. ... She reaches each student with her boundless enthusiasm. ...
Rarely have I seen a teacher perform in class with such a dazzling combination
of casual off-the-cuff improvisation and incisive, focused analysis of literary
history, texts, and experience. What can I say? I laughed and learned along
with her admiring students. ... Thrailkill exemplifies the greatest assets of a
successful teacher — intelligence, passion, a sense of humor, and a
commitment to excellence.
Post-Baccalaureate Teaching and Mentoring Award
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.
Hiroshi Motomura
Kenan
Distinguished Professor of Law
Faculty
member since: 2003
Classes
taught last year: Immigration and Citizenship, Civil Procedure
MOTOMURA |
How do you motivate your students to learn?
Once I taught an 8-year-old to ride a bike. She thought she
wanted to learn but fell repeatedly in frustration. Adults pushed her bike,
only to watch her crash alone seconds later. This seemed backwards. Let her
start on her own, then catch her before she falls. I stood one foot away, she
rolled to me, and I caught her. I backed up another foot and we did the same
thing. And again. Soon I was back 15 feet, and she didn’t need me at all.
Excerpts from award citation:
Refreshing, amazing, passionate, a professor
who genuinely enjoys teaching. ... Students consistently rave that his courses
are among the best ... in 20 years of education and that he is one of the most
dedicated professors. … As one student says, he’s a fantastic mentor,
professor, and a reminder that it’s possible to be a lawyer and a well-rounded
person.
Della Pollock
Professor of
communication studies
Faculty
member since: 1986
Classes
taught last year: Special Topics in Performance Studies, Performance and Oral
History
POLLOCK |
How do you motivate your students to learn?
I try to imagine with each student what’s possible in
his/her work, to help each to strengthen the broader vision and essential
commitments on which it relies, and then to do what I can to pave the way.
Ultimately, this means variously enabling students to own their Respective
projects, to claim and pursue initiatives that integrate theory and practice
and to understand how and why their work matters — in the field, the
University, the communities (local to global) in which we live and work.
Excerpts from award
citation:
Students and colleagues ... emphasize Pollock’s commitment
to education at every level and in every setting
and often comment on her as a scholar who models the highest level of
collaborative and
giving intellectual practice. ... Pollock models a synergistic approach to
teaching, service and scholarship that sets an empowering example for all of
her students.
Stephen J. Walsh
Professor of
geography
Faculty
member since: 1986
Classes
taught last year: Coupled Human
Natural Systems and Land Use Dynamics, Geographic Information Systems, People
and Environment in Southeast Asia.
WALSH |
How do you motivate your students to learn?
My general goal is to seamlessly integrate spatial
analytical techniques and substantive geographic issues in a holistic manner
that knows no artificial boundaries that are often seen through traditional
course boundaries and content partitions. The challenge is to educate students
about tools, techniques and spatial digital methods; train them in their
applications; and integrate theory and practice within a basic and applied
research context that is rooted within the spatial analytical methods, but
extends throughout the natural, social and spatial sciences for assessing
important research paradigms and scientific and societal questions. Every
course that I teach is based to some degree within my research, and, as such,
creative thinking and development of an analytical strategy and executable
processing streams are essential to simulate ‘real world’ conditions and
learning through problem
solving within a research and scientific context.
Excerpts from award citation:
Walsh is a true mentor, who gives unselfishly of himself to
all his students. He goes out of his way to provide exciting research
opportunities for his students. ... From his joyful teaching style to his
challenging classes, from his thoughtful guidance on ethical issues to his
generous open-door policy, from his practical career advice to his concern for
a student’s whole graduate experience, it is clear that graduate education is
Steve’s greatest love …
and he is really good at it.
Ray C. Williams
Straumann
Distinguished Professor and chair of periodontology, School of Dentistry
Faculty
member since: 1994
Classes
taught last year: Fundamentals of Periodontology, Four Graduate Seminars in
Periodontology, Elective Seminar in Periodontology
WILLIAMS |
How do you motivate your students to learn?
