Posted 9:57 p.m. Thursday, June 20, 2013

UW-La Crosse students submitted about 200 nominations for the 2013 Provost Teaching Excellence Award. Read about this year's six winners.

Robert Allen, Mathematics
Position: Associate professor in the Mathematics Department who teaches analysis courses, which include calculus, complex analysis and real analysis. Experience: Bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1994; master’s degree in mathematics in 2006 from the University of Virginia. Also, a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 2003 and doctoral degree in mathematics in 2009 from George Mason University. Started at UW-L after graduating with a doctoral degree. Favorite part of teaching: Showing students how useful mathematics can be — “especially in surviving zombie outbreaks.” (Allen talks about zombie outbreaks in Calculus 1 to demonstrate a way to use the math to predict the spread of a disease through a population.) [caption id="attachment_24227" align="alignright" width="240"]
Suzanne Anglehart, Microbiology
Position: Senior lecturer in the Department of Microbiology who teaches general education microbiology courses and introductory microbiology labs. Experience: Bachelor’s degree in microbiology and a Master of Education-Professional Development from UW-L. Started teaching at UW-L in 1997. Previously taught at Aquinas High School and in England and Turkey. Favorite part of teaching: The students and the way they interact with the content she loves. [caption id="attachment_24234" align="alignright" width="240"]
Nicholas Bakken, Sociology & Archeology
Position: Assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Archaeology who teaches The Social World, Corrections and Penology, Criminal Justice, Sociopharmacology, and Methods of Sociological Research II. Experience: Bachelor’s degree in 2004 from UW-L and a master’s in 2006 and doctoral degree in 2009 from the University of Delaware. Started teaching at UW-L in 2009. Favorite part of teaching: Getting to know and working with such curious and thought-provoking students. [caption id="attachment_24245" align="alignright" width="240"]
Curtis Czerwinski, Chemistry
Position: Professor in the Department of Chemistry who teaches lecture and laboratory courses in general chemistry and organic chemistry, and has recently developed and taught an upper-level elective course in advanced organic chemistry. Experience: Bachelor’s degree in chemistry at UW-Stevens Point and a doctorate in organic chemistry from UW-Madison. After a year of post-doctoral research at Colorado State University and a two-year lectureship at the University of Wyoming, began a tenure-track position in Chemistry at UW-L in 1999. Promoted to full professor in 2012. Favorite part of teaching: Interacting with students in large lecture halls, using simple analogies and demonstrations to help students see how complex chemical phenomena can be related to everyday life. [caption id="attachment_24252" align="alignright" width="240"]
Vivek Pande, Accountancy
Position: Assistant professor who teaches U.S. and international business law and ethics to undergraduate and MBA students. Experience: Bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia, and a law degree with honors from UW-Madison. Came to UW-L in 2011 after working as a corporate lawyer at O'Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles, and teaching business law at Koç University in Istanbul for a collective 12 years. Favorite part of teaching: Trying to help students achieve their personal and professional goals. [caption id="attachment_24254" align="alignright" width="240"]