Lindback and Provost's Awards—Sketches of the 2015 Winners |
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April 14, 2015, Volume 61, No. 30 |
Teaching Award Reception: April 27
All members of the University community are invited to a
reception honoring the 2014-2015 recipients of the
Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Awards for Distinguished Teaching,
the Provost’s Awards for Teaching Excellence by Non-Standing Faculty
and the Provost’s Awards for Distinguished PhD Teaching and Mentoring
Monday, April 27 at 5 p.m.
Hall of Flags, Houston Hall, 3417 Spruce Street |
Lindback Awards |
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Non-Health Schools
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Health Schools
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Provost's Awards
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Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Awards at the
University of Pennsylvania: Awarded for Distinguished Teaching
The Lindback Awards for Distinguished Teaching at the University of Pennsylvania were established in 1961 with the help of the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation. Christian Lindback was president and principal of Abbotts Dairies, Inc. and a trustee of Bucknell University. The Foundation established Lindback Awards for Distinguished Teaching at colleges and universities throughout the Abbotts Dairies, Inc.’s service area in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.
See www.archives.upenn.edu/people/notables/awards/lindback.html for the previous recipients. |
Lindback Awards–Non-Health Schools
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Brian Bushee, Gilbert and Shelley Harrison Professor of Accounting in the Wharton School, has taught at Penn since 2000. “For each of his courses,” reports a colleague, “Brian makes a tremendous ongoing investment in developing classes that are not only intellectually challenging, but also state-of-the-art in terms of incorporating new research findings and current events.” His MBA and PhD students widely admire this relevance, as well as his rigorous preparation, which includes writing “nearly every single case used in his class” and “personally doing all of the grading for his courses.” He has been a pioneer in developing a highly successful Introduction to Financial Accounting course on Coursera and then incorporating online open learning into his teaching at Penn, allowing him to concentrate more class time, in one student’s words, “on the material students are having trouble with and on more advanced problems and strategic issues.” This experiment has proven so valuable that it has been adopted not only across Wharton but also at peer universities. An MBA student with prior work experience as an accountant reports, “Dr. Bushee’s course turned out to be transformational by broadening my views about accounting…accounting was no longer the number-crunching and often unglamorous discipline I knew, but a combination of accounting, finance, ethics, strategy, management and business communication–a critical business language.” |
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Robert Ghrist, Andrea Mitchell University Professor, has taught at Penn since 2008, with appointments in the department of electrical & systems engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science and the department of mathematics in the School of Arts & Sciences. “As fearless in his teaching as he is in his research,” he is, in the words of a colleague, “a driving task-master in the classroom whom the students also love…a restless inventor, constantly daydreaming about better ways to teach, about how to unlock ever deeper concepts for ever broader audiences, leveraging the hottest new technologies available.” Indeed, he “has dared to push students far beyond conventionally accepted boundaries” by deploying new forms of active in-class learning and reinventing the curricula of ESE 210 (Dynamical Systems) and the engineering calculus core sequence in the math department. His pioneering online course, Calculus: Single Variable, reinvents the structure and delivery of a calculus curriculum and became one of the only online courses approved for college credit by the American Council on Education. “By far the most brilliant and caring professor I have ever had,” in the words of one student, he “managed to instill energy into derivatives, impart intrigue to integrals and bring life to differential equations. He made the imaginary seem real and the seventh dimension feel as natural as the third.” |
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Masao Sako, associate professor of physics & astronomy in the School of Arts & Sciences, has taught at Penn since 2006. “One of the most creative and inspiring teachers” at Penn, he has both transformed the introductory physics curriculum and led the department’s engagement with new methods of active classroom learning. With teaching evaluations that are, in the words of a colleague, “the most uniformly positive I have ever read (and this is an Introductory Physics course–typically not the kind of course students enjoy),” he is “extremely accessible” and “has the rare ability to get inside the heads of his students and understand what it is that they do not.” In his wide range of courses at all levels, he “focused on the meaning of the material,” writes one student, and “challenged the students with difficult problems, but his lectures were so clear, and his explanations so thorough, that…the students understood the physics and could reach the conclusions on their own.” Along these lines, with “an office literally overflowing with enthusiastic undergrads,” he has now helped pioneer the department’s approach to active studio learning, in which “students work in small teams to…develop an understanding of scientific concepts by actually doing science,” thereby “leading a revolution in the way undergraduate physics courses are taught at Penn.” |
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Amy Wax, Robert Mundheim Professor of Law in the Law School, has taught at Penn since 2001. “She is the personal trainer for the legal mind: no pain, no gain,” writes a colleague. Renowned for her use of cold-calling and the Socratic method, she shows her classes, in the words of a former student, “not just how to answer a question but how to ask a question.” In the process, she has taught generations of students not simply the intricacies of civil procedure and Supreme Court advocacy but above all how to think like lawyers. “Though she asks a lot,” writes one student, “she gives a lot in return,” helping students secure jobs and clerkships, hosting them at dinners at her home and visits to the Supreme Court and “office hours [that] frequently boast a line down the hall.” She “brings out the best in her students,” echoes a colleague, “because she consistently brings her own best performance to the classroom…beguiling students with the rigor of her questioning, probing until students discover rules and principles they could not have seen on their own…she keeps at it until she is satisfied that the light-switch of understanding has been turned on.” Indeed, generations of students note that, years later, they still refer to their class notes when faced with complex legal challenges at work, finding “not necessarily an answer, but something even more useful: a clear expression of logical reasoning.” |
