16 win Collegiate Teaching Awards

Sixteen faculty members have been named recipients of the 2002-03 Collegiate Teaching Awards for demonstrating unusually significant and meritorious achievement in teaching. The honor carries a $2,000 award.

The winners are named each year by the Council on Teaching. Nominations are made by students, other faculty members, and department heads. Award winners are chosen based on how their teaching and informal contacts enhance student learning, an analysis of teaching materials and class activities, scholarly works or creative achievements, and student evaluations of the nominee’s teaching ability.

The following list includes the recipients and a comment about their teaching from a student.

Adel K. Afifi	Rachel Anderson

Adel K. Afifi, professor, pediatrics, whose teaching includes Medical Neuroscience; bedside instruction of students, residents, and fellows; staffing the Child Neurology outpatient clinic; and core lecture curriculum of residents in neurology and pediatrics. A medical student wrote, “Education at its core is simply about providing knowledge, but effective education involves much more. Dr. Afifi understands this distinction and strives to make his teaching not only informative but also entertaining and worthwhile. Instead of simply presenting material in a sterile format, Dr. Afifi engages students in active learning. This allows us to be better medical students and in the long run better physicians. His wonderful rapport with students allows a cooperative educational environment, and his positive attitude facilitates a proper therapeutic environment for patients.”

Rachel Anderson, assistant professor, health management and policy, whose teaching includes Introduction to Health Care Organizations and Policy; Mental Health Services and Policy; and Federalism and Health Policy. A graduate student wrote, “It is significant to note that Dr. Anderson is firmly committed to improving the public health system for all Iowans, while especially championing the interests of the mentally ill population. She effectively communicates her passion for her work and inspires those students interested in careers in the public health arena. As a student, it is refreshing to be taught by an individual who is so active in pursuing actual solutions to the very policy problems we discuss in the classroom.”

Marsha Cunningham-Ford	Ed Folsom

Marsha A. Cunningham-Ford, associate professor, preventive and community dentistry, whose teaching includes Preventive Dentistry, Communication, and Patient Care; Fundamentals of Clinical Dentistry; and Intro to Clinic. A third-year dental student wrote, “As one of the clinical instructors, Ms. Cunningham creates an atmosphere that asks students to evaluate their own work. In doing this she asks for both the positive aspects of our performance as well as those things that can be improved upon, I remember one frustrating clinic day when I felt that I could do nothing right. She asked me to explain what I could do right and why I needed to improve. This conversation, her patience, and her constructive criticism gave me the confidence I needed for the next time I saw a patient.”

Ed Folsom, professor, English, whose teaching includes American Poetry, Selected Modern Authors: Willa Cather and William Faulkner, and Selected American Authors: Dickinson and Whitman. An undergraduate student wrote, “When ideas keep me up at night, when arguments made in class begin to filter into my conversations with my friends, I know that I’m truly learning—learning in a sense that extends beyond the boundaries of a course syllabus to become tangible, something meaningful and real. Professor Folsom inspires this sort of education … The excitement I feel in cracking open a new book—the thrill of possibility, of expanded horizons is the feeling I would use to describe our classes.”

Nancy Hauserman	Joseph B. Lang

Nancy R. Hauserman, professor, management and organizations, whose teaching includes Introduction to Law, Managing and Valuing Diversity, and Conflict Management Seminar. An undergraduate student wrote, “Nancy wants every student who enters her class to leave a more aware and involved member of the community. She works at attaining this in two ways: by living as an example through volunteering and community involvement, and by offering students credit for community service projects. She embodies a caring and involved humanitarian more than any other professor I have met, through serving lunch to the needy at the Wesley Center or working the Women in Business’ car wash to help raise funds for the American Red Cross. Her activities are vast, and she encourages her students to develop a lifelong relationship with their community through volunteer work.”

Joseph B. Lang, associate professor, statistics and actuarial science, whose teaching includes Statistics for Business, Applied General Regression, Analysis of Categorical Data, and Intro to Probability. A graduate student wrote, “Professor Lang encourages student participation and he creates a classroom environment where students are not intimidated by the material and feel comfortable asking questions. Professor Lang’s teaching excellence is not only demonstrated in the classroom; he is always willing to meet with students outside of class time and office hours to discuss the difficulties that they might be having with the material and concepts covered in his course. He has a unique ability to listen to a student’s questions, quickly identify where the student is confused, and explain the material in a way that clarifies the student’s understanding.”

Susan Lawrence	Richard F. LeBlond

Susan Lawrence, associate professor, history, whose teaching includes History of Medicine in Western Society, Medical Gross Anatomy, and Foundations in Clinical Practice. A graduate student wrote, “Class was very interactive. Every class period she asked, ‘What do you think…? Why do you think… ? How do you think…?’ Think, think, think. For many of these questions, history did not provide a definite answer. ‘Use you imagination. Speculate.’ I had to think beyond the words on the page in an attempt to understand the thinking and the decision-making of the time period. Being told to approach the readings with a critical eye was not new. I had been told this in other classes. The difference in her class was that she did not just tell us, she had writing assignments that taught us how to do it.”

Richard F. LeBlond, professor (clinical), internal medicine, whose teaching takes place in the laboratories of clinical medicine—the outpatient clinics and the inpatient general medicine services. A fourth-year medical student wrote, “One of the best qualities Dr. LeBlond has is his compassion for others. … Just as Dr. LeBlond is excellent at communicating with his team members, he is exemplary in facilitating physician-patient relationships. On more then one occasion, I was able to learn from his ways of conveying difficult information to fellow human beings. I did not use the word ‘patient,’ as Dr. LeBlond viewed them as more than patients. He tries very hard to put himself in the position, sick human beings, as this helps guide him in his management decisions.”

