Ten faculty receive Distinguished Teaching Awards

By Liz Beyler and Ellen Page

Every year, the Committee on Distinguished Teaching Awards honors faculty for teaching excellence. Recognized this year are:

David T. Canon, professor of political science, Chancellor’s Award

"I don’t expect to turn all of my students into political junkies or policy wonks — or even political science majors — but civic education is important," says Canon. "I try to help them become better citizens by giving them the information and analytical tools they need to function in today’s political world."

It is estimated that in his 17 years at UW–Madison, more than 10,000 students have benefited from Canon’s infectious enthusiasm, extraordinary teaching ability and his reputation as an elite scholar of American politics.

His Introduction to American Politics course, which he has taught every year since 1991, has enrollments averaging 450 students. Also among his popular courses are The American Presidency and Race and Politics in the U.S.

His main goal is to teach students how to think, rather than what to think.

"It means encouraging them to question prior beliefs and ideas, consider alternative perspectives with critical respect, and formulate their own views," he says. "This also requires that I provide the critical, but safe, environment in which this can happen while attempting to keep my own personal views out of the debates."

According to his nomination letter, written by political science chair John Coleman, Canon’s first-year students "marvel at how he can make large classes seem intimate," and they appreciate his responsiveness to their e-mails and questions.

His upper-level students like the fact that his classes are demanding and fair, and his graduate students benefit from the countless hours he spends mentoring them, shaping their research and teaching skills and providing career advice.

Canon is involved in the Letters and Science Honors Program and has worked with students in the summer research program and the Hilldale undergraduate research program. Each summer he conducts a seminar that helps high school teachers develop and strengthen their ability to teach courses in American government. He also has served on a range of committees related to teaching in his department, the university, and the profession as a whole.

Coleman says Canon was one of the first professors at UW–Madison to incorporate new technology into the classroom and is one of the most active faculty members when it comes to outreach.

The general public has benefited greatly from Canon’s expertise. He is frequently interviewed by national, state and local media, and has given talks to a variety of campus and community groups.

One of Canon’s undergraduate students wrote: "He embodies the ideal traits of a professor at a research institution: a strong and often brilliant grasp of subject matter, diligent work effort, unbiased (but not dispassionate) presentation of course material, and deep concern and interest for all of his students."

Says Canon, "The most exciting aspect of teaching for me are the ‘light bulb’ moments when you can see a student grasping a difficult concept for the first time or learning how to do independent research.

"The great thing about teaching at the University of Wisconsin is the broad range of venues in which these moments happen — from the attentive student in my large lecture class of 500 who sits in the front row and soaks up everything like a sponge, to those in small freshman or senior seminars who engage in vigorous debate with me and their fellow classmates, to senior thesis students who experience the excitement of proving an argument with data that they have collected," he adds. "Helping these students learn is what makes my job so rewarding and why I can’t imagine doing anything else."

Kelley Conway, associate professor of communication arts, William H. Kiekhofer Award

Students often describe Conway’s film courses as stimulating, intellectually challenging, intriguing and rewarding.

Conway says it’s thrilling to play a role in helping them learn new skills and experience new pleasures.

"At the beginning of my Introduction to Film course, most students are not able to describe visual style or think analytically about a film’s narrative," she says.

"By the end of the course they can write with precision about cinematography, editing, narration and genre, and they are ready and willing to look closely at both Hollywood and experimental films."

One of her advisees who served as a teaching assistant for the course described her teaching style as "relaxed rigor":"Speaking from her notes in a conversational tone, injecting her lectures with anecdotes and excited laughter, she wears her love for cinema on her sleeve."

Another former student wrote: "In the classroom, Professor Conway is immediately at ease. She carries her expertise quite gracefully, challenging students to learn by helping them come up with their own questions and to arrive at their own conclusions."