I want my students to develop the understanding that
dentistry is a dynamic and rapidly emerging discipline that will require
life-long learning. Thus the seminars and discussions are focused on new and
emerging science in dentistry and medicine that has the likelihood of changing,
in a short time, how they conduct themselves in dentistry. Equally important, I
want my students to understand that their main role as a doctor is to bring to
bear all of the latest knowledge and skill to help people live better lives for
longer; to dedicate their life to caring for and helping people.
Excerpts from award citation:
Williams instructs his dental students to
emember that they are becoming more than just dental professionals but doctors
who care for people, who consider the whole patient — doctors who think
outside the mouth, as it were. His commitment to training compassionate, caring
medical professionals is at the heart of the reason he is receiving this award.
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, John 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.
Daniel P. Gitterman
Associate professor of public policy
Faculty
member since: 2000
Classes
taught last year: American
Public Policy, Senior Honors Thesis in
Public Policy
GITTERMAN |
How do you motivate your students to learn?
My experiences as a father profoundly shape my priorities
and my work with undergraduate
students. I am most proud of one sentence in my 2004 Tanner Undergraduate
Teaching Award Citation: ‘Caring’
is the single most-
commonly used word to describe Dan’s approach to teaching.’ Each day at
Carolina, I try to
approach my research, teaching, mentoring and service in the same caring and
compassionate way that many
educators teach and mentor my own children each and every day.
Excerpts from award citation:
His use of innovative mediums, active guidance for students,
and his ability to demonstrate a unique dedication to the process of conveying
his passion for the subject have contributed to increased enrollment, revision
and strengthening of the curriculum, and initiatives to support the student
experience within the department. … He’s been described as truly having a heart
for mentoring that extends beyond the classroom.
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.
Mitchell Picker
Professor,
Departments of Psychology and Neurobiology
Faculty
member since: 1985
Classes
taught last year: Biological Basis of Behavior II, Drugs and Behavior,
Psychological Application of Drugs.
PICKER |
How do you motivate your students to learn?
My approach to motivating students is multifaceted, with the
foundation being the creation of an open classroom environment that promotes
dialogue and communication between student and teacher as well as across
students. Making the material of personal value to the students, challenging
the students with complicated issues that have no simple solution, and
providing an opportunity
for students to express their views on controversial, real-world issues help to
establish
and maintain this open environment.
Excerpts from award citation:
His rapport with students is stellar: from lines at his door
during offices hours, to evening review sessions, to the wisdom he shares with
students working with him on independent research projects and the sound
professional advice he offers former students and fellow professors. His quiet
and unassuming manner makes him a hidden treasure on campus … He makes learning
relevant to all students by making them so comfortable with advanced
intellectual study that they are eager for more.
James M. Johnston Teaching Excellence Awards
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.
James Peacock
Kenan
Distinguished Professor of
Anthropology
Faculty
member since:1967
Classes
taught last year: Theory and Ethnography, Consciousness and Change,
Anthropology and Religion, Globalization and the South.
PEACOCK |
How do you motivate your
students to learn?
They are already motivated, so I try to tap their interests
while opening new perspectives. I work at trying to learn what their interests
and outlooks are.
Excerpts from award citation:
His dedication to thoughtful teaching and his willingness to
devote time to students, both through direct engagement and in finding
opportunities for them to pursue further study and research or work experience
is near legendary. One of his most marked characteristics as a professor is his
respect for his students. When asked to write a definition of public anthropology
for the Encyclopedia of Social Science, he wanted to involve some of his
students so that their names could be
included in the submission. ... ‘Keep Dr.
Peacock around forever, no matter the means necessary.’ … Students say that
Peacock
‘makes us all feel valuable, worthy and talented
as though we deserve to be here.’ ... ‘He is one of the reasons I have been so
inspired to become a professor myself.’
Hugon J. Karwowski
Professor of
Physics and Astronomy
Faculty
member since: 1984
Classes
taught last year: Mechanics, Digital Electronics
KARWOWSKI |
How do you motivate your students to learn?
