Almanac

Tuesday,
April 23, 1996
Volume 42 Number 29


IN THIS ISSUE

1997 Salary Memo; Comcast's Brian Roberts for Ivy Day; The Annenberg Center at 25
PPSA: Annual Meeting May 7; Speaking Out: Retiree Benefits
SENATE Annual Meeting Reports: from the Chair, President Rodin, Provost Chodorow, the Committee on Administration and the Chair-Elect; Synopsis of Senate Annual Meeting
Provost's Seminars: Four Winners; OF RECORD: Holidays in FY 1997; Council: Recreation/Intercollegiate Athletics
About the Lindback and Provost's Award Winners
PennMed Teaching Honors

Compass Features

OPPORTUNITIES
Bulletins: Penn Relays Web Page, Books in Print Online, Crowds in View, Crime Alert
CrimeStats, Update, Financial Breakfast Series, Customer Appreciation Sale
Talk About Teaching--The University in Microcosm: Benjamin Franklin Scholars (Will Harris et al)
Pullout: May at Penn


The Lindback and Provost's Awards

The reception honoring the recipients of the two Provost's Awards and the eight Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Awards for Distinguished Teaching will be held on Thursday, April 25, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Rare Book Room at Van Pelt Library. All members of the University are welcome.

The 1996 Lindback Award Winners from the non-health schools...

Dr. Daniel Deudney, the Bers Assistant Professor of the Social Sciences, joined the Political Science department in 1991 after receiving his Ph.D. from Yale--and quickly became a much sought-after teacher. His course "International Relations Theory," now capped at 250 students and a sizable number turned away, drew a 3.9 rating. Students repeatedly comment on the lasting impact of his courses: "...he combines the best aspects of a scholar, educator, and mentor," one writes; and "classes whether large or small regularly spark after-hours discussions among students and inevitably spur new ways of thinking," said another. From still another: "Professor Deudney not only deserves a Lindback...I think it is fair to say that the award deserves him."


Dr. Elizabeth Johns, the Silfen Term Professor of American Art History and recipient of numerous awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship, an honorary degree from Lafayette, and the Mitchell Prize in the History of Art for her book, Thomas Eakins: The Heroism of Modern Life. Dr. Johns came to the University in 1989 after serving as the Andrew Mellon Professor of Fine Arts and History at Pittsburgh. As undergraduate chair of History of Art she helped to develop a curriculum with high standards, and several nominators commend her role as a "teacher of teachers" who not only "has a talent for asking questions that encourage students to find the answers themselves," but also "frequently brings up pedagogical issues in her graduate seminars and regularly discusses teaching strategies with her TA's...the teaching experience becomes a learning experience."


Dr. Vijay Kumar, associate professor of mechanical engineering and applied mechanics. Joining SEAS in 1987 after receiving his Ph.D. from Ohio State, Dr. Kumar he was awarded a National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award in 1991. Meanwhile, he introduced totally new courses in robotics into the curriculum; modernized the senior laboratory course and created a new "Mechatronics" lab course. A colleague calls him "rigorous, enthusiastic and extremely creative in his approach to his teaching." One former student finds himself " revisiting his classes each year not only to get a better understanding of the subject but also to pick up elements of his teaching style. And more often than not I am joined by several other graduate students who are there for the very same purpose." In his design classes students have developed devices as varied as a "Walking Wheelchair and "a Three-dimensional spatial linkage." His undergraduates have published in the professional journals." A colleague calls him: "... an ideal exemplar of what we honor most in our faculty--superior talent coupled with commitment to education in every form."


Dr. James O'Donnell, professor of classical studies since 1981, Faculty Fellow in Van Pelt College House, and interim Vice Provost for Information Systems and Computing. Initiator of a Post Bac year in classics that is imitated by other major classics programs around the country, Dr. O'Donnell is even better known for his unique contributions to teaching in the humanities through the development and promotion of electronic tools. He has made scholarly publications available for general consumption over the Internet, and he has led the way in Internet teaching. His Web page,"New Tools for Teaching" is a source and guide around the world. An undergraduate student says his uses of the 'net for the dissemination of papers, general questions to the class, and continued classroom discussion creates in effect a "twenty-four hour classroom." Students describe him as a persuasive speaker who "does not tell you what to think, but makes you repeatedly challenge your preconceived notions and makes you think for yourself." Others call him "one of the most remarkable and accomplished teachers in the University and one of the most advanced thinkers in the world about what college teaching will be in the future."


