Five Northwestern faculty members were honored with 2024 University Teaching Awards, celebrating excellence and innovation among undergraduate faculty, the University announced on Monday.
Communication Prof. Masi Asare, Communication Prof. Barbara Butts, Medill Prof. Mei-Ling Hopgood, McCormick Prof. Ilya Mikhelson and French Prof. Cynthia Nazarian received the annually awarded honor.
To receive the award, faculty members must be nominated by the dean of their school. Next, a selection by a committee chaired by the provost and made up of senior faculty members, University administrators and a student representative weighs in.
Recipients of the award will enjoy a salary stipend for the next three years, along with funds for professional development. The awards ceremony will take place Wednesday, May 22 in the Guild Lounge.
“These amazing individuals remind us of the huge impact faculty can make on our students’ lives — not only while they are at Northwestern, but long after they’ve graduated,” Provost Kathleen Hagerty said in the news release. “I am so proud of each of them and grateful for their talent and dedication to the success of our students.”
Masi Asare
Asare was selected as a Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence. An avid songwriter, dramatist, vocalist and performance scholar, Asare aims to emphasize the history behind the art that she teaches in classes and encourage her students to be thoughtful in their art, as stated in a news release.
Barbara Butts
Chosen as the Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Professor of Instruction, Butts has served as a production manager and managing director of the Wirtz Center for Performing Arts for 13 years and has filled the role of stage manager for many prestigious theaters. Butts created the theater department’s Arts Management & Leadership Program and, according to the news release, believes it is crucial to incorporate creative experiences into coursework to prepare students for their post-collegiate careers.
Mei-Ling Hopgood
Journalist and author Hopgood won the Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Clinical Professor award by bringing her passion for multicultural journalism into the classroom, according to the news release, Hopgood is an avid advocate of diversity, equity and inclusion inside and outside of the classroom.
Ilya Mikhelson
Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Professor of Instruction Mikhelson summarizes his teaching philosophy in two words: empowerment and accessibility. Throughout his teaching, according to the news release, Mikhelson aims to ensure that his students are less afraid to tackle life’s obstacles after completing his classes.
Cynthia Nazarian
Specializing in Renaissance literature, Nazarian was chosen as a Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence. Nazarian encourages her students to battle through unfamiliarity by being enthusiastic in the classroom and working to connect historic material to current events, as mentioned in the news release.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @lmschroeder_
Related Stories:
— Six Northwestern professors named 2024 Guggenheim Fellows
— Northwestern honors seven professors with annual Teaching Award
