Gary Scudder, assistant dean for
Global Engagement at Champlain College has been named the 2010 Vermont
Professor of the Year by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He
was selected from more than 300 top professors nominated by their
colleges and universities across the United States. The award was
presented at a special ceremony held in Washington, D.C. This is the
first time that a Champlain College professor has been selected for this
national honor.
The U.S. Professors of the Year program salutes the most outstanding
undergraduate instructors in the country---those who excel as teachers
and influence the lives and careers of their students. It is recognized
as one of the most prestigious awards honoring undergraduate teaching.
"What an extraordinary honor for Gary Scudder and Champlain College.
This is an important first for our College," said President David F.
Finney.
"Gary is an outstanding professor," noted Elizabeth Beaulieu Dean of the
Core division, "he has an amazing gift and our students are lucky to
have him." He is continuously stretching the limits of cultural
immersion in the class room, she noted.
Scudder works extensively with the Core division's Global Modules, an
online international discussion forum for Champlain students. In
Scudder's classes, students hold discussions with students from
universities around the world, in places like Moscow and Dubai to help
undergraduate students actively engage in discussions about global
issues and develop a worldwide perspective.
Past Vermont winners have included John Elder, professor of English and
Environmental Studies at Middlebury College in 2008; David Mindich,
professor and Chair of Journalism and Mass Communication at Saint
Michael's College in 2006, Sunhee Choi, professor of Chemistry and
Biochemistry at Middlebury College in 2005 and Susan Dinitz, lecturer of
English at the University of Vermont in 2004.
John Lippincott, president of CASE, said the 2010 national and state
winners were selected for their commitment to student learning, their
use of creative teaching methods and their outreach to the larger
community.
"While these professors come from different disciplines and different
kinds of institutions, they share a passion for teaching and a
dedication to helping their students succeed within and beyond the
classroom," Lippincott said. "They emphasize learning not just teaching,
inspiring not just professing and exploring not just explaining. In
short, they are exceptional representatives of a noble profession."
Judges selected Scudder along with 45 other state winners based on four
criteria; their impact on students; their contributions to education in
the institution, community and profession; their scholarly approach to
teaching; and their support for colleagues and current and former
undergraduate students.
"I am immensely honored and humbled by this award. I'm a teacher and
that is my first love, this recognition makes me want to work even
harder for my students in the future," Scudder said. "This award
is truly an award for everyone at Champlain College. It is recognition
of all of our hard work and how far we've progressed on our mission of
becoming an institution of academic excellence."
The U.S. Professors of the Year Award Program was created in 1981 to
increase awareness of the importance of undergraduate instruction at all
types of higher education institutions. The program recognizes faculty
members for their achievement as undergraduate professors and is
co-sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education
(CASE) and the Carnegie Foundation. One winner is chosen from each
state, and then four national winners are selected from among the finalists.
"Gary has influenced literally thousands of students through the Global
Modules program, and many Champlain students have had the privilege of
having him in class. Still others experience him, this year, daily at
the Quarry Hill student residence, where he models living and learning
and even cooking. His impact has been felt on the Champlain campus for a
decade, and we look forward to the many ways he'll continue to
contribute to our community. I know that I speak for everyone when I say
that we are honored to work side-by-side with such a gifted educator,"
added Robin Abramson, Champlain's Provost and Chief Academic Officer.
About Champlain College
Since 1878, Champlain College has provided career-focused education to
students from its hilltop campus in Burlington, VT. Champlain's
distinctive educational approach embodies the notion that true learning
only occurs when information and experience come together to create
knowledge. Champlain offers study abroad programs in Montreal, Quebec
and Dublin, Ireland. The College was named a "Top-Up-and-Coming School"
by U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges. It is also
ranked in the top tier of 2011 Regional Colleges in the North by U.S.
News & World Report. To learn more about Champlain College, go to
www.champlain.edu
About the Award Program
Since 1982, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and CASE
have co-sponsored the program, which is structured to award national
winners in four categories based on the Carnegie Foundation's
classification of higher education institutions: baccalaureate colleges;
community colleges; doctoral and research universities; and master's
universities and colleges.
Competition for the U.S. Professors of the Year takes place in several
stages. Each candidate must first be selected from many qualified peers
at his or her own institution and nominated for the award. A campus may
enter up to three professors. Letters of support and endorsements from
current and former students, colleagues and presidents or academic deans
accompany the entries.
From approximately 100 semifinalists, six finalists are chosen in each
of the four categories. The Carnegie Foundation panel, which includes a
student, a former U.S. Professor of the Year, and education association
and campus representatives, selects the four national winners.
The national winners each receive a $5,000 cash award from The Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. TIAA-CREF, one of America's
leading financial services organizations and higher education's premier
retirement system, is the principal sponsor for the awards ceremony. Phi
Beta Kappa, an academic honor society, sponsors an evening Congressional
reception.