Syracuse University

Eight individuals have been named the 2002 recipients of Syracuse University's Teaching Recognition Awards sponsored by the Meredith Professors.

The awards were established in 2001 through an expansion of the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professorship Program. The Meredith Professors themselves proposed that the program recognize excellence in teaching by non-tenured faculty and adjunct and part-time instructors.

The recipients were notified of their selection Feb. 11 through a letter from Meredith Professor Sari Knopp Biklen, professor of cultural foundations of education in the School of Education and chair of the selection committee.

"The committee worked hard to choose this year's winners, as the quality of the applications was very strong," says Biklen. "The portfolios were extremely competitive. "

The full-time faculty recipients are:

• J. Michael Gaddis, assistant professor of history in The College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School;


• Winston Grady-Willis, assistant professor of African American studies in The College of Arts and Sciences;


• Tracy Knight, assistant professor of teaching and leadership in the School of Education;


• Jackie Orr, assistant professor of sociology in The College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School;


• Jonathan Sandberg, assistant professor of marriage and family therapy in the College of Human Services and Health Professions; and


• Errol Willett, assistant professor of art and design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Adjunct and part-time faculty recipients are:

• Jennifer Griffin, an instructor in fashion and design technologies in the College of Visual and Performing Arts; and


• Jeffrey Meyer, assistant professor of mathematics in The College of Arts and Sciences.

Each recipient will receive an expense account of $3,000 for one year to be used for professional development.

The recipients were selected based on teaching innovation, effectiveness in communicating with students and the lasting value of their courses. To be eligible for the award, candidates must have completed two years of service to the University and not yet received tenure.

The recipients were selected by a six-member committee consisting of two undergraduate students, Joy Smith, a junior in The College of Arts and Sciences, and Chelsea King, a sophomore in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications; Lia Miller, a graduate student in the Maxwell School; and three Meredith Professors-- Biklen; Barry Davidson, a professor in the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science; and Gerald Mager, a professor in the School of Education.

The L. Douglas and Laura J. Meredith Professorships were created to recognize and reward excellence in teaching, to encourage faculty members to look upon the various dimensions of teaching as opportunities for constant improvement, to emphasize the importance that the University places on teaching, and to improve the teaching and learning environment on campus. The Meredith Professors believe that the Teaching Recognition Awards assist in reaching these goals.

The selection process for the 2002 Meredith Professors is now under way. The results will be announced in April.