Fintz Award for Teaching Excellence (IAH Faculty)

The Fintz Award for Teaching Excellence in the Arts and Humanities recognizes outstanding faculty who in keeping with the goals of integrative studies seek to make students familiar with different ways of knowing and artistic expression and to assist them in developing critical thinking and effective communication skills.

Every year CISAH recognizes two IAH faculty members with the Fintz Award (one in IAH 201-210 and one in IAH 211-241). The Fintz Award is possible thanks to an endowment provided by Professor Ken Waltzer, former director of CISAH, to honor his father.

The selection of candidates, final recommendations made by the CIS-AH Advisory Committee, and award ceremony take place during the spring semester of each year. IAH faculty may receive the Fintz Awards only once every three years.

The following faculty are the 2009 award recipients:

Professor Ed Murphy (History) – IAH 203: Latin America and the World

Professor Edward Murphy's course "Tensions of Empire and Nation" offers a broad interpretation of world history to a large class through an examination of the colonization and evolution of Latin America and the Caribbean from 1492 to the present. Integrating readings, lectures, and films, Professor Murphy combines historical, archaeological, economic, political and artistic perspectives and provides a course experience of enduring importance and value. On evaluations students verify Professor Murphy's impact on their discovery of how their perceptions of Latin America and its culture are achieved. Students find the challenge of confirming that understanding in written essays (in which they make connections between their readings, film, and lectures) a valuable exercise, often resulting in personal growth and increased sophistication. Professor Murphy, they also report, exudes a passionate and intense knowledge of the field and conscientiously guides his teaching with a mission to facilitate undergraduate accessibility to complex concepts. In addition, Professor Murphy establishes a culture and learning environment for the class whereby he and the teaching assistants are generously available for individual discussion, consultation and review--an impressive achievement for a class exceeding 200 students. Finally, his syllabus is uniformly excellent and provides in detail the requirements and expectations that inform the course.

Professor Pero Dagbovie (History) – IAH 211C: Area Studies, The Americas

The committee chose Professor Dagbovie over other outstanding candidates for a number of reasons, including the unusually enthusiastic and specific evaluations from students, his innovative teaching techniques, and the impressive diversity of approaches and materials employed in his IAH 211C course, "Critical Themes in African-American History and Culture." Class topics range from "The African Origins of Black America" through contemporary events such as Hurricane Katrina. Prof. Dagbovie makes effective use of films, documentaries, television specials, and other forms of media, as well as traditional lectures and discussion, to convey the experience of African Americans as fully and thoughtfully as possible.

 
The following faculty received honorable mentions in the 2009 competition:

Professor Lister Matheson (English) - IAH 207: "Scottish Identities and Cultures in Literature and Film."
Professor Matheson has developed an unique and interesting course for IAH 207 titled "Scottish Identities and Cultures in Literature and Film" that he taught in Fall Semester 2008. Student evaluations and a letter by one of the TAs indicated how much the students were affected by this class and the very positive impact that Dr. Matheson's teaching had on them. His enthusiasm for the course, and the fact that he sees his teaching of a large IAH course as an "opportunity, not as burden or 'service'" was noted with appreciation by his department chairperson. The Award Selection Committee was very impressed with Dr. Matheson's achievement and highly praised Dr. Matheson's contribution.

Professor Edward "Ned" Watts (English) – IAH 207: "Humor, History and the Humanities."
Professor Edward "Ned" Watts teaches a tier-one course on "Literature, Culture, Identities" with a focus on "Humor, History and the Humanities." The course takes a fairly traditional subject—humor in its various historical senses, from the Greeks' use of satire to Shakespeare's reworking of the genre of comedy—and tracks it through history. His course expands students’ understanding of the kinds of humor that diverse cultures have invented, and asks students to think critically about how humor functions in society. Students express their appreciation of how the course enables them to improve in their writing, focus analytically on texts, and identify subtle types of themes and ideas that resonate through different cultures and times.

Professor Kirsten Fermaglich (History) – IAH 211C: "Introduction to American Jewish Culture"
Although Prof. Kirsten Fermaglich did not win the 2009 Fintz Award, members of the committee were very impressed with the way her IAH 211C course, "Introduction to American Jewish Culture" succeeds in demonstrating the breadth and depth of Jewish life and culture in the United States. Prof. Fermaglich makes use of a wide range of materials, including memoirs, literature, and film in making clear the diversity of Jewish culture, thereby combating stereotypes and prejudice in the most effective way.

Professor Jeffrey Charnley (WRAC) – IAH 231B: "The United States and World War II"
Although Prof. Jeffrey Charnley did not win the 2009 Fintz Award, members of the committee were impressed with his ability to illuminate the moral issues involved in war, especially through effective use of literature and film as well as scholarly discussion in both his Fall 2008 IAH 231B class, "War, Moral Issues and Efforts to Limit and End Wars 1750-Present," and his study abroad course, IAH 231B "The United States and World War II Europe: Memory and Memorials." Student comments make clear Prof. Charnley’s success in stimulating thoughtful reflection on difficult but important issues.

Fintz award recipients in previous years