Lindback Awards–Health Schools
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Cynthia A. Connolly, associate professor of nursing in the School of Nursing, has taught at Penn since 2008. “I could describe her quite aptly with one word,” says an admiring former student: “care.” Colleagues agree she cares deeply “about her pediatric patients, about her students and about the thematic structure of her courses.” Other students mention another word: “inspiring.” One said, “she is one of the most brilliant and compassionate teachers I have ever had, someone who inspired me not only to take her class, but to pursue honors work that would allow me to unpack the role of nursing in addressing child abuse issues.” Colleagues note that her work has shaped children’s health care and family policy in the United States, as “she is among the nation’s foremost experts in child welfare, and she leads the University in policy-driven initiatives for a pediatric population.” One current student was amazed by her efforts to learn about her students: “she quickly learned all of our names and our back stories!” Says another student, “I visited her office to share my ideas on a writing assignment and was taken aback by how seriously she listened to me. She even took notes on what I said!” Adds another student: “She is an impeccable listener, a brilliant teacher in both small and large settings and a lifelong scholar.” |
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Olena Jacenko, professor of biochemistry and associate dean of faculty affairs and diversity in the School of Veterinary Medicine, has taught at Penn since 1994. A recipient of numerous teaching awards and honors both nationally and from the Vet School, Dr. Jacenko is, in the words of a colleague, “visionary in her approach to teaching” and someone who has “helped shape the future of large animal internal medicine.” As “one of Penn Vet’s most beloved professors,” she not only excels as a teacher and researcher but also has “taken the lead in recognizing the potential synergy in cross-school teaching and the potential benefits of joining forces with other Health Schools at Penn.” Many students speak of her “willingness to go the extra mile” and her “knack for distilling extremely complicated material” as both a “teacher and mentor.” A colleague adds that she “seamlessly extends her teaching mission to include development of junior faculty,” mentoring young faculty in both her department and others. Current and former students note her dedication to diversifying the Vet School’s faculty and student body, while a colleague adds that she pays particular attention to “the flourishing of young women in science.” To that end, she serves on the Council of the Penn Forum for Women Faculty, and her “boundless energy” and “commitment to teaching excellence” make her an “exemplary model” for all. |
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James D. Lewis, associate professor of medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine, has taught at Penn since 1998. Described as a “wonderful mentor,” an “accessible teacher” and “the reason I came to Penn,” Dr. Lewis could “successfully teach epidemiology to a third-grader.” Students remark on how much they look forward to his lectures, noting that he is “a fantastic educator.” He is also well-known for mentoring junior faculty. “Dr. Lewis has been the clinical mentor for five junior faculty members in the Division of Gastroenterology, a testament to a tenured professor who only spends 20 percent of his effort in clinical care,” says a colleague. One trainee describes him as the “Michael Jordan of mentorship, epidemiology and probably gastroenterology, too,” while another notes that “his curiosity was so contagious it merits a research study in itself.” A former trainee, now a colleague, adds that “the knowledge and skills I learned working with Jim have helped carry me forward in my career and have also helped me teach medical students, residents and fellows.” Another former trainee echoes this sentiment: “I can honestly say that, without the least embellishment, my success to date is due entirely to Jim and his teaching ability. I have often said this, both privately and publicly: when I grow up, I want to be a shorter, browner version of Jim Lewis.” |
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Paul Offit |
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Paul A. Offit, professor of pediatrics in the Perelman School of Medicine, has taught at Penn since 1987. Described by one student as “easily one of the best attendings and one of the most gifted teachers at Penn Med,” Dr. Offit is known internationally as a “tireless public health advocate” and co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine recommended by the CDC for universal use in infants. Indeed, an admiring colleague describes him as “the foremost champion of vaccination in the world.” Students note that he is a “tremendous clinician,” a “phenomenal teacher,” “obviously great” and a “real gem.” Both colleagues and students describe an approachable teacher who is “affable and easy to talk to.” One impressed student adds that “there need to be levels above ‘Excellent’ to describe working with Dr. Offit. He is the complete package.” A former student, now a colleague, notes that “though I became a physician five years before meeting him, I feel I only truly became a doctor during my infectious diseases fellowship training under Dr. Offit.” Another former student adds that “he has taught through his actions that it is not enough to be a world-renowned scientist; one must fight day in and day out for the protection of children through vaccines.” |
Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence by Non-Standing Faculty
In October of 1987, the Office of the Provost announced the establishment of two additional Penn teaching awards—one in a Health School and one in a Non-Health School—to be given annually in recognition of distinguished teaching by associated faculty or academic support staff. The guidelines for the selection of the award recipients are the same as those given for the Lindback Awards, and the selection processes and deadlines are the same. |
