Posted 2:33 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, 2015
UW-L's annual Provost's Teaching Excellence Awards announced.
Provost’s Teaching Excellence winners announced
The Provost’s Teaching Excellence Awards were announced during commencement ceremonies Sunday, May 10. Students nominate faculty for the awards, which recognize and celebrate high quality teaching. This year’s six award winners are:- Ariel Beaujot, assistant professor, History
- Terry Glenn Lilley, assistant professor, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
- Nicole Gullekson, assistant professor, Management
- Edward Kim, assistant professor, Mathematics
- Marie Moeller, assistant professor, English
- Yevgeniya Turov, associate lecturer, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Ariel Beaujot, assistant professor, History
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Ariel Beaujot[/caption]
Ariel Beaujot teaches public history for UW-L’s new emphasis in public and policy history. She is approaching her third year at UW-L. Prior to teaching at UW-L, she earned her doctoral degree in history at the University of Toronto in 2008, was a visiting assistant professor at Laurentian University in 2008-09, taught study abroad in France for the University of Southern Mississippi in 2010, and did postdoctoral work in British History at the University of Vermont in 2011-12.
Favorite part of teaching:
“My favorite part of teaching is watching the students grow into their roles as experts in public history. To see them think up, research and then bring to fruition professional-level projects for and with La Crosse community organizations is very rewarding. Watching students become professional level bloggers, podcasters, PR managers, curators, interviewers, website developers, and oral historians with the support of the university, it's resources, our staff and professors, is really where it is at. I feel so fortunate to be at UW-L with such a dedicated group of students, staff, and faculty, and to be in the town of La Crosse with such great community organizations that are willing to work with students and help them grow and flourish.”What one student had to say:
“She strives to make her courses about more than just readings and sitting in a classroom. She makes connections to the community and real-life situations, helping prepare her students for careers once we leave the university … Through Dr. Beaujot, I have become a part of several community history projects. These projects include Hear, Here, [art]ifact, History Hunt, and a walking tour I hope to put on this fall. A year ago, I never would have dreamed of being a part of so many wonderful projects. These projects have given me experience with writing grants, dealing with other professional organizations and community members, budgeting, and long-term planning. She has devoted so much of her personal time to helping not only me, but many others within the history department to gain such skills and achieve our goals. Under her guidance, I feel as though I have grown tremendously as an individual and am far more prepared for the next step of my life once I leave UW-L than I would have ever been without her.”Terry Glenn Lilley, assistant professor, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies
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Terry Glenn Lilley[/caption]
Terry Glenn Lilley teaches classes focused on issues of social justice with a specific emphasis on gendered violence. He just completed his third year at UW-L. Prior to teaching at UW-L, Lilley worked as a prevention educator for a rape crisis and domestic violence center for six years before returning to college to study sociology. He earned his doctoral degree in sociology from the University of Delaware in May 2012. His dissertation was focused on the unintended consequences of the professionalization of victim services and advocacy.
Favorite part of teaching:
“I love when students have that moment of discovery: when they make sense of patterns in the data, or find themselves able to take complex information or theories and apply it to real world issues. But what truly inspires me is when students walk away from those discoveries not sated, but hungry to learn and understand more.”What one student had to say:
“I took Dr. Lilley’s course for a general education requirement, but I was excited nonetheless because I already knew a lot about women studies and feminism. I was also very nervous though, because I was taking the course with some of my male friends who I knew were likely to scoff and whine the entire semester. I was pleasantly surprised when Dr. Lilley was able to inspire and teach all of us. This is one thing I really admire in Dr. Lilley: his ability to keep me interested, someone who already knew most of the course information, but also to spark the interest of several boys who were total non-believers. He never told the class what to think. He gave us the facts and helped to lead us to the conclusions. I think this is especially important in a women gender studies class because it can be a touchy subject that no one wants forced upon them.”Nicole Gullekson, assistant professor, Management
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Nicole Gullekson[/caption]
Nicole Gullekson teaches primarily organizational behavior and international management classes. She has taught at UW-L for five years. Prior to UW-L, she was an instructor and career adviser at Ohio University. She also worked for a short time at Allstate's Research and Planning Center, but missed teaching and working with students.
