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Lindback Awards: Sketches of the 1999
Winners
At the Provost's Reception Thursday, April 22 (to which all are invited--4-6
p.m. at the Veranda on Locust Walk), the faculty members cited for distinguished
teaching in 1999 are:
In the Non-Health Schools
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Chung-Pei Ma
Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Dr. Ma took her Ph.D. in Physics from MIT and joined the Penn faculty
in 1996. Holder of a new Sloan Fellowship as well as the Annie Jump Cameron
Award for a distinguished woman astronomer, Dr. Ma is known especially for
course development after the merger of the Physics and Astronomy departments,
and the revised Astrophysics 1 has been extremely successful with enrollments
increasing over the past three years. A colleague calls her teaching "truly
exciting," engaging the class with her mastery of the subject and a
fine sense of humor. One student predicts her course will "accompany
me always, both in my scientific career and as a human being" while
another says, "I am not a science person but Professor Ma demystified
astronomy for me. She truly loves astronomy and it is this love that she
effectively conveys to her students." |
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Bruce Mann
Professor of Law and History
A J.D. holder from Yale, Professor Mann joined Penn in 1988 after teaching
at the University of Washington, where he was selected as Outstanding Professor
at the School of Law. He is also the recipient of the Harvey Levin Memorial
Award for Excellence in Teaching at Penn's Law School. Students cite him
for his lasting influence ("In a school with outstanding teachers,
Professor Mann was without question, one of the best....I know that if I
am successful as an attorney, I will owe a portion of that success to Professor
Mann") and also for his accessibility by phone, e-mail and even playing
clarinet in the pit for the Light Opera Company. A Law School colleague
adds, "The faculty at the Law School prides itself on its extensive
student contact, but Bruce has clearly brought this effort to a new level.
. . . if the criteria of an excellent teacher is one who challenges students
to expand their intellectual horizons and who inspires as well as instructs,
I know of no more deserving professor than Bruce Mann." |
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Brent Shaw
Professor of Classical Studies
After taking his Ph.D. from Cambridge University, Dr. Shaw taught at
the University of Lethbridge and at Princeton before joining Penn in 1996.
Students call him an outstanding teacher who has "an incredible ability
to paint vivid pictures of the past" --and the undergraduate Roman
History course has doubled in enrollment since he began teaching it two
years ago. Graduate students are equally enthusiastic, "Professor Shaw
uses his encyclopedic knowledge of the subject to guide the student's individual
research in such a way that the student can move quickly to an advanced
level of study. It is certainly no coincidence that so many of the papers
written for his seminars eventually become conference papers and even publications."
Another says simply, "Dr. Shaw is the best professor I have ever had
at Penn." Colleagues also praise Dr. Shaw,"In Brent Shaw one witnesses
at every turn the perfect blend of the keenest intellect with the most committed
and effective pedagogy." |
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Robert St. George
Associate Professor of Folklore and Folklife
An alumnus of Penn's Ph.D. program in Folklore and Folklife, Dr. St.
George joined the faculty in 1989 and has served as both the undergraduate
and graduate chair of the Folklore Department and as the Director/Chair
of the American Studies Department. Peers describe him as "a path blazer
in Folklore scholarship," "a charismatic teacher who engages his
students with his scholarship and professionalism," "a teacher
whose purpose is not to entertain in order to get high ratings, but rather
to draw students into his own fascination with the world." Students
praise him as "a brilliant teacher, writer, scholar and mentor."
Though he "holds the bar high" for students and his challenges
have positive results, they say, and his teaching has influenced even their
career choices, fostering a new generation of academics. One graduate student
wrote, "Professor St. George has contributed greatly to the way this
generation of scholars will think about Folklore, History, Art History and
the preservation of the built environment." |
The Provost's Award
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Janet Tighe
Lecturer, History and Sociology of Science
A lecturer in H&SS since 1993, Dr. Tighe came to the program with
a Penn Ph.D. in American Civilization. Students nominated her for her energy
and enthusiasm, and her availability to students outside of the classroom.