Conway says, "I strive to help all of my students improve their analytical, viewing and writing skills as they develop an understanding of the rich history of cinema in various national contexts, and I try to help them develop confidence in their ability to convey a point of view on the material instead of merely parroting my lectures back to me on the final exam."

Conway puts extraordinary energy into mentoring her students, and her research interests in French film inspire her graduate students. She is generous with her time and energy in program development and outreach efforts and committed to international education.

Conway developed an innovative short-term study abroad program in which 20 students are exposed to a wide range of films in the cinemas of Paris.

Her goal is to help them learn to live in a new culture, grapple with a foreign language, and develop respect for cultural practices different from their own.

"With Professor Conway as our guide, we toured historic film theaters, talked with their owners, met French film critics, and went to the films they were seeing. We felt like real French cinephiles," noted one of the participants.

"She took the abstract concepts and famous names in our books and truly brought them to life."

Conway will serve as the resident director of the university’s 2008-09 study abroad program in Aix-en-Provence, France. She will teach a course on the history of French and francophone cinema while supervising 60 students from UW–Madison, Indiana University and the University of Michigan. She says if all goes well, she’ll get them into the Cannes Film Festival.

"As a dedicated teacher, administrator and indefatigable tour guide, she looks forward to expanding her skills," says department chair Vance Kepley.

Conway has been involved with the relatively new Professional French Masters Program, which is designed to help French-speaking students establish careers in a francophone environment. She provides input on curricular issues and works closely with one or two students on their 50-page master’s thesis, serves on their thesis defense committees, and supervises independent studies.

Each spring Conway addresses some 80 Wisconsin high school students as part of World Languages Day, which highlights UW–Madison’s strengths in teaching foreign languages and international culture.

Her instructional outreach activities have also benefited film festival patrons, radio audiences, and the Wisconsin Alumni Association, including its chapter in Paris.

Kepley says Conway’s dedication to teaching is obvious.

"Her teaching skills, acquired on the job through hard work and preparation, now provide manifold benefits to our department and to her extended constituencies from Madison to Paris."

Edward Friedman, professor of political science, Chancellor’s Award

Friedman has taught at UW–Madison for 41 years and is the political science department’s longest-serving member. He specializes in Chinese politics, democratization and globalization, and is recognized by the department for his curriculum development. He’s even created courses, only to turn them over to colleagues with special interest and expertise in the topics. Friedman has started graduate seminars and undergraduate courses on Chinese domestic and foreign policy, and he created a course on the politics of revolution, starting with the revolutions in the Jacobin-Leninist tradition and taking students through colonial rule, experiments in democracy and attempts at establishing utopia. "Students learn through reading classics, engaging in class discussions and playing roles in a village uprising," writes John Coleman, chair of the Department of Political Science, in his nomination letter.

Friedman’s most recent new course addresses the politics of human rights, which looks at many different countries and issues and incorporates literature in philosophy and diplomacy.

In 2007, Friedman conducted a class on China’s future as part of the chancellor’s World University Network commitment, and he’s also taught weekend seminars for high school social studies teachers, sessions for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences’ seminar on sustainable development, and modules for the School of Business’s executive master’s program.

Friedman also has established a program in which Taiwanese diplomats and foreign-service officials came to UW–Madison to earn executive certificates in international relations. Last year, he accompanied Chancellor John Wiley to China, which has led to discussions about a faculty exchange program.

"Students from around the world have for decades come to Madison to study with Friedman in our graduate program," Coleman writes. "Undergraduates have learned to think because of his instruction."

For Friedman, the students are his inspiration. "Once they are here and they are real, I would hate myself if I did not give 100 percent," he says. "I would never want to give them less than the best. They deserve only that. I love them and feel fortunate to be able to teach such wonderful people."

Diane Gooding, professor of psychology, Van Hise Outreach Award

Gooding joined the faculty in 1996 with a research focus on schizophrenia, individuals at risk for schizophrenia and early detection of psychotic disorders. "It’s a continual challenge to try to think of different ways to convey complex concepts in an accessible way, to dispel myths and replace them with information, and, above all, to model and eventually teach critical thinking to my learners," she says.

