OUTSTANDING UNM TEACHERS TO BE HONORED

April 29, 2003

OUTSTANDING UNM TEACHERS TO BE HONORED

CASTL, the Center for Scholarship, Teaching and Learning at the University of New Mexico, presents the Teacher of the Year awards, Wednesday, May 7 from 2 - 4 p.m. at University House.

Outstanding Teachers of the Year (TOYA) recipients for 2002-03 are Gordon Hodge, psychology, and Michael Nakamaye, mathematics and statistics. Lisa Broidy, sociology, is an honorable mention. To be eligible for Outstanding Teacher of the Year, colleagues, alumni, deans and students can nominate a tenured or tenure track faculty. Recipients will receive $2,000 and a plaque, to be presented by Provost Brian L. Foster.

Adjunct Teachers or Lecturers of the Year (ATOYA) for 2002-03 are John Caffo, physics and astronomy; Dan Wolne, religious studies; and Marisa Clark, English. To be eligible for Outstanding Adjunct Teacher of the Year, the adjunct faculty must have taught at UNM at least four years and can be nominated by colleagues, students and alumni. Recipients will receive $250 and a plaque, to be presented by CASTL Director Susan Deese Roberts.

Outstanding Teaching Assistants of the Year recipients for 2002-03 are Jana Giles, English; John Kemp, history; Patricia Catoira, Spanish and Portuguese; Christelle Gonthier, French; Brenda Nicodemus, linguistics; and Mary Rooks, English. To be eligible for Outstanding Teaching Assistant of the Year, the teaching assistant or teaching associate must be on contract for 2002-03 and can only be nominated by the department chairperson. Recipients will receive $400 and a plaque, to be presented by Dean of Graduate Studies Teresita Aguilar.

All awards are reviewed based upon a personal statement including the individual's teaching philosophy, the quality of recommendation letters from students and colleagues, student evaluations and samples of teaching materials.

Deese Roberts said, "Teaching is one of the most important activities engaged in by faculty and teaching assistants. Most of these classroom instructors spend several hours outside of class preparing for each hour they spend in the classroom.

"Teachers mentor students. They assess student learning and provide guidance for improvement; they challenge students to do their best work. And the best teachers continually work to improve their teaching and, thereby, improve student learning. These awards provide the opportunity to celebrate the important and complex task of teaching by recognizing those who do it extremely well."

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