Some elected History and Sociology of Science as a major because of her
influence. Former students, now themselves successful academics, credit
her with influencing their career choice, and add "much of what I use
in teaching undergraduates I learned from Dr. Tighe." In a daily post-mortem
of her undergraduate classes-what lectures worked and why; what readings
captured the students' interest; and which questions produced thoughtful
answers-she helps educate future teachers. An undergraduate says "a
faculty advising system would be a resounding success if all faculty had
Janet's ability to listen, to understand young adults and to treat undergraduates
as serious learners." A grad student adds, "Janet Tighe is the
educator we would all like to become." |
In the Health Schools
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Robert R. Gaiser
Asistant Professor of Anesthesia
With a B.S.E. from SEAS and an M.D. from Columbia, Dr. Gaiser came to
the Department of Anesthesia in 1992 as a Fellow in Obstetrical Anesthesia,
and joined the faculty in 1993. Twice named Teacher of the Year in Anesthesia,
he has also received the Penn Pearls Teaching Award and the Robert Dripps
Memorial Teaching Award of PennMed. Students call their rotations with him
one of the high points of the medical school experience, and one said, "I
can honestly say that part of the initial reason I became interested in
anesthesia was due to Dr. Gaiser's enthusiasm for the field and for medical
education." Again and again Dr. Gaiser is cited as a role model, and
"the rare combination...a gifted academic, skilled teacher, and a truly
decent human being." Adds a colleague, "Dr. Gaiser's teaching
has not been matched by anyone that I have seen during my professional career." |
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John Hansen-Flaschen, M.D.
Associate Professor of Medicine
Dr. Hansen-Flaschen began his teaching career at HUP in 1976, and under
his direction, the fellowship-training program in the Pulmonary and Critical
Care Division is now considered one of the best in the country. His lectures
consistently receive the highest evaluations from students and colleagues,
and his success has been recognized by the Department of Medicine's highest
teaching honor, the Donna McCurdy Award. Sixty-four letters in Dr. Hansen-Flaschen's
Lindback dossier document the depth and quality of his teaching, and the
effect he has on students at all levels of medical training. Many speak
of his sensitivity to the needs of patients and their families; others of
his impeccable judgment, skill, dedication and compassion in unusual measure.
One former student calls him "a model of professionalism;" another
says that he "exemplifies the highest standards of teaching and patient
care." Among the several physicians who trained under Dr. Hansen-Flaschen
and refer to him as the person they try to emulate one writes that when
he confronts a difficult medical and ethical question, he asks himself,"How
would Dr. Hansen-Flaschen have approached this situation?" |
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James Barron Lok
Associate Professor of Parasitology Pathobiology/Vet
Since coming to Penn as a post-doctoral fellow in 1981, Dr. Lok has become
known as a superlative teacher, his lectures consistently receiving the
highest ratings. In addition, he played a leading role in reorganizing his
School's curriculum to improving the educational experience. One colleagues
writes, "to put it simply, he is a fabulous teacher," and wished
for "more instructors like him when I was a student." His many
student supporters emphasize that Dr. Lok is unusually generous with his
time, and eager to give support to those who need it...an able guide and
mentor to generations of Veterinary School students. Noting that he already
holds the Norden Distinguished Teaching Award, one adds, "The Lindback
Award gives the rest of the University the chance to join in acknowledging
the important contributions of this exemplary faculty member." |
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David Manning
Professor of Pharmacology
A member of the faculty since 1984, Dr. Manning gives lectures that are
consistently highly rated, and has done exceptionally valuable service as
director of several graduate courses and in training postdoctoral students.
In an unusually stimulating introductory course, one student said, Dr. Manning
went "beyond the fundamentals to discuss the scientific method that
underlies medical research"-a comment typical of others that praise
the care and respect with which Dr. Manning addresses the education of his
students. Demanding and at the same time supportive, he instills high standards,
along with a sense of excitement about his work. Both students and colleagues
speak of his accessibility, summing up that he is always willing to take
time out from his own demanding schedule to offer advice and guidance on
research, teaching, or professional development. |
Almanac, Vol. 45, No. 28, April 13, 1999
FRONT
PAGE | CONTENTS
| JOB-OPS
| CRIMESTATS
| OF RECORD: CCTV MONITORING POLICY | BETWEEN
ISSUES | APRIL at PENN
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