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CAMPUSES STUDENTS FACULTY & STAFF ALUMNI VISITORS & FRIENDS |
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2005 Professor of the Year NomineesAlberto
Acereda Nomination: “As a Spanish major with a Hispanic background, I appreciate Professor Acereda’s eloquent and clear lectures linking the history of the U.S. to that of Latin America and Europe; as a literature enthusiast, I value the depth and intensity of his lessons; and as a historian, I welcome the connections he makes between literature and its global context…His class was a highlight of my day because I so looked forward to hearing him speak of literature with such ferocious enthusiasm.” – Alberto Pino, Student Janet
“Jess” Alberts Nomination: “Much of the class curriculum is heavy in communication and theory, and Dr. Alberts did a fantastic job assisting the class in understanding the material by presenting us with real research and both qualitative and quantitative data that she had either published herself, or had been published by another colleague in the field. She balanced this expertly with examples from her personal life that were not only relevant, but were entertaining and promoted class discussion….” – Justin Holmes, Student Gary
Anders Nomination: “Dr. Anders didn’t allow for a “get comfortable” phase when the semester began. From Day 1, we were set into teams and faced with an almost insurmountable task of researching, analyzing and illustrating the topics at hand. Through each presentation, Dr. Anders critiqued our group, which molded us into a lean, mean, competitive intelligence machine.” – Joseph Hartzell, Student Daniel
Canary Nomination: “Dr Canary…used the metaphor of a pilot talking about turbulence to help us remember that when times seem scary or tough we must remember to speak “low and slow.” He made us understand that we must have control over ourselves during conflict. He then made the class burst out into laughter when he imitated a pilot telling passengers that there was turbulence ahead and we should have our seatbelts buckled in a very high and fast voice. I will never forget that and I seem to remember it when I have conflict in my life. I have used the tools that I learned in his class at my work and home and I have seen nice improvements.” – Kristina R. Murphy, Student David
Capco Nomination: “He is able to transfer his enthusiasm to his students with his interactive lectures. During his lectures he gives each type of cell a personality and he tells jokes about a cell’s mannerisms which makes classes fun and (he would be happy to know) hard to forget. Attend any lecture by Dr. Capco and you are as equally likely to find him walking across the tables imitating a molecular motor, as to find him twisting his body to illustrate the conformational change of a protein…it is obvious to see he loves his job and wants his students to share his passion for science.” – John Horne, Student Barbara
Crowe Nomination: “With all of her obligations, it’s hard for me to understand how she accomplishes all that she does: teaching, researching, writing, marketing, community projects and so much more. When I question how she does it, I remember one word: VISION. Professor Crowe radiates a contagious and inspirational vision for the future of music therapy that shines upon everything she touches.” – Julie G. Lindemuth, Student Richard
Dagger Nomination: “Dr. Dagger extends his services well beyond the classroom. His door is always open to students, faculty or the general passer-by looking for an interesting conversation. His knowledge of political theory is daunting, but his love of Rock’n’Roll history is refreshing. In all of his classes he affords the students with opportunities to go above and beyond the regular course of study in order to tailor learning to their own interests.” – Jason Beazley, Student Ronald
Dorn Nomination: “In a massive lecture class of countless faces, there are few professors who even attempt to interact with the students; yet, Professor Dorn does so successfully in each and every class period. Dr. Dorn employs various interactive instructional methods in an attempt to reach every student…As a student in Dr. Dorn’s geography class, I am not simply memorizing locations on a map or parts of a mountain. Instead, I am learning to think, learning to discover.” – Clare Richard, Student Stanley
Faeth Nomination: “…Dr. Faeth continually encouraged us to collaborate with each other by editing each other’s papers, sharing research ideas, and even conducting experiments together. The camaraderie that soon developed between students was inspiring; I enjoyed the lively dialogue that this environment provided and the students’ active roles in guiding the direction and content of the course.” – Cinnamon Jill Hayes, Student Betsy
Fahlman Nomination: “Since 1988, Professor Fahlman, who is “Betsy” to all of her students, has tirelessly and enthusiastically been lecturing to her undergraduate students about the history of Art. The subject matter comes alive in her classroom and in her office as she speaks; for example, she fleshes out the slides on the screen and her comments on student research papers with anecdotes, asides, digressive stories and quips that bring the motivations and the ambitions of the artists, patrons and collectors alive.” – Jan B. Fisher, Student David
