Raedeke Awarded UNC Board of Governors Teaching Honor
University recognizes faculty, staff and students for their excellence in teaching, research, service and leadership
Thomas Raedeke, left, accepts his UNC Board of Governors teaching award from Phillip Dixon, a member of the UNC Board of Governors, during the university’s awards ceremony April 27.
GREENVILLE, NC — A dedicated faculty member, described by students and colleagues as engaging and inspiring, has been honored with East Carolina University’s highest teaching honor.
Dr. Thomas D. Raedeke, associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Sports Science, has been named the ECU recipient of this year’s UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award was announced April 27 during the Founders Day-University Awards ceremony.
Phillip Dixon, a member of the UNC Board of Governors, presented Raedeke his award, which recognizes distinguished teaching by a tenured faculty member. He also received a medallion and a one-time award of $7,500.
Raedeke made a few remarks about his teaching career, which began when he was a wilderness guide in Minnesota, where he first learned that young people often take instruction literally. Raedeke had suffered through children bringing hair dryers and extension cords on previous camping excursions, so he thought he was thinking ahead with his “pack lightly” instructions. This group brought their sleeping bags and the clothes on their backs, which was fine until the temperature quickly dropped as a storm approached.
“The students might not interpret and internalize what we think we are teaching,” he said. “I want to change their world views about sports and exercise science. To change their world views, I need to understand their frame of reference.”
He added, “Every semester my goal is the same – to make that semester better than the one before it.”
Dr. Glen Gilbert, dean of the College of Health and Human Performance, said of Raedeke, “As a sport psychologist, most of his research is on motivation. He enjoys modeling concepts from sport psychology on motivation and leadership into the classroom setting. This keeps him working to find new approaches to his teaching and to develop new motivation techniques. He brings out the best in his students.”
After joining ECU in 1998, Raedeke quickly established a reputation as an excellent teacher and enrollment in his courses increased, Gilbert said.
Central to Raedeke’s teaching philosophy is creating a student-centered atmosphere by developing meaningful relationships with students.
Dr. Stacey Altman, chair of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science, said of her colleague, “This award recognizes that he is able to bring his outstanding scholarship and that of others into the classroom and make the material accessible and engaging for students.”
Raedeke has been recognized with other awards for his teaching. In 2006, he received the UNC Board of Governors Distinguished Professor for Teaching Award and the ECU Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2005. He also received the East Carolina Scholars-Teacher Award in 2004.
Other nominees for the UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teacher were Festus Eribo, School of Communication; Scott Gordon, Department of Exercise and Sport Science; Claudia Jolls, Department of Biology; Mark L’Esperance, Department of Curriculum and Instruction; Ken MacLeod, Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management; Janice A. Neil, Department of Undergraduate Nursing Science–Junior Division; and John Reisch, Department of Accounting.
Six recipients were selected for the Board of Governors Distinguished Professor for Teaching Awards. Recipients were Shanaz Aziz, Department of Psychology; Shanan Gibson, Department of Management; Kim Larson, Department of Undergraduate Nursing Science; Gary Levine, Department of Family Medicine; Katherine O’Connor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction; John Stiller, Department of Biology.
“These faculty members represent the best of the best,” Provost Marilyn Sheerer said. “They represent the heart and soul of why we are all here.”
On April 1, ECU Scholar-Teacher Award recipients were recognized at a symposium, where each scholar-teacher presented about their integrated approach to research and creative activity in teaching. Recipients were Michael Behm, Department of Technology Systems; Martha H. Chapin, Department of Rehabilitation Studies; David Collier, Department of Pediatrics; Melani W. Duffrin, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics; Frances R. Eason, Department of Adult Health Nursing; Erik Everhart, Department of Psychology; Christine Gustafson, Instrumental Department; John F. Kros, Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management; Keith Nelson, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology; Katherine O’Connor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction; Randall E. Parker, Department of Economics; Kindal A. Shores, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies; Michael J. Spurr, Department of Mathematics; and Robert J. Tanenberg, Department of Internal Medicine.
Twenty-three faculty members were nominated for the East Carolina Alumni Association Awards of Outstanding Teaching with one designated as the Robert L. Jones award recipient.
Michael Harris in the Department of Management was selected as the Robert L. Jones recipient. The ECU Alumni Association Awards recipients were Kindal Shores, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies and Wendy Whisner, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies.
Clayton Sessoms, director of the Division of Continuing Studies, announced the Max Ray Joyner Award for Faculty Services through Continuing Education. Joyner is a former ECU Board of Trustees chairman who earned his ECU degree as an adult learner after military service. He and his wife Kitty endowed the award.
The award recipient was Scott Dellana, Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management.
Dr. Deirdre Mageean, vice chancellor of Research and Graduate Studies, announced the recipients of the five-year award in research or creative activity, who were recognized also during Research and Creative Achievement Week.
They are Kyle Summers, Department of Biology, and Scott Curtis, Department of Geography.
Mageean also announced six ECU faculty members have received U.S. patents in the last year. They are Gregg Givens, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders; George Sigounas, Department of Internal Medicine; Joseph Kalinowski and Andrew Stuart, both of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders; Orville Day Jr., Department of Physics; and David Pravica, Department of Mathematics.
The Centennial Awards for Excellence were presented recognizing four areas: Service, Leadership, Ambition and Spirit. These awards replace previous university honors – Founders Day, Chancellor, and Synergy awards.
This year, 65 nominations were received for the 12 awards. The winners are as follows:
Service: Elmer Poe, Department of Technology Systems; Andie Harrell, Administrative Support Specialist in the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities; and Scott Buck, associate vice chancellor for Business Services, other category.
Leadership: Elaine Scott, College of Nursing; Lola Thompson, administrative support associate in the Office of Academic Affairs; and Patricia Anderson and Austin Bunch for their work as co-chairs of the Centennial Committee.
Ambition: Jennifer Hodgson, Department of Child Development and Family Relations; Elizabeth Coghill, associate director for Academic Advising and Support and director of the Pirate Tutoring Center; and the ECU CORS Site Team, which worked to expand the network of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in eastern North Carolina. Members of that team are William Bagnell, associate vice chancellor for campus operations; Wayne Reeves, assistant director for maintenance engineering; Paul Carlson, mechanical engineer; Tim Below, technology support analyst; Ed Traynor, masonry supervisor; Ron Causey, journey mason; Chad Stokes, journey mason; J. Alan Peaden, journey mason; John Phillips, journey mason; James Boyd, journey mason; James Boyd, lead mason; Thomas Santana, steam maintenance technology; Eric Norris, electrician; Keith Washer, ITCS Business and Technology application analyst; Gray MacDonald, ITCS Business and Technology analyst; Richard Fraboni, ITCS assistant director; Paul Zigas, associate university attorney; Tom Allen, Department of Geography; and Karen Mulcahy, Department of Geography.
Spirit: Loren Limberis, Department of Engineering; Laura Sweet, senior associate dean of students; and the “Wear Red Team” from the Brody School of Medicine, which sponsored activities to promote cardiovascular health in women. Team members are Martina Christie, lab compliance coordinator for ECU Physicians; Debi Crotts, marketing coordinator for Division of Health Sciences; Martha Dartt, director of nursing at ECU Physicians; Susan DeAntonio, nurse manager at the East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU; Carolyn Erwin, administrator for ECU Physicians; Drillious Gay, nurse administrator at the ECHI at ECU; Donna McDonald, associate director for Multimedia and Technology Services; and Karen Warren, director of campus wellness.