Top Professors Honored: CASE, Carnegie Foundation Salute 4 Nat'l Winners, 43 State Winners for Commitment to Undergrad Education

11/13/2003

From: Joye Mercer Barksdale of CASE, 202-478-5680; e-mail: barksdale@case.org

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 -- The Council for Advancement and Support of Education and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching today named four college and university professors as winners of the 2003 U.S. Professors of the Year Award for their dedication to teaching and commitment to students. The U.S. Professors of the Year Awards, created in 1981, are the only national honors specifically designed to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring.

The four national winners are:

-- Outstanding Community College Professor: Paris Svoronos, professor of chemistry, City University of New York Queensborough Community College (Bayside, N.Y.);

-- Outstanding Baccalaureate College Professor: Thomas Goodwin, professor of chemistry, Hendrix College (Conway, Ark.);

-- Outstanding Master's University and College Professor: Patty Hale, professor of nursing, Lynchburg College (Lynchburg, Va.); and

-- Outstanding Doctoral and Research University Professor: Edward Ayers, professor of history and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia (Charlottesville, Va.).

The professors were selected from a pool of nearly 400 nominees. (Bios of the professors accompany this release.) Campus provosts and academic vice presidents nominated them for the honor, and current and former students, colleagues, and peers from other institutions sent letters of support. Nomination materials included the professors' teaching logs and course descriptions, as well as personal statements describing their teaching and mentoring techniques, courses or curricula they created, or steps they took to extend the learning process beyond the classroom.

CASE assembled two preliminary judging panels last spring that evaluated the nominees in four areas: 1) impact on and involvement with undergraduate students; 2) scholarly approach to teaching and learning; 3) contributions to undergraduate education within the institution and community; and 4) support from colleagues and students. CASE then forwarded a list of finalists to the Carnegie Foundation, which performed the final judging and awards $5,000 prize to each of the four national winners. Carnegie also selected 43-state level winners.

Vance T. Peterson, president of CASE, said this year's winners "represent undergraduate teaching at its best."

"The four U.S. Professors of the Year and the state winners we are honoring today are excellent teachers because they care deeply about their disciplines, and because they have great respect for the learning process and students. They are clearly experts in their fields, and they know how important it is to engage in research and stay active with scholarly associations. But just as importantly, their teaching is infused with an amazing commitment to students. They know that the very best teachers remain curious and open-minded throughout their careers, and they instill those values in their students."

"Quality teaching requires commitment and collaboration; it also requires creativity and innovation," said Lee S. Shulman, president of The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. "The professors we select as U.S. Professors of the Year are fine teachers; they have demonstrated enormous dedication to their profession, and they are an inspiration to their students and their colleagues. They have transformed their own knowledge and understanding and passed it along in ways that both form and inform their students. Not only have they instilled a love of learning in their students, they have also examined their teaching and turned it into a legacy for other members of the teaching profession to build upon."

The Professors of the Year were honored today at a luncheon at the National Press Club. The professors and their students spoke at the luncheon, which also featured remarks from Ray Orbach, director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. TIAA-CREF, one of America's leading financial-services organizations and higher education's premier retirement system, was the primary sponsor for the awards ceremony. The American Association of Community Colleges is a patron of the event.

-- 2003 State Winners

Alabama, Joe L. March, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Arizona, Thomas V. McGovern, Professor of Psychology, Arizona State University West

Arkansas, Robert G. Gregerson, Associate Professor of Biology, Lyon College

California, Judy Kasabian, Professor of Mathematics, El Camino Community College District

Colorado, Bruce G. Linster, Professor of Economics, United States Air Force Academy

Connecticut, Eugene V. Gallagher, Rosemary Park Professor of Religious Studies, Connecticut College

Delaware, Christine T. Kydd, Associate Professor of Business Administration & Director of Undergraduate Programs, University of Delaware

Florida, Alberto Meza, Professor of Fine Arts, Miami-Dade Community College - Kendall

Georgia, Andrew Silver, Assistant Professor of English, Mercer University

Idaho, Maria Alicia Garza, Associate Professor of Spanish, Boise State University

Illinois, Narendra K. Jaggi, Professor of Physics, Illinois Wesleyan University

Indiana, Lloyd Hunter, Professor of History, Franklin College

Iowa, Cheryl Donlon, Science Instructor, Northeast Iowa Community College

Kansas, Steve Gerson, Professor of English, Johnson County Community College

Kentucky, Don T. Dugi, Professor of Political Science, Transylvania University

Maryland, Mary Furgol, Professor of History, Montgomery College, Rockville

Massachusetts, Patricia Ann Mabrouk, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Northeastern University

Michigan, Rebecca B. Sipe, Associate Professor of English, Eastern Michigan University

Minnesota, Joseph A. Gallian, Professor of Mathematics, University of Minnesota Duluth

Mississippi, Greg Miller, Professor of English, Millsaps College

Missouri, Robert Zebroski, Associate Professor of History, St. Louis College of Pharmacy

Montana, Gerry Brenner, Professor of English, University of Montana

Nebraska, Kelly Elizabeth Eaton, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Nebraska Wesleyan University

Nevada, Phillip C. Boardman, Professor of English & Department Chair, University of Nevada, Reno

New Hampshire, Sarah T. Dangelantonio, Professor of English, Franklin Pierce College

New Jersey, Carole Gavin, Professor of Language & Literature, Burlington County College

New Mexico, Ricardo Aguilar Melantzon, Professor of Spanish, New Mexico State University

New York, Steven L. Manly, Associate Professor of Physics, University of Rochester

North Carolina, Russ McDonald, Professor of English, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Ohio, Sherry Linkon, Professor of English and Co-Director, Working-Class Studies, Youngstown State University

Oregon, Suresht Renjen Bald, Professor of Politics, Willamette University

Pennsylvania, Andrew W. Belser, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, Juniata College

South Carolina, Robert Greenlee Hudson, Professor of Biology, Presbyterian College

South Dakota, Stuart D. Kellogg, Ervin Pietz Professor, Program Director, Industrial Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Tennessee, Elizabeth Mansfield, Associate Professor of Art History, University of the South

Texas, Elizabeth Long, Associate Professor of Sociology, Rice University

Utah, Frank Guliuzza, Professor & Chair of Political Science & Philosophy, Weber State University

Vermont, Patricia D. Siplon, Associate Professor of Political Science, Saint Michael's College

Virginia, Teresa Keller, Professor of Mass Communications, Emory and Henry College

Washington, Terry Martin, Professor of English, Central Washington University

West Virginia, Steven P. Mewaldt, Professor of Psychology, Marshall University

Wisconsin, James A. Brey, Professor of Geography and Geology, University of Wisconsin Colleges-Fox Valley

Wyoming, Susanna L. Goodin, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Wyoming

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The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching was founded in 1905 by Andrew Carnegie "to do and perform all things necessary to encourage, uphold and dignify the profession of teaching." The foundation conducts research and policy studies on teaching and learning.

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is the largest international association of education institutions, serving more than 3,200 universities, colleges, schools, and related organizations in 46 countries. CASE is the leading resource for professional development, information, and standards in the fields of education fund raising, communications, and alumni relations.