UA News

Nine faculty members and one department were honored for contributions to students and the University.

Each year, with the help of the campus community, The University of Arizona recognizes faculty for excellence in teaching at the Awards of Distinction ceremony. On Friday, the UA Provost's Office held the annual luncheon and ceremony at the Student Union Memorial Center South Ballroom. About 100 UA community members attended the event to honor nine faculty members and one department, nominated by their peers, for contributions to students and the University.

"The Awards of Distinction ceremony is an opportunity to recognize excellence and to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of The University of Arizona faculty," said Provost Meredith Hay.

The awards are offered through the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost and the UA Foundation. Winners were announced in the following categories:

The Henry and Phyllis Koffler Prizes
Established through the generosity of former UA President Henry Koffler and his wife, Phyllis, the award comes with $10,000, a medallion and a certificate. Prizes are awarded in three categories: public service and outreach; research, scholarship and creative activity; and teaching. President Robert N. Shelton presented prizes to:

Trent Teegerstrom, associate specialist in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' department of agricultural and resource economics, received the Koffler Prize for public service and outreach. He was recognized for his efforts in working with small farmers, ranchers and American Indians throughout Arizona. He has gained their trust and confidence and created a nationally recognized program that helps these often disenfranchised groups more effectively manage their agricultural enterprises and become more profitable.

Jane Hill, a Regents' Professor the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences' anthropology department, received the Koffler Prize for research, scholarship and creative activity. A professor of anthropology and linguistics, Hill first received international recognition for her studies of Uto-Aztecan languages, in which she focused on analyses of grammar, historical linguistics and sociopolitical contexts of language use. She is best known for pioneering work that examines sociopolitical investigations of bilingualism, studies of language and political economy, and the field of linguistic ideologies.    

Alexander Cronin, associate professor in the department of physics in the College of Science, was awarded the Koffler Prize for teaching. Cronin teaches a range of undergraduate and graduate courses, including large enrollment physics courses. He has mentored more than 50 undergraduate students through hands-on independent research projects, which has lead to co-authorship by many students in journals and presentations of their results at national conferences. Cronin is also director of undergraduate studies in the physics department and has advised more than 20 undergraduate students.

The Provost's General Education Teaching Awards
Two awards of up to $2,500 acknowledge extraordinary quality and creativity in the teaching of general education courses. The UA's vice president for instruction, Juan Garcia, presented the awards to:  

Barnet Pavao-Zuckerman, associate professor in the department of anthropology in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, received the first award. "Many students who do very poorly on the first exam will ‘check out' of class by not attending lectures or labs, and by missing assignments. I try to be proactive and counteract this tendency," Pavao-Zuckerman said. As a result, she has found success by meeting with struggling students every week for review sessions and discussions on college life skills.  

Elaine Marchello, assistant dean of academic programs and lecturer in the department of veterinary science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, received the second award. Marchello has taught the general education course "Human and Animal Interrelationships from Domestication to Present" since the fall of 2003 to a classroom of 200 to more than 500 students per semester. Although her class typically meets at 8 a.m., attendance is consistently strong throughout the semester – a testimony to her motivating style of teaching.   

The Provost's Award for Meritorious Departmental Achievement in Undergraduate Instruction
Hay presented the award to the department of anthropology, where faculty, graduate and undergraduate students work collaboratively in research activities both across Arizona and around the world. Undergraduate preceptors are paired with graduate teaching assistants to increase accessibility and connectivity in large general education courses, which introduce many freshmen to topics in anthropology. The department's academic community is strengthened through its Office of Advising, where students find full-service help to enrich their academic experience. The department has a large number of internships and maintains a list of departmental undergraduate scholarships, which support travel to research sites, special experimental analyses and acquisition of materials. The program was recognized for its strong commitment to its more than 500 majors and minors, its teaching of 16 general education courses and for offering courses in all three general education focus areas. 

The University of Arizona Foundation Leicester and Kathryn Sherrill Creative Teaching Award
The award recognizes excellence in the art of teaching at all levels, with emphasis on the undergraduate level. It includes $2,500 and the placement of a plaque in the Donna Swaim Honors Lounge in the Student Union Memorial Center. The award was presented to Felice Bedford, an associate professor in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences' psychology department. Throughout her 20-plus years of teaching, she has educated more than 7,000 students, teaching large-enrollment general education courses in addition to upper division courses in perceptual learning, sensation and perception. Bedford's goal is "to get students to lead a life of the mind." Using her passion for psychology and teaching, she helps students achieve by challenging them to take active roles in their academic development. Bedford's innovative approach to teaching often encompasses assigning projects and giving lectures to engage students in real-life scenarios. Bedford also takes a special interest in educating students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Five Star Faculty Award
Sponsored by the UA Honors College, the award comes with $1,000 and is the only campuswide teaching honor awarded by UA students. Patricia MacCorquodale, dean of the Honors College, presented it to Albrecht Classen, a University Distinguished Professor of German studies in the College of Humanities. He said he sees the role of a good teacher as "an educator, philosopher, counselor, friend and sometimes even a stand-in parent." Classen is known for incorporating his own scholarship into his teaching and is collaborating with undergraduate and graduate students on a book project, which will allow his students to be published as co-authors. His open-door policy and vivacious teaching style encourages students, in classes with as many as 300 students, to engage in lively discussion. Classen's teaching style includes out-of-classroom experience with numerous freshmen colloquia and he has developed a six-credit medieval travel course to Europe. In addition, he serves as a Faculty Fellow and supports German teachers throughout the state. 

Professional Education Teaching and Mentoring Awards  Awarded by the Graduate College, the award recognizes teaching and mentoring excellence in graduate education and includes a check for $2,500, a medallion and a plaque, as well the posting of a photograph of the winners on the Graduate College "wall of fame." Andrew Comrie, dean of the Graduate College, presented awards to:

Thomas Mauet has been a professor in the James E. Rogers College of Law since 1980. A Milton O. Riepe Professor of Law, he teaches "Evidence" and "Trial Advocacy" courses and supervises all adjunct faculty teaching "Pre-Trial Litigation," "Basic Trial Advocacy" and "Advance Trial Advocacy." In peer reviews, colleagues consistently rate Mauet as meeting or exceeding in all categories. The common theme among the many letters of recommendation from former and current students is the level of expertise he brings to the classroom from his many years as a trial lawyer in Chicago. Mauet also has many books to his credit, including "Trial Techniques," which is the leading textbook in the field.

Chris Segrin, professor in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences' communication department, teaches a wide range of graduate courses in communication, mental health and family communication that are so highly regarded that graduate students from numerous disciplines enroll. Segrin was recognized for his kindness, guidance, commitment to advising and his willingness to make himself available to students days, nights and weekends.