I like to teach and I am usually prepared for class; I never
use PowerPoint in my lectures and I do not ask multiple-choice questions; I
push my students to work as hard as they can and I am constantly trying to get
the best out of
everyone, whether they like it or not; I am always willing to talk to my
students on any subject (including physics); I care about what my students
learn, and about what they do in school and in life.
Excerpts from award citation:
Karwowski’s devotion to teaching undergraduates can best be
described as fanatical. Despite a distinguished career as a nuclear physicist,
he is best known by students as an exemplary professor, consistently described
as considerate, extremely approachable,
always available, humorous, bright, and even crazy. ... Questions are expected,
not encouraged in Karwowski’s courses. ... According to the chair of the
department, he never says he has something more important to do than help a
student understand a physics concept.
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 first-year teaching by a tenured
or tenure-track faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences. 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 first-year
students. The first award was given
in 2000. The winner receives a one-time
stipend of $5,000 and a framed citation.
Valerie S. Ashby
Bowman and
Gordon Gray
Distinguished Term Professor of Chemistry
Faculty
member since: 2003
Classes taught last year: General
Descriptive Chemistry I, Introduction to
Organic Chemistry II, Introduction to Organic Chemistry I, Honors Organic
Chemistry II.
ASHBY |
How do you motivate your students to learn?
I try to motivate my students by suggesting to them that
their competition is not sitting next to them, but is national and international. Given that is the case, we often
discuss what excellence means in action and in attitude when one is facing a
significant challenge. In the process, they become determined to give their
best effort. The transformation for many of them is significant to them and
rewarding to me.
Excerpts from award citation:
Students who admit they don’t like chemistry
acknowledge that they do like her class and her enthusiasm and that they learn
much from her. Even students who end the semester with C grades marvel at how
much they liked the class and admire Ashby. ... ‘Ashby was by far the best
teacher I’ve had at UNC. She was always available for help and truly cares
about her students. She made me want to learn chemistry.’ ...
Another noted, ‘I will continue to seek teachers like Dr. Ashby who truly love
what they do, and are excellent at it!’
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.
Donald H. Baucom
Professor of
psychology
Faculty
member since: 1980
Classes
taught last year: Behavior Disorders;
Cognitive-Behavioral Couple Therapy
BAUCOM |
How do you motivate your students to learn?
Mentorship means developing healthy, long-term
relationships, how we all are called to relate to each other every day. It
involves helping a person be the best he or she can be. It includes many roles:
being a coach, sharing your knowledge and experience when
appropriate; a cheerleader, always encouraging and believing in that person; an
optimist, focusing on and building from the person’s many strengths; and a
realist, helping the person to face adversity and always strive to improve.
Excerpts from award citation:
The caring qualities that inform his research activities
carry over into his interactions with students and colleagues. In his case,
there is no apparent distinction between teaching, research, mentoring and
living. ... His impulse is collaborative and his orientation forward-looking,
whether problems are small or large. Not a
teacher-scholar who only mentors as part of one’s responsibilities, Baucom is
acknowledged as someone who mentors as a way of living in the world, by being a
model to which others aspire. His is mentorship by leadership and life example
rather than attempting to fit students to a pre-determined career path. He is
cited for having the approach: ‘You are my student; thus, I will help you
attain your goals.’
Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
by
Graduate Teaching Assistants
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 graduate teaching assistants. Each of the winners
receives a one-time stipend of $1,000 and a framed citation. 2008 winners were:
Emily Brewer, Department of English;
Marko Dumancic, Department of History;
Terri Bailey, School of Journalism and Mass Communication;
Rachelle Gold, Department of English; and
Meg Gambell Zomordi, School of Nursing.
Nominations open now for 2009 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
encourages students, faculty, staff and alumni to submit nominations for
several campuswide awards.
Nominations may be made at any time, but the deadline for
nominations is Oct. 1. For complete information about the awards, refer to provost.unc.edu/teaching-awards.
Chair of the 2009 committee is Donna LeFebvre, senior
lecturer in political science
(962-0429 or lefebvre@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.
Winners will be recognized at a basketball game in early
2009 and will receive awards at the annual banquet in April. |