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Melissa Hunt, associate director of clinical training in the department of psychology of the School of Arts & Sciences, has taught at Penn since 1999. As the instructor of the two-semester undergraduate course, Research Experience in Abnormal Psychology, she has inspired dozens of students to go on to advanced study and careers in psychology. “From day one,” writes one of those students, “we are encouraged to be independent and autonomous thinkers and researchers.” In this effort, writes another student, she “made it clear that she expected excellence, that she believed I was capable of achieving excellence and that she was passionate about teaching me the skills to enable me to do so… She taught me the value of research and how intellectually exciting the process could be.” While setting a high bar, she also provides students with extensive support and advice, as she “gets on the same level as her students and works with us as a team to complete our research projects… No question is ever a bad question.” In this way, notes a colleague, she “manages to give students the kind of instruction that one might find at a small liberal arts school…while at the same time educating them at the level of a world-class research institution.” In the process, she transforms students’ lives and careers. “She fights for her students and she never stops working for them. Simply put,” writes a student, “she is one of those professors whose memory always stays with you and whose lessons remain long after her class is over.” |
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Beth Hogan Quigley, senior lecturer in the School of Nursing, has taught at Penn since 1991. Described by nursing students as “a dynamic and powerful communicator,” she is “a dedicated and gifted teacher, constantly looking to innovate and improve the academic experience at the School of Nursing.” In a letter signed by every member of her course, students note that “because of her determination and emphasis on patient care and safety, we are inspired to be nurses like her.” Colleagues and students alike mention her mastery of her signature class, Integrated Anatomy, Physiology and Physical Assessment, “both the hardest and most fulfilling class I’ve ever taken in my entire life.” They also admire her outreach initiatives, in particular her work at the West Philadelphia Community Center. “Beth became involved in the West Philadelphia community as clinical site coordinator for the School of Nursing,” relates one colleague. “However, the relationship she built with community partners and community-based organizations went well beyond this role. She approached these relationships as an equal partner, asking what Penn Nursing could do for the community.” This “consummate community partner” whose “contributions are legendary” was chosen to serve as 2015 Grand Marshal, leading the senior class into the Kimmel Center for graduation. Says one graduating senior: “I can walk confidently into the beginning of my nursing career with a foundation that Beth Quigley helped to build.” |
Provost’s Award for Distinguished PhD Teaching and Mentoring
Excellence in PhD education is the hallmark of a great university. That excellence depends upon the skill and commitment of faculty mentors. The Provost’s Award for Distinguished PhD Teaching and Mentoring was established specifically to honor faculty who mentor PhD students. The prize is intended to underscore the University’s emphasis on graduate education, by celebrating the accomplishments of faculty who show special distinction in doctoral education. |
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Robert DeRubeis, Samuel H. Preston Term Professor in the Social Sciences and professor of psychology in the School of Arts & Sciences, has taught at Penn since 1983. An “innate mentor who takes any appropriate opportunity to turn a discussion into a teaching moment in a manner that is engaging and warm,” he “manages to find an almost perfect balance between actively fostering independence…and providing mentorship and guidance.” As a result, he has become “one of the premier mentors, if not the premier mentor, in the United States,” in part because, as one student explains, he is “remarkably selfless in promoting his students’ careers. He goes out of his way to give his students credit for their work and ideas, with little concern about recognition for his own contribution,” helping them achieve major conference presentations and first-authorship credit in joint publications. He “works to guide capabilities rather than control them,” as one student puts it, “and can engage himself into many ideas and projects. He encourages and guides us to become experts in the field and…often learns from his students after he has cultivated them.” Indeed, his current and former students widely report that he “is like a father figure” who “treats his graduate students–past and present–akin to an extended family,” including a memorable post-conference trip around the coast of Iceland in an RV. As a student writes, he “is the most ethical scientist in the pursuit of truth I have ever met. He never obfuscates, always shining the light onto the true answer.” |
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Marybeth Gasman, professor of higher education in the Graduate School of Education, has taught at Penn since 2003. A legendary mentor who “has advised a staggering number of doctoral students and chaired an outrageous number of dissertation committees,” she “treats the mentorship of future scholars and practitioners,” writes one of her many advisees, “with the same fervor and commitment that she brings to her scholarship.” Indeed, her students note that even as she “continues to succeed and climb in our field, she always makes sure to pull her students up with her.” In particular, she includes them as co-authors or co-editors in scholarly publications, including a recent volume in which all sixteen chapters were written by GSE students. In the classroom, students admire her “attention to connecting research and practice,” her “uncanny ability to connect broader social issues to students’ everyday lives,” and her “palpable efforts to encourage diverse perspectives.” She advises students before, during and after their graduate studies, “furthering our community of scholars” as her students assume positions around the country, as she is also “committed to students well beyond Penn” and to mentoring junior faculty members in her wider scholarly community. Her mission, as one student writes, “is to inspire future practitioners and researchers to live for ‘something bigger than themselves.’ Indeed, she lives her life with this philosophy and I confidently believe the students who learn with her and from her benefit from her generosity of spirit.” |
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