But she loves talking about her research, regardless of the forum. "When I teach people about the advances that have been made in terms of our understanding of the understanding of schizophrenia, that’s when my teaching and research selves become fully intertwined and engaged."

Gooding has taught classes of all types — large lecture undergraduate courses, small capstone seminars, research seminars and graduate core courses — and, upon joining the department, redesigned the advanced abnormal psychology course to focus more on the ways in which there are biological and psychological bases to psychotic disorders.

Gooding also is committed to providing research opportunities for undergraduates, supervising up to 12 students in her lab each semester. She says that her interactions with her undergraduate professors at Harvard and Radcliffe, particularly Philip Holzman and Dante Cicchetti, had a large role in her decision to become a professor.

"I met both these professors in my junior year of college, and I believe my life changed because of them," she says. "They continue to inspire me and influence the ways in which I try to engage, teach and encourage my undergraduates."

Gooding is also committed to her work outside the classroom. She received a Young Investigators Award from the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research. In 2000, she received the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)-Wisconsin Education Advancement Award for her education efforts throughout Wisconsin giving lectures and presentations about different forms of mental illness. Most recently, Gooding was invited to provide expert testimony on schizophrenia before the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Through her educational work at the community level, Dr. Gooding is one of the department’s most salient examples of a faculty member implementing the Wisconsin Idea," writes Richard Davidson, William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, in Gooding’s nomination letter. "Diane Gooding is a devoted teacher who makes a difference in the lives of her learners."

Anthony Ives, professor of zoology, Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award.

Since joining the faculty in 1990, Ives has taught introductory ecology, theoretical ecology and graduate seminars. He specializes in theoretical ecology and also does experimental work on aphid pests in alfalfa, with theoretical and applied implications. "Rather than viewing teaching as a hindrance to his research program, he has embraced and integrated both. He is an educator and researcher who does not recognize the distinction between education and research," writes his nominator, Karen Steudel, chair of the Department of Zoology.

Indeed, Ives takes his role as a mentor seriously. Thirteen undergraduates and high-school students have published first-author papers from his lab, and undergraduates have been co-authors 20 times. "Clearly, these students had considerable help from Tony and other members of his lab," writes Steudel. "These publications represent not only the level of activity of mentored research, but also the time and commitment that Tony puts into mentoring." Ives also trains graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to be mentors.

Ives was one of the first two faculty members to give Biology Interest Groups (BIGs) three-credit seminars. The program was developed by the Center for Biology Education and is composed of first-semester students interested in biology who enroll as a group in the same math and chemistry discussion sessions. The courses are case-based, and student-directed learning is a focus. Ives focuses on environmental issues in the course, ranging from transgenic agricultural products to global climate change.

Ives also is one of participating faculty in the National Science Foundation’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship for research in China, and he’s visited China twice to help get the program going.

Ives has received a Vilas Associate Fellowship and a Romnes Award. He’s also recognized for his work nationally and internationally, having published four papers in Nature and two in Science. Ives has presented his research all over the world and has been invited numerous times to give honorary lectures or keynote addresses.

Ultimately, though, many of Ives’ rewards come from teaching. "There is nothing quite like the excitement of an undergraduate publishing a first-authored research paper, or a team of students completing a great project in a case-based learning class," he says. "I’ve had students tell me about discussions they’ve had with their family and friends on topics from my classes; I feel I’ve done my job as a teacher if I’ve given students the information to discuss broad topics and the motivation to do it."

Katherine "Trina" McMahon, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, Class of 1955 Award

Teaching is in McMahon’s blood: Her father is a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. "He inspired me to think of students as ‘candles to be lit, not vessels to be filled,’" she says. "I think of myself not as a conduit for facts, but as an exuberant tour guide introducing students to the joy of problem-solving and learning about the world around them."

