University honors excellence in teaching
East Carolina University honored 11 faculty members April 29 for excellence in teaching, including recognizing the university’s recipient of the annual UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching.
At the awards ceremony, Chancellor Steve Ballard congratulated all of the nominees. “You bring enthusiasm, scholarship, caring and love of learning to your classes everyday. You balance your research, service, and teaching so that all that you do informs your teaching,” he said.
Dr. Louis Warren is this year’s recipient of the UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching, the highest teaching award given at the university. During a recognition luncheon to be held at the UNC Board of Governors’ May 9 meeting, Warren and the other 16 UNC-system award honorees will receive a commemorative bronze medallion and a $7,500 prize.
Warren, who teaches curriculum and instruction in theCollege of Education, credits his first-grade teacher with inspiring him to become a teacher.
“The classroom is a sacred place where ‘Ahas!’ happen and dreams are made possible,” he said. “I am puzzled that not everyone wants to teach because to me it is the most wonderful job.” For that reason, he works to create learning environments and experiences that help his students grow and develop as individuals and as teachers.
Warren holds an undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, a master’s degree from UNC Pembroke, and a doctorate in education from the University ofGeorgia. After teaching in middle schools in rural North Carolinaand serving as an assistant professor at Georgia Southern University, he joined the ECU faculty in 1994. Speaking at the annual teaching awards ceremony at ECU, Warren said, “I dedicate this award to my students—past, present and future. The core of who I am and what is important to me is my students.”
Other ECU faculty members recognized were as follows along with their award:
- Dr. Fred Schadler, Dept. of Finance in the College of Business; Dr. Heather Vance-Chalcraft, Dept. of Biology in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences; and Dr. John Howard, School of Communication in the College of Fine Arts and Communication received the Robert L. Jones Award for Outstanding Teaching from the East Carolina Alumni Association.
- Dr. Gregg Hecimovich, Dept. of English in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, accepted the Max Ray Joyner Award for Faculty Service through Continuing Education.
- Dr. Daniel J. Bara, School of Music in the College of Fine Arts and Communication;Dr. Carol Goodwillie in the Dept. of Biology in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Carl Haish, Dept. of Surgery at the Brody School of Medicine; Dr. Andrew Morehead, Dept. of Chemistry in the Harriot College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Laura Prividera, School of Communication in the College of Fine Arts and Communication; and Karen Vail-Smith, Dept. of Health Education and Promotion in the College of Health and Human Performance, received the Board of Governors Distinguished Professor for Teaching Awards.
The recipient receives a monetary award of $500, a trophy and $1,000 in professional development funding.
These awards recognize and support excellent teaching at each of the 16 constituent universities in the UNC system. ECU honors six recipients each year; they receive a $1,000 award.