Favorite part of teaching:
“I enjoy working with students, watching them get engaged with topics and issues that they may not otherwise been interested in, and to see their personal and professional growth.”What one student had to say:
“The projects in the Integrated Core Program (A CBA program where students complete a series of applied projects — one involving work for a company) were challenging, yet doable, and Gullekson did a phenomenal job testing our skills and challenging us while leading and guiding us to educational success. The amount of time that the students had to contribute to the semester was far more than any other I have had, but it was clear that the professors involved were also doing the same. The ICP helped us to develop relationships with professors that I have never experienced before, and being able to trust and communicate with Gullekson on a personal and professional level really helped my classmates and my learning. Regardless of the questions or extra help that we needed for cases, exams, or projects, Gullekson was more than willing to help, and was always there for her students.”Edward Kim, assistant professor, Mathematics
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Edward Kim[/caption]
Edward Kim teaches precalculus, calculus and topics in linear algebra. He has taught for two years at UW-L. After two years as a postdoctoral researcher, including one year at Delft in The Netherlands and one year in Pohang, South Korea, Kim was a lecturer for large calculus courses at University of California, Davis. He then came to UW-L.
Favorite part of teaching:
“While I really enjoy creating a fun and positive classroom atmosphere for learning, the biggest and best moments often occur outside the classroom. My favorite thing is seeing a student go from an ‘I can't’ mentality or an ‘I'm just not a (fill in the blank) person’ to an ‘I can’ mentality and saying ‘I can totally do this!’ As much as I enjoy seeing the light bulb go on for a student when a certain mathematical concept clicks, it is even more rewarding to witness a student using mathematics to empower themselves to say, ‘If I can do this math, then I can do anything if I put in the work!’What one student had to say:
“I have never seen a professor care so much about what he does and put in so much effort into becoming a better teacher, adviser and colleague. I have noticed Dr. Kim spend many long hours holding office hours for students, developing new ways for students to learn better, and preparing unique and thorough lectures for his classes. He has personally shared with me some of his ideas for new ways to teach complex or confusing material to his students, and I have seen the excitement and enthusiasm he has for teaching.”Marie Moeller, assistant professor, English
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Marie Moeller[/caption]
Marie Moeller teaches primarily professional writing courses. This is her fifth year at UW-L. Prior to UW-L, she taught in North Carolina for a year. She also worked as a certified nursing assistant and interned for Mayo Clinic.
Favorite part of teaching:
“My favorite part of teaching is hearing how students take knowledge from the classroom and find connections and meaning within their lives and the world around them.”What one student had to say:
“In the classroom, Dr. Moeller challenges her students to think critically, asking us to consider how class content applies to our internships, projects and careers. Dr. Moeller has this really unique way of facilitating class discussion because she makes students feel like what they say holds a lot of value, even if we disagree with the material we’re learning or her or others’ opinions. One hallmark of a ‘Moeller class’ is that she holds students accountable to their ideas, encouraging us to share our opinions with the rest of the class by specifically calling on individuals to articulate our thoughts. In other settings the prospect of sharing an argument in front of a group may be intimidating, but because of the class environment Dr. M creates and the verbal affirmation she offers, students feel comfortable discussing difficult content.”Yevgeniya Turov, associate lecturer, Chemistry and Biochemistry
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Yevgeniya Turov[/caption]
Yevgeniya Turov teaches General Chemistry I lecture and lab and General Chemistry II lab. This is her third year at UW-L. Prior to teaching at UW-L, she was in athe doctoral program in inorganic chemistry at UW-Madison. There she served as a teaching assistant for general chemistry and inorganic chemistry, and really enjoyed working with students as a TA. She was very excited to find a teaching position at UW-L.