John D. Lee	Scott McNabb

John D. Lee, associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, whose teaching includes Human Factors, Engineering Economy, and Modeling Operator Performance. A former undergraduate student wrote, “It is because of John’s emphasis on the importance of graduate school and his belief in me as a researcher that I am a departmental fellow at the University of Michigan. He prepared me for graduate school by challenging and trusting me in the laboratory and in the classroom, providing me with two top-notch internship experiences, and enabling me to attend and present at conferences as an undergraduate. It has become clear to me that I am as prepared, if not more, for graduate school and research than any of my colleagues here at the University of Michigan because of John.”

Scott McNabb, associate professor, planning, policy, and leadership studies, whose teaching includes Human Relations for the Classroom Teacher, Research in Cross Cultural Settings, and Education in the Third World. A graduate student wrote, “Scott wants future teachers to face important issues now, in a ‘safe’ environment, rather than be blind-sided in their own classrooms. He carefully plans the lecture aspect of his course to reflect the issues and concerns raised by the student population. After the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, Scott contacted a Muslim woman in the College of Education who agreed to attend the lecture and answer students’ questions about her faith and her lifestyle. For many of the students, her face, her voice, and her ideas reached them in a way no lecturer could. His open-door policy means that the door to his office may be open, but his office is rarely empty.”

Paula Mobily	Carol Severino

Paula Mobily, associate professor, adult and geronto-logical nursing, whose teaching includes Basic Concepts of Nursing, Gerontological Nursing, and Clinical Nursing Internship. An undergraduate student wrote, “Dr. Mobily makes an effort to make sure students from different cultural backgrounds or students whose first language is not English adjust well in the college. She takes time during and after class to help these students. Most important of all, her dedication does not stop after the semester is over. When I see her on campus, she greets me and always asks how school is going for me. Although I do not have her class now, her teachings and dedication have facilitated my learning throughout my nursing school years. And she continues to encourage me in my career path. … She also shares new information and learning experiences when they are available.”

Carol Severino, associate professor, rhetoric, whose teaching includes Teaching in a Writing Center, Issues in ESL Writing, Rhetoric I, and Topics in Second Language Acquisition: Writing. A graduate student wrote, “Professor Severino lives up to the title of coach in her work at the writing center. Her mastery of
En English language grammar and syntax and her ability to impart that knowledge are evident from her approach to editing students’ work. While she was going over a series of my short articles last summer, Carol never failed to stop, name, and explain or illustrate to satisfaction each awkward phrasing or grammatical mistake. What impressed me the most about her coaching wasn’t so much her knowledge and patience, which one expects from a teacher. Rather, it was her infectious energy and generosity with her time that stood out. At the summer’s end, Carol offered to continue editing my work even though she was no longer obligated to help me.”

Timothy Salter	John-Mark Stensvaag

Timothy Stalter, associate professor, music, whose teaching includes Advanced Choral Conducting, Kantorei, and University Choir. An undergraduate student wrote, “On a daily basis, he demonstrates the importance of each singer’s responsibility to the score while remaining sensitive to the needs of the individual voice. He exhibits precise conducting skills that are admired by everyone under his direction. The University’s orchestra members and chamber musicians especially appreciate his expertise and preparedness when conducting works with instrumental accompaniments. His class has become such a priority in my life that I have chosen to remain in Kantorei even thought I no longer need the credit. I feel he has so much to offer as a teacher and as a musician that I cannot afford to miss the opportunity to be in his class.”

John-Mark Stensvaag, professor, law, whose teaching includes Environmental Law, Civil Procedure, and Evidence. A second-year law student wrote, “Last year I knew on the first day of class that Professor Stensvaag would turn out to be a great teacher. I could tell the moment he walked into the room that he was happy to be there and ready to give everything he had to the lesson he would teach. I am not surprised at how much I have come to respect him. I am, however, constantly impressed with how consistent he manages to be. Professor Stensvaag never has a bad day, or if he does, it is never evident to his students or reflected in his lectures. When I am a lawyer, I will try to remember that this amount of dedication is what I will need to give to my clients, my coworkers, and my firm. I know this will be difficult, but high standards are the natural consequence of having a great role model.”

John M. Swegle	H.S. Udaykumar

John M. Swegle, assistant professor (clinical), clinical and administrative pharmacy, whose teaching includes Family Medicine Clerkship, Psychiatric and Neurologic Disorders, and Infectious Diseases. A graduate student wrote, “Dr. Swegle has many important attributes that make him an outstanding teacher. One such feature is his ability to effectively teach both large groups as well as individual students. When lecturing to large classes, he incorporates personal experiences into the subject at hand creating a learning experience that is practical and applicable to the pharmacy practice setting. With individual students, he is capable of tailoring his teaching to each individual’s learning style, making his rotation a challenging and educational experience.”

H.S. Udaykumar, assistant professor, mechanical and industrial engineering, whose teaching includes Interfacial Flows and Transport Processes, Heat Transfer, and Thermodynamics. An undergraduate wrote, “Dr. Udaykumar is the very definition of what a professor should be. His enthusiasm and passion not only for teaching, but for the subject matters themselves, have been an inspiration to me and to my fellow students. It is these traits that have made him ‘the’ professor to have in the College of Engineering. He has a way of infecting his students with his energy and excitement that makes time in his class fly by. Dr. Udaykumar has the gift of bringing the real world into the classroom and giving his students the unique perspective of the ‘big picture’ that is so often overlooked in the college environment. … The emphasis of his classes are on having his students walk away with practical, usable knowledge of resources and a good handle on theory and principles.”

Compiled by Sara Epstein Moninger