April 7, 2005
Award winners named: Faculty, staff, honored for teaching, mentoring, service
More than 20 individuals and units are being honored this year as part of the annual Universitywide awards program. The awards honor outstanding performance in teaching, mentoring, public service and staff support.
Seven faculty will receive the Distinguished Teaching Award, given to faculty who show “a mastery of their subject matter, intellectual rigor and a passion for teaching.” This year’s winners are Laura Little, psychology; Philip Reid, chemistry; Julie Stein, anthropology; Louis Wolcher, law; Mehran Mesbahi, aeronautics & astronautics; Carole Kubota, education (Bothell) and Michael Allen, Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, (Tacoma).
Two graduate teaching assistants — Jennifer Lavy, drama; and Mae Henderson, women studies — will receive the Excellence in Teaching Award for demonstrating outstanding skills in the classroom.
Lesley Olswang, speech and hearing sciences, will receive the Marsha L. Landolt Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award, recognizing faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to the education and guidance of graduate students.
Five staff members will receive Distinguished Staff Awards. The winners are Jason Boyd, undergraduate advising; Sterling Luke, facilities services; Cynthia Fester, law; Michael Biggins, UW libraries; and Douglas Machle, classics. These awards are given to staff who “contribute to the mission of their unit or the University, respond creatively to challenges, maintain the highest standards in their work, establish productive working relationships and promote a respectful and supportive workplace.”
Dr. Bruce Psaty, medicine, epidemiology and health services, is the winner of the Outstanding Public Service Award, which is presented to a faculty or staff member to honor extensive local and/or national and international service. Also being honored for service is David Olson, political science, who will receive the S. Sterling Munro Public Service Teaching Award. The award is given to a faculty member demonstrating exemplary leadership in community-based instruction, including service learning, public service internships and community partnership projects.
The James D. Clowes Award for Advancing Learning Communities will be given this year to Stanley Chernicoff, earth and space sciences. The award recognizes a faculty or staff member who transforms undergraduate learning by creating or sustaining learning communities among students.
Brotman Awards for Instructional Excellence will be given this year to the Washington NASA Space Grant Program at the UW, the Department of Mathematics and the Ceramics Program in the School of Art. The award recognizes collaboration within and among departments, programs and groups that improves the quality of undergraduate education.
Jack Lenor Larsen, an internationally known textile designer, author and collector, is the winner of this year’s Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus, an award given not for recent work but for a lifetime record of achievement. It is the highest honor that the UW can bestow on a graduate.
Maria Gillman, Romance languages, is the winner of the Distinguished Contributions to Lifelong Learning Award, which is given to faculty who have taught for at least two years in non-degree programs sponsored by the UW and aimed at adults for professional development, personal interest or career redirection.
John Behnke, a former president of the Alumni Association and an early leader in its fund raising, is being honored with the Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award. The award is given to individuals who make outstanding efforts on behalf of the Alumni Association.
The award winners will be honored at a special universitywide Recognition Ceremony, scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Thursday, June 9, in Meany Hall. University Week will publish a special awards supplement profiling all the winners on June 2.