Foster Nomination: “When he is in front of a class or working with students one-on-one you are always aware that Foster is taking a keen interest in your questions and your work. This enthusiastic and wholehearted way of being make it obvious and contagious that teaching is what Foster is all about….Foster always is suggesting a list of ways and tools to enhance learning and growth outside the classroom – be it a book, a new club, a cultural event or a summer program.” – Samuel Hood Burke, Student Stephen
Goldinger Nomination: “Dr. Goldinger brings fundamental psychology concepts out of the textbooks and into reality for his students. I still remember when he told the class about how he once pulled over to the side of the road to try and figure out the lyrics of a song he was listening to. Having failed to do so, he finally downloaded the lyrics and realized they made no sense, thus demonstrating the importance of top-down processes in perception…While waiting in line at Starbucks one afternoon, I overheard three students eagerly discussing Dr. Goldinger’s most recent lecture in personality disorders.” – Melissa Lou, Student Ernest
Hirata Nomination: “Dr. Hirata is very flexible but at the same time very demanding of his students. He has extremely high standards and expects the very best of students, but he always allows for extraneous circumstances that can sometimes occur when dealing with the diverse makeup of students in his classes. Some students as ASU East come from various foreign countries and ethnic backgrounds, and these students have special needs because they must many times overcome language and cultural barriers. Dr. Hirata always “goes the extra mile” for all of his students.” – Scott B. Crooker, Student Anthropology Nomination: “I had never taken a linguistics course, but I had heard from other students and even teaching assistants that many people dread linguistics courses. I soon discovered that Dr. Hudak’s class was not only informative, but I really became excited about learning how the sounds and meaning of languages changed and formed. For the first time, the grammar rules of foreign languages that I had already taken made sense in a way that was far more than pure memorization. This was one of those cherished courses that actually had a practical, daily application.”– Justin Goering, Student Communication
Studies Nomination: ”Dr. Kelley is a model for undergraduate teaching and learning excellence in many ways. He is regarded by his students and peers as one who inspires academic excellence, one who stimulates students to become active participants in their own learning, and takes pride in motivating students to do their best work…It is because of Dr. Kelley’s enthusiasm for Communication that I recently changed my major to communication studies.” – Holly Kathleen Huntimer. Student Ida Malian Nomination: “Her knowledge regarding special education seems infinite, and listening to her is like reading a great novel. She has published works about self determination for the student with special needs, and has shared her research with us and has encouraged us to seek out our own research projects. Before I met Dr. Malian I felt is was studying “just” to become a teacher. She has led me to understand that I am not “just” going to be a teacher; I am going to be an educator of future American leaders, a source of knowledge and a role model for my students as she is for hers.” – Kimberly Lynn Carrington, Student Rajeev
Misra Nomination: “Over the course of my undergraduate years, I have encountered few professors who could accomplish equally the tasks of inspiring my interest in the subject, taking an interest in my progress, representing my views to the department, and balancing important research with a love of teaching. Dr. Misra accomplishes each of these, has been an inspiration and great help to me personally, and is an invaluable and indispensable member of the School of Life Sciences and the University community at large.” – S. Michael Anderson, Student José Náñez,
Sr. Nomination: One of Dr. Nanez’s most outstanding teaching attributes is that his lectures are clear and concise, and he has an unequaled aptitude for making difficult material understandable and easy to learn. During his lectures, he is animated and provides examples and analogies that are relevant to the material – all of which eases the learning process.” – Steven R. Holloway, Student Leanne
Nash Nomination: “Even if students may not become primatologists, they come away from her course with the ability to think critically, to operationalize questions, and to seek out the data necessary to answer them. Her devotion to scholarly inquiry is more inspiring than intimidating because she actually takes time to involve you in the scientific process.” – Noah Theriault, Student Margaret
Nelson Nomination: “In the classroom, she is engaging – encouraging discussion among the students and being totally available for one-on-one meetings. During the stressful and confusing experience of graduate school applications, Dr. Nelson encouraged me and comforted me, and at the same time, she asked me to really focus on what I wanted out of graduate school…For a professor to invest herself in a student’s success to the extent that Dr. Nelson does for her students is a humbling experience. It inspires me to work hard to live up to her expectations.” – Khanrat Piensook, Student Alleen
