Annual Awards Recognize Outstanding Teaching

Monday, May 17, 2021

The following faculty and graduate students were honored for their exceptional teaching in a year that demanded new approaches and technology along with tried-and-true pedagogic methods.

Three Penn Arts & Sciences faculty members received University-wide teaching awards this spring. Melissa E. Sanchez, Donald T. Regan Professor of English and Comparative Literature, was recognized with a Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching—the highest teaching honor given by Penn. Chenoa Flippen, Associate Professor of Sociology, and Randall Kamien, Vicki and William Abrams Professor in the Natural Sciences and Professor of Physics and Astronomy, received Provost’s Awards for Distinguished Ph.D. Teaching and Mentoring.

Penn Arts & Sciences’ own highest teaching honor, the Ira H. Abrams Memorial Award for Distinguished Teaching, was presented to Campbell Grey, Associate Professor of Classical Studies, and Eve Troutt Powell, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of History and Africana Studies. Marisa Kozlowski, Professor of Chemistry, received the Dennis M. DeTurck Award for Innovation in Teaching.

Zahra Fakhraai, Associate Professor of Chemistry, earned the Dean’s Award for Mentorship of Undergraduate Research, and the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by an Assistant Professor went to Mary Caldwell of Music. Dean’s Awards for Distinguished Teaching by Affiliated Faculty were presented to Staver Bezhani, Senior Lecturer in Biology, and Anne Duchene, Senior Lecturer in Economics. Leona Brandwene, Director of the Liberal & Professional Studies (LPS) Online Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology and Associate Director of Education at the Positive Psychology Center, received the LPS Award for Distinguished Teaching in Professional Graduate Programs.

Ten students were also honored with Dean’s Awards for Distinguished Teaching by Graduate Students:

Erik Broess, Music

Samantha Gillen, Romance Languages

Lauren Harris, Sociology

Zain Mian, Comparative Literature

Brandon Orzolek, Chemistry

Sammy Sbiti, Mathematics

Mikhail Strokan, Political Science

Stephanie Wesson, Philosophy

Yosiane White, Linguistics

Clinton Williamson, English