Evolution of the CTL Instructional Award Series

Until 2017, the Fredrick D. Williams Award for Teaching Innovation was given to a single instructor who was bringing new technologies or teaching methods to campus. With the implementation of Canvas and the push for blended learning, the award was discontinued mostly because there was so much innovation happening in so many places, it would have been extremely difficult—and maybe inappropriate—to single anyone out.

Lecture hall full of professors

At the same time, academic leadership continued to recognize that eligibility for our main teaching awards (selection to the Academy of Teaching Excellence) tended to be driven mostly by student feedback—which is great. But other instructional contributions, by their nature, were unlikely to be rewarded through that process. The goal was to recognize not only instructors who were trying something really new, but also teachers in large classes (where student evaluations are known to be lower), and those that did the behind-the-scenes work of curriculum innovation and assessment.

During spring 2017, academic deans were asked to begin recognizing instructors making contributions in these areas as part of the Deans' Teaching Showcase, effectively nominating them for these instructional awards. CTL and Provost's office members along with previous awardees select instructors in each category from a pool composed of the Showcase and those nominated to the Academy of Teaching Excellence. These instructors are asked to make a presentation, sharing the work they are doing that has drawn this recognition. Following each presentation, each is formally recognized and subsequently receives additional compensation.

CTL Instructional Award Series

Curriculum Development and Assessment Award

Radheshyam Tewari

Radheshyam Tewari

Teaching Professor, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Pasi Lautala

Pasi Lautala

Professor, Civil, Environmental and Geospatial Engineering

 

Innovative or Out of Class Teaching Award

Elham Asgari

Elham Asgari

Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship
College of Business

 

 

Large Class Teaching Award

Tim Wagner

Tim Wagner

Assistant Teaching Professor, Mathematical Sciences

CTL Instructional Award Recipients
Year Curriculum Development and Assessment Award Innovative or Out of Class Teaching Award Large Class Teaching Award
2023 Radheshyam Tewari, Pasi Lautala
Elham Asgari Tim Wagner
2022 Chris Middlebrook, Josue Reynoso
Kristin Brzeski, Melanie Kueber Watkins Loredana Valenzano-Slough
2021 Paul Sanders,Todd Arney Smitha Rao Andrew Galerneau,Teresa Woods
2020 Katrina Black Libby Meyer, Leo Ureel Kette Thomas
2019 John Jaszczak, Tim Schulz Lisa Gordillo Paul Charlesworth
2018 John Irwin Cécile Piret Roman Sidortsov
2017 Tara Bal Don Lafreniere Glen Archer