Nilsen Nomination: “Even more important than her excellent academic qualifications, Dr. Nilsen’s character and integrity distinguish her from other faculty members at Arizona State University. She consistently demonstrates that teaching is a selfless act and that educators are not limited to only addressing the needs of their students, but also have a responsibility towards the betterment of the community. This is a belief she passes on to her students. She recognizes that higher education is not found solely in textbooks, but in the combination of classroom instruction, life experiences, and positive and successful social interactions.” – Rachelle Anderson, Student Ramsey
Eric Ramsey Nomination: “…Dr. Ramsey inspires wondering, pondering, and thinking about what it means to live well and in doing so not only creates a challenging academic setting but equips us with the knowledge to actualize that possibility. His exuberance for learning is equal to that of his students, thus creating a space where learning can happen and friendships are formed.” – Kate Kitchen and Jessica Sturgess, Students Armando
Rodriguez Nomination: “Professor Rodriguez loves teaching. He is a natural. When he makes a mistake during a lecture (rare but it happens), and a student discovers it, his face lights up and he makes sure to establish clarity after criticizing himself. This is a rare attribute. Students are used to being criticized by professors. It is rare to see a professor criticize themselves!” – Jose V. Benavides, Student Ronald
Rutowski Nomination: “Over his more than twenty five years of teaching at Arizona State, Ron has continuously worked to create student-centered environments in his classes. For example, Invertebrate Zoology, one of Ron’s staple courses, has continuously undergone transformations to incorporate more inquiry-based lab exercises and lecture formats. Pedagogical choices of this sort are important to Ron because they promote intellectual development, increase communication within the classroom, and shift the focus of attention from cold facts to the active discovery of living things.” – Nathan Morehouse, Student Robert
Strom Nomination: “Bob Strom teaches that since teamwork and group evaluation of individual performance are becoming common in the workplace, then as a result, students today should be learning and practicing the collaboration skills that employers will one day expect of them. Although most teachers recognize that interpersonal intelligence is vital for personal development, in Professor Strom’s courses, he arranges cooperative learning opportunities in all his classes, and he focuses on the acquisition of social skills as well as comprehension of subject matter.” – Shannon Noelle Rhoads, Student F. Miguel
Valenti Nomination: “Miguel Valenti is an extraordinarily dedicated and hard-working professor. He is devoted to his profession and his students…Professor Valenti’s love for film and teaching is obvious when he lectures. He truly enjoys his subject matter and is thrilled to be able to share his knowledge with others.” – Katy Reno, Student Philip
VanderMeer Nomination: “Students could not help but acknowledge the great enthusiasm Dr.VanderMeer conveyed for political history, evident outside of class, as well as in lectures and accompanying Power Point slide shows. These slide shows, meticulously created and innovatively connected to pictures, movies, audio clips and web sites, made class more informative and entertaining.” Chris Brown, Student Willem
Vermaas Nomination: “Dr. Vermaas perpetually compelled his students to participate in class discussions and to contemplate important ethical concerns that are rising as a result of the biotechnology boom. The laboratory section of his class has been extremely helpful in terms of learning technical skills and proper use of science databases which I had an opportunity to implement in my subsequent internship and employment.” – Irene Cherni, Student Rose
Weitz Nomination: “In class discussions – or even when we asked questions – Dr. Weitz would often ask us questions to demonstrate the process of refining and revising our analytic method or conclusions. Classes were tiring, but never tedious. We were engaged and invested and learning. On campus, when I see a classmate from either of those two classes, we greet each other with the familiarity of two travelers of a difficult and memorable journey.” – Ann Jensby, Student Rogier
Windhorst Nomination: “It amazes me that someone who was a consultant for NASA on the weekends would…teach an introduction course. However, it makes sense in a way to put your best people where the freshmen will catch on to their enthusiasm and get hooked on the subject. I felt honored that my teacher was part of important research about the origins of the universe, and that he would share some of his findings with us. It showed that we are still developing the technology and philosophy of Astronomy and making new discoveries constantly.” – Eva Wingren, Student
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