Since joining the faculty in 2003, McMahon has dedicated herself to improving her teaching and using methods to ensure success for her students. She teaches a required three-credit course in environmental engineering, implementing new teaching ideas and technology such as clickers to engage students and solicit their feedback on what they’re learning.

She works hard to integrate research with teaching, Jeffrey Russell, chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, writes in her nomination letter. McMahon’s research focus is on the microbial ecology of natural and engineered systems. She uses molecular tools to explore how microbes remove pollutants from water and hopes to provide a better understanding of microbial behavior so more effective prediction and modeling can happen while discovering novel biologically mediated transformations that can be harnessed for engineering applications.

"She is a legend already for her field studies, where meaningful, hands-on learning happens through data collection," Russell writes. "That deep learning informs the students’ comprehension of the complexity of microbial communities."

McMahon also is involved in the Delta program, a research, teaching and learning community that supports science, technology, engineering math and faculty in their improvement of student learning. For two years, she’s participated in the Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment workshop through Delta, which has a primary goal of learning about learning.

"I really enjoy interacting with students, figuring out how to explain difficult concepts to them and getting them excited about the subject," says McMahon. "It’s especially rewarding to watch them grow over the semester to master the material and appreciate the nuances of the subject."

In 2007, McMahon received the National Science Foundation’s CAREER Award. "We were not surprised when Dr. McMahon earned such high recognition from her colleagues," writes Russell, "because day by day, we are privileged to work alongside her and support her uncommon dedication to teaching."

Regina M. Murphy, professor of chemical and biological engineering, Chancellor’s Award

Murphy is known as an innovative leader within her department and in the national and international chemical engineering communities. As a teacher, she is described as enthusiastic, creative and very much appreciated by her students.

She says students are fun, and their energy energizes her. "They bring their varied experiences and personalities and fears and dreams to the classroom. It’s wonderful to watch a class gel as the students get comfortable with each other and with me, and it’s very rewarding to watch them grow."

Chemical and biological engineering department chair Michael Graham says, "What is remarkable about Regina is that on top of a strong and extremely active career of service and research, she has changed the way chemical engineering is being taught at UW–Madison and nationwide."

In 1994, as an assistant professor, Murphy spearheaded a departmental effort to restructure the introductory course Chemical Process Calculations.

Her goal was to give students a better flavor of how chemical processes convert raw materials into useful products and provide them with an appreciation for the ways in which chemical engineers make decisions and balance constraints to synthesize new products.

Murphy developed and taught a new course, Process Synthesis, that would equip students with the tools necessary for thinking about the creative strategies of chemical process synthesis and greatly enhance their understanding of the connection between chemistry and engineering.

As part of the course, students develop teamwork and communication skills and learn about safety, economic, environmental and regulatory issues through a design project.

Her efforts culminated in a new textbook that effectively conveys to beginning students the role of chemical engineering and the chemical engineer in society.

It draws examples not only from traditional industries, but also from emerging ones such as pharmaceuticals, food and biotechnology. Her colleagues say it will have a dramatic impact on the education of a new generation of chemical engineers.

Murphy has donated the proceeds from the sale of the book to UW–Madison students to the student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

She has mentored many undergraduate and graduate students and junior faculty members as well, particularly female scientists through her participation in Women and Science Engineering and the Society for Women Engineers.

For eight years she has organized a service-learning project in which undergraduate engineering students teach inquiry-based science modules to elementary school students at two Madison public schools.

Murphy makes a solid connection between engineering fundamentals and practical applications, adding real-world elements to the coursework and stressing ethics and social responsibility.

In "100 Years of Chemical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin," the former Chevron plant engineer wrote:

"Now when I teach, I try to keep in mind how I felt as an undergraduate about dry, math-laden engineering classes, and I look for ways to bring qualitative thinking, practical applications and opportunities for creative design into the classroom."

