2018 University Professor award ceremony honors four faculty

On Thursday, April 12, four faculty members received the University Professor (UP) award during the 47th annual awards ceremony. The University Professor award recognizes outstanding teaching at the University. Since its founding in 1970, the UP program has recognized over 200 professors for their teaching excellence.

Each honored faculty receives a monetary stipend and the opportunity to teach a course of their choosing as a means of enriching the undergraduate curriculum.

“I honestly cannot think of another thing that embodies the best of OHIO’s teaching professors and their students as our peerless University Professor award program does,” said Tim Vickers, director of the Center for Teaching & Learning.

Recipients are chosen annually from nominations collected from the OHIO student body each fall semester. A selection committee composed of 10–14 undergraduate students then holds intensive interviews with ten faculty finalists and observes each of them in class.

“In the ballots that the undergraduate students submit for their professors, I have consistently seen words that stand out—adjectives like ‘inspirational,’ ‘knowledgeable,’ ‘challenging,’ ‘amazing,’ as well as ‘caring’ and ‘passionate,’” said Vickers. “It is invariably passion—the love of the subject, of teaching, and caring for their students—that really distinguishes these nominees and winners. They all have an amazing ability to bring out the best of those who work with them.”

“I am deeply humbled and incredibly honored by this selection as a University Professor,” said Zaki Kuruppalil, associate professor, assistant department chair, and Kraft Family Scholar in the Department of Engineering Technology and Management in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology. “I would like to sincerely thank, from the bottom of my heart, all the students and staff who were involved in the nomination and selection process for this prestigious award. This award means a lot to me as the nomination directly comes from the students.”

Speakers at this year’s private awards ceremony included Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth Sayrs and Acting Dean of University College Carey Busch.

The 2018–2019 University Professor recipients are:

Rachida Aissaoui, ManagementAissaoui’s proposed course, “Writing an Advanced Research Paper,” will provide students with the basic skills to write a research paper. She hopes this course will help students move on to graduate school where they are expected to have the ability to develop a research paper.

“The students of OHIO have granted me the biggest honor in my life; nothing will ever top their trust and gratitude,” said Aissaoui, assistant professor in strategic management and international business for the Department of Management in the College of Business. “I deeply thank them for that, and for being the engine of my continuous motivation to be the best professor/mentor I can.”

Jennifer L. Fredette, Political ScienceFredette’s proposed course, “Comics and Superheroes,” will follow different eras of superhero comics, tracing the development of America’s place on the world stage, as well as contemporaneous political debates about the meaning of Americanness and the definition of a good citizen.

“It was an absolute joy to be interviewed by the students that make up the award committee,” said Fredette, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences. “It was clear they think about the classroom as a community engaged in something challenging and at times even intimidating, but hopefully ultimately rewarding. A great example of OHIO students at their best.”

Zaki Kuruppalil, Engineering Technology and ManagementKuruppalil’s proposed course is titled “Creative Thinking for Innovative Problem Solving.” It will focus on cross-learning new problem-solving strategies from students’ own disciplines while collaborating with others. Students will learn how to come up with innovative solutions to problems with creative, out-of-the-box thinking. “I am most looking forward to interdisciplinary interaction between students in this course,” said Kuruppalil.

Brittany L. Peterson, Communication StudiesPeterson’s proposed course, “Volunteers, Nonprofit, & Rural Appalachia,” will examine how some group memberships are more or less voluntary than others. Students will discuss topics like what it means to be a voluntary member, work for or manage a nonprofit, and/or be a volunteer in an organization.

“It is such an incredible honor to receive an award that is entirely student driven,” said Peterson, associate professor in the School of Communication Studies and director of E-Learning in the Scripps College of Communication. “I am looking forward to engaging with students across campus in project-based learning to explore nonprofit and volunteer organizations in rural Appalachia, and immersing students in the surrounding community in meaningful ways.”

To read about past winners, visit the Center for Teaching & Learning’s teaching awards web page . The awards ceremony was made possible by the Center for Teaching & Learning in the Office of Instructional Innovation, with support from University College.

The Office of Instructional Innovation (OII) serves as a catalyst to spark bold experimentation and sustainable discovery of innovative instructional models that fulfill the University’s promise of a transformative educational experience. OII provides a variety of services to faculty, staff, and students in support of academic units and online programs, as well as to advance initiatives to further the institution’s mission. Visit www.ohio.edu/instructional-innovation for more information.