Eight faculty members selected as innovative teachers at ‘Celebrate Teaching!’ event
March 3, 2014
The Gillings School of Global Public Health community gathered in the Armfield Atrium on Feb. 24 to celebrate eight faculty members – one from each academic unit at the School – who were selected by their students to receive the School’s third annual Teaching Innovation Awards.
Awardees included Steve Cole, PhD (epidemiology), Lori Evarts, MPH (Public Health Leadership Program), Rebecca Fry (environmental sciences and engineering), Amanda Holliday, MS (nutrition), Lew Margolis, PhD (maternal and child health), Beth Moracco, PhD (health behavior), Kathy Roggenkamp, MA (biostatistics) and Karl Umble, PhD (health policy and management).
First presented in February 2012, the awards honor faculty members who “improve the learning environment by integrating new technologies, engaging students in interactive activities, employing creative assessment methods, and introducing and incorporating progressive curriculum ideas into the classroom.”
A $1,000 prize is intended to help each awardee advance his or her educational development in teaching and learning.
The teaching innovation initiative developed out of the School’s SPH2020 efforts and through a teaching and learning task force held at the School in 2011. The task force had recommended identification, encouragement and reward of high-quality teaching; enhanced technology and applications for teaching and learning; and identification and support of faculty members who are early adopters of curriculum innovation.
The School’s academic programs committee sponsored the event.
“I am delighted that we on the academic programs committee, with support from chairs, central administration units, and Dean Rimer, are committed to the professional development of faculty members and to rewarding them for excellence in teaching and learning,” said Anna Maria Siega-Riz, PhD, professor of nutrition and epidemiology and associate dean for academic affairs at the School.
Siega-Riz also recognized Kelsey Knight, bachelor’s student in health policy and management, and Amy Huber, doctoral student in epidemiology, who coordinated student voting for the teaching innovation prizes.