One of her students said Murphy’s commitment to undergraduate education was exhibited most readily in the little things, such as promptly replying to e-mails and making time outside of her office hours to meet with students.

"Our visits were never met with annoyance," said the student. "She would always take the time to make sure we understood a topic and would even re-explain topics if our comprehension was lacking."

Murphy has been a member of the Chemical Engineering faculty since 1989. Her research focuses on the structural misfolding of proteins that have been linked to the onset of the pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Joann Peck, assistant professor of marketing and consumer behavior, Emil H. Steiger Award

Peck is recognized for her meticulous class planning, her open-door policy for her students, her ability to explain complex ideas and her innovative course designs.

"Professor Peck creates cutting edge and highly relevant reading lists, develops engaging class discussion strategies, and manages team projects that have strong real-world applications where students can see the value of the theories they are learning," says J. Craig Thompson, chair of Peck’s department.

Thompson says Peck’s passion for marketing and knowledge of the material is so captivating and contagious that students relish participation in her class, which she welcomes and encourages.

"I really enjoy seeing my students get excited about the material," Peck says, "and it is wonderful to hear back from them after they graduate when they tell me that they are using what they learned from my class, whether it be thinking critically about a complex issue or a more specific application of a concept or framework."

Peck also likes learning from her students.

"With their diverse backgrounds, I know that I will learn something new each time I teach," she says.

Peck is currently pioneering a new area of research in the marketing and consumer psychology fields concerning the factors the influence consumers’ purchasing attitudes, retail and product preferences, and responses to persuasive communications.

In her Marketing 460 capstone undergraduate class, she has the students work on marketing strategies for Wisconsin nonprofit organizations.

"Because of the severe financial constraints of most nonprofits, this context forces students to confront realistic resource limitations and generate feasible, creative solutions that can be implemented," she says. "Nonprofits are generally willing to implement the strategies suggested by the students. This is a way for the university to reach out to the community of Wisconsin."

Former student Thompson says, "By incorporating community service into her classroom, she is not only contributing to society, but she is teaching students to integrate philanthropy in business. She leads by example and teaches students about humanity and charity."

Andrea Hellenbrand, another of Peck’s former students and now a business analyst for Nestle USA, refers to her as a "people professor." "Due to her enthusiasm for her work, devotion to the community, love and dedication to her students and perseverance in our development, Joann Peck will forever guide students and alumni to become the great business leaders of tomorrow."

Jan Heide, Irwin Maier Chair of Marketing, says that Peck has made an exceptional investment in course development, preparing six different courses and delivering them across five different academic programs. She has taught at all academic levels and contributed to the school’s outreach mission by teaching in executive education programs.

"She is an emerging star in the area of consumer behavior and her students benefit from the real-time insights and research findings she shares with them. She contributes to our teaching mission in every possible way," says Heide.

Mary Louise Roberts, professor of history, Chancellor’s Award

Since Roberts came to the university from Stanford five years ago, she has developed a dedicated following among students, who say that her teaching has transformed their lives.

"To me, at first she seemed like a rock star," wrote one of her former students in support of her award nomination. "She is a brilliant historian and easily approachable and caring. She loves being around students and does all she can to help them get the most out of their university experience."

A student who served as one of her teaching assistants noted that even in a class of 70 or more students, Roberts devotes 20 minutes of the 75-minute lecture to a student-led discussion.

"She facilitates the discussion by clarifying student questions and responses, commending astute observations, and asking students to link issues to broader class themes. Students appreciate the opportunity to express their ideas and they regard the experience as a positive one."

Roberts says what she likes most about teaching is listening to what her students have to say, which is why she saves some class time for discussion.

"No matter how many times I teach the same book, it remains fresh to me because the students bring to it something new. With Wisconsin students, I know what they say will be smart, honest and funny. What could be better than that?" she says.

The former T.A. says that every graduate student at the university should have the good fortune to serve as Professor Roberts’ teaching assistant.

