Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching

 

The Walter J. Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching is the university's highest teaching honor. This year's H&S recipients are Patricia Burchat, professor of physics, and James Gross, associate professor of psychology.

Burchat was cited for her astonishing range as an educator, sharing her passion for physics with graduate students, undergraduates, alumni and even high school students; for lucid, passionate and engaged teaching in formal lectures and her strategy of giving students deep learning experiences and a long-term grasp of essential principles; for her great warmth, dedication and generosity as an adviser and mentor; for innovative contributions to the curricula, extending and improving program offerings in physics and engineering physics; and for teaching that has influenced a generation of particle physicists and helped all students see rainbows differently.

Gross was cited for his tremendous enthusiasm, captivating lectures and humorous examples that have inspired hundreds of undergraduates new to the study of psychology; for his exceptional ability to involve students—in small seminars and large lectures—so everyone feels they benefit from and contribute to the debate; for mentoring each member of the teaching team and inspiring great loyalty and admiration from his colleagues; for his openness as a research adviser, encouraging diverse opinions, listening to counter arguments and never imposing his interpretation on student researchers; and for his patience, kindness and warmth.

Full article

Gores Award H&S Archive