The Provost's Award

David Rudovsky, a Senior Fellow in the Law School. Teaching two courses each year while maintaining an active law practice (primarily in civil rights, civil liberties and public interest law) he has won a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and Award for along with many other honors. The Classes of 1990 and 1993 chose him for the Harvey Levin Award for Excellence in Teaching. His classes have superior ratings and are always among the most sought after. Students frequently mention his skill in using the Socratic method in a non-threatening fashion. They call him organized, interesting, involved and interactive, "all with a remarkable sense of humor." Colleagues were equally enthusiastic, remarking that he "brings his wealth of experience, accomplishment and commitment" to his students. A current student concludes,"he is truly one of the Law School's greatest resources."


...and from the health schools:

Dr. Glen Gaulton, associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine. Dr. Gaulton, who received his Ph.D. from Santa Barbara and taught at Tufts before joining Penn in 1985, won the Deans Award for Excellence in Basic Science Teaching and the Leonard Berwick Teaching Award in 1990. Cited for "development and management of educational programs," he is praised as a mentor as well. Former students say "Dr. Gaulton largely influenced my decision to pursue academic medicine; his dedication to science and education and his enthusiasm for teaching have been models for me." and "Dr. Gaulton sets the standard upon which I hope to model my own career." He strives to teach and motivate others in the classroom, laboratory, and community--where he is known for bringing gifted West Philadelphia high school students for summer lab projects.


Dr. Kathleen McCauley, assistant professor of cardiovascular nursing. Dr. McCauley has taught at the University since 1981 and received her Ph.D. from the School of Nursing in 1991. Course director of the Advanced Clinical Practice, she has implemented the Master Teacher concept to further the clinical and professional education of her students--guided by her belief that learning and teaching are reciprocal activities with an interactive basis. She has an open door policy for her students and advisees. Former students write: "Dr. McCauley provided us with the confidence we needed in order to enter the extremely challenging and competitive world of nursing in the '90s," and "Dr. McCauley is like no other teacher...she successfully transformed and polished us into professionals."


Dr. David Piccoli, associate professor of pediatrics. Dr. Piccoli received his M.D. from Harvard where he also served as Instructor in Pediatrics before joining PennMed. Already a holder of the two CHOP teaching awards and the the Class of 1993 Teaching Award, he was named Physician of the Year by the American Liver Foundation and the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. Nationally, he has been a major force in providing a standardized fellow education program. Students' call him "brilliant and insightful," "superlative," and "the best teacher of my academic career." He is also an enthusiastic educator of nursing staff and he mentors advanced practice nurses ; his commitment to education extends to include all members of the health care community. With "superior" course ratings he receives comments such as "he is always seeking the best educational solution to any problem."


Dr. Thomas Van Winkle, associate professor of pathobiology. He took his D.V.M. from Penn in 1975 and joined the faculty in 1985. Winner of the Vet School Class of 1993 Award for Excellence in Teaching, is "one of those faculty who have a natural gift for sharing information with students....His colleagues have come to respect and rely upon his expertise and his enthusiasm. Tom's influence is not only in the classroom, but in faculty meetings dealing with curriculum and teaching. He serves as a model for all of us who call ourselves teachers." A student says, "Many faculty deliver information and students absorb it. But teachers like Tom Van Winkle actively instill in their students the desire to accumulate, analyze, rearrange and apply information in the most effective manner possible."


The Provost's Award

Linda Jacobs, Lecturer. Teaching in the Oncology Graduate Program at the School of Nursing since 1988, she developed and implemented recruitment and advising support for a National Cancer Institute grant and serves as Project Coordinator for the Oncology Training Grant for Minorities--and has recruited over twenty minority students to this program. Students cite teaching excellence and clinical competence, and describe her as a caring and devoted instructor. "To teach is simply to communicate knowledge. To educate is to draw out and develop harmoniously and in the fullest sense the mental and moral powers." Colleagues praise her "keen mind, extraordinary common sense and a great willingness to share her knowledge with others." "The ability to teach is an integral part of Linda, whether in the classroom, the hospital setting or in her own home with her three children," says one.


Return to Almanac's homepage.