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Tag: Presidential Teaching Professor
NIU President Doug D. Baker
NIU President Doug Baker invites the entire university community to join him in congratulating the newly named Board of Trustees Professors, Presidential Teaching Professors, Presidential Research Professor, Presidential Engagement Professor, and the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and Instruction Award. A reception in their honor begins at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, April 24, in the Altgeld Auditorium....
The late Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, once described a litmus test on whether he – or anyone else – truly grasped what they claimed to comprehend. He “argued that one does not understand a complicated subject unless one can clearly explain it to a class of freshmen,” says Brianno Coller, a professor of...
Brianno Coller
When machines fail to function as designed, engineers deconstruct those devices to discover why. Careful measurements are made. Originals predictions are challenged. Errors in analysis and assumptions are sought. And so it is natural that Brianno Coller, a mechanical engineer trained at Cornell and Princeton, realized that he needed to examine his ability to teach...
Michael Kolb
Nearly 250 current and former NIU students can thank Michael Kolb for the new directions they found – and pursued – because of his belief in engaged learning. Kolb’s annual archeological field school trips to Sicily offer opportunities to gain knowledge through first-hand experience while they become critical, lifelong learners who sort fact from idea...
Kristen Myers
Enrolling in a sociology course taught by Kristen Myers? Prepare to ask questions – and be questioned. Prepare to slip up. Prepare to learn, and to change. “Taken together, my teaching and mentorship embodies my feminist philosophies about equity and human potential. I promote the growth of all of my students, both in and out...
Dave Changnon
NIU anthropologist Dan Gebo revealed last semester that he likes to bring some college-level “Show and Tell” into his classroom. Turns out he’s not alone. David Changnon, a Distinguished Teaching Professor and Board of Trustees Professor from the Department of Geography, is on the same page. “Many – maybe most – students have little familiarity...
Anne Birberick
Vice Provost Anne Birberick is seeking nominations for the 2014 Presidential Teaching Professorships. Nominations are due Monday, Oct. 21, to Anne Birberick in the Office of the Provost, Altgeld Hall 220B. Following receipt of a letter of nomination, the selection committee will invite each nominated faculty member to prepare materials in accordance with the published...
President John Peters
NIU President John G. Peters invites the entire university community to join him in congratulating the newly named Board of Trustees Professors, Presidential Teaching Professors, Presidential Research Professor, Presidential Engagement Professor, and the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and Instruction Award. A reception in their honor is planned from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday, April 22,...
E. Taylor Atkins, Christopher M. Jones and Pamela A. Smith
What is an “educated” person? For those who teach, such as the NIU Department of History’s E. Taylor Atkins, it’s an important question without consensus. “Is it someone whose mind is a storehouse of data that can be recalled instantly? Or is an educated person a critical, free thinker and problem solver?” asks Atkins, who...
E. Taylor Atkins
Sometimes, E. Taylor Atkins becomes frustrated and cynical when confronted with students who aren’t academically well prepared or who have little interest in what he has to offer. Yet whether they fail to bring intellectual curiosity, the willingness to tackle challenging material or goals beyond good jobs after graduation, Atkins is not deterred. “I inform...
Chris Jones
Christopher Jones wants his political science students to interrupt him with thoughtful questions and comments. He wants them to steer classroom discussion. He wants them to feel comfortable. He also wants to give them some gain without the pain. “My students have been especially receptive to the use of published case studies based on controversial...
Pam Smith
Count Pam Smith among NIU’s legion of lifelong learners, especially when it concerns effective teaching. Her goal is to “create a learning environment based on respect, individual accountability, ethics and personal integrity.” “When I started teaching, I thought if I provided sound technical content and motivated students, they would learn the material. Therefore, much of...
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