"She has taught me more about teaching, collaboration and pedagogy in a few semesters than most students learn in their entire graduate program. It is her selfless devotion to her students, her generosity with her time and her praise, her intellectual rigor, her humanity and kindness of the spirit that makes her an inspirational teacher, a devoted mentor, and a remarkable human being."

Roberts’ specialties include modern European history, cultural history, gender and women’s history, and the history of modern France.

History department chair David McDonald says Roberts captivates her students’ attention and convinces them that history is anything but a dry discipline.

"In her lectures, she turns to literature (including Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’), culture, imagery and music to explain conceptual changes in the European world," says McDonald.

He says a few students are taken aback by an approach that de-emphasizes factual knowledge, dates and the world of politics, but the majority of them are inspired by Roberts’ novel approach to the past.

"Over the past five years, Lou established, virtually from scratch, a program in European Gender and Women’s History that has revitalized the intellectual life of the department and enabled us to offer courses at the cutting edge of our discipline," says McDonald.

Roberts is one of the leading scholars of European gender and women’s history in the English-speaking world whose work is discussed extensively in Europe.

McDonald said she has sustained a remarkable level of scholarly productivity while preserving her long-standing commitment to students at all levels.

"More than her stellar lecturing abilities, it is her passionate commitment to students and her ability to inspire broad intellectual debate in all her courses that sets her apart," says McDonald.

Robert L. Wilson Jr., professor of mathematics, Chancellor’s Award

For Wilson, teaching math is all in the family. His grandfather, father, uncle, brother and daughter were or currently are math professors.

"I have always been interested in how math relates to the world," says Wilson. "I enjoy solving problems using mathematical and other tools and finding new mathematics, but also finding out new things about how people learn mathematics."

Wilson’s passion for math is evident in his lectures, according to one of his students.

"Not only does Dr. Wilson have ‘pi’ memorized to 10 decimal places, but he always seems to get excited when lecturing on topics such as the fundamental theorem of calculus. It is obvious that he wants his students to truly understand calculus and how it relates to the real world," writes one student

Wilson is also known for injecting fun into his lectures.

"Each one contains some kind of pun and many are very humorous," says the student, adding that Wilson makes learning calculus enjoyable.

"I enjoy almost everything about teaching except grading exams and occasionally having to deal with problems like cheating," says Wilson. "Even in a big lecture I like seeing how the individuals react to what’s going on. You can still get feedback in that setting."

Wilson sends an e-mail to each of his students about three weeks before the start of the semester. It describes the course content and explains the class set up. Students say it helps put them at ease, especially if they are worried about taking the class.

He cares about how they are doing, encourages them and is very helpful when something doesn’t make sense to them.

He is always available during his scheduled office hours and has no problem answering questions during non-office hours. He arrives at his classroom at least 10 minutes early and sticks around after class.

"It’s the small things like that that students really value," says another of his students.

Though learning calculus can be difficult, Wilson teaches it in a clear and understandable manner. He doesn’t make it any more confusing than it has to be.

"Probably the most satisfying aspect of teaching for me is seeing a student’s eyes opened to what mathematics really is and the fact that he or she can do well in it," says Wilson.

"Math, along with English, suffers because every student has to take it pretty much every year from kindergarten on, and even if most teachers are good, it increases the chances that the student will have gotten turned off somewhere along the line. It also inculcates the idea that math is calculating rather than thinking creatively."

Wilson, who once taught computer science at Washington and Lee University and worked as a computer systems consultant, has special responsibilities in outreach and instructional computing.

In a joint program with the Madison Metropolitan School District, he has been helping to design and teach innovative courses for teachers in grades three to five.

He has also worked with the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction to create and revise courses that prepare elementary teachers to teach mathematics.

Wilson is interested in how culture affects mathematics learning and how it might impact U.S. performance on international math evaluations.

He also has an interest in combinatorics.

"It starts with how things can be counted," he says. "For example, how many poker hands are there with exactly two kings and two queens?"