Faculty Favorites 2013-2014
About the Award
All faculty, staff, and graduate teaching assistants who receive nominations receive a formal letter of recognition from the Provost, along with a certificate, and are invited to attend the Faculty Favorite Reception, to be held during the lunch program at the 2015 Celebration of Teaching and Learning on Friday, February 6, 2015, at Shelby Campus. All student nominations are also posted on the Faculty Favorite Award website.
Additionally, there will be a smaller pool named as top nominees, with no more than one nominee per department, drawn from those who receive the most nominations. These "Top" Faculty Favorites will be recognized campus-wide through UofL Today and on a banner that is displayed on the front of Ekstrom Library in early February. Instructors are eligible to be featured as a "Top" Faculty Favorite every four years.
2014-2015 Nomination Periods
The Fall 2014 nomination period opens on November 17 and closes on December 19.
The Spring 2015 nomination period opens on April 6 and closes on May 8.
2013-2014 "Top 4"
The Delphi Center is proud to announce the "Top 4" Faculty Favorites for 2013-2014.
| First | Last | Department | School | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christy | Burge | Accountancy | College of Business | I have had the opportunity to take at least one course with Christy Burge in each of my undergraduate years at the University of Louisville. Christy has made a tremendous impact on my personal and professional growth during my time at UofL, and for that, I am incredibly grateful. Christy's willingness to go out of her way to help students and her commitment to helping students succeed after college is what I admire most about her. Christy's efforts undoubtedly deserve recognition, not only for her work this semester, but for all she has done for students in the College of Business. *She is a very good professor. Knows the material really well. Tough but fair. *Christy Burge has been the best business faculty member that I have had so far at UofL. She shows a true commitment to both her students and the subject she teachers. She demands excellence and expects her students to strive to understand the material thoroughly. I have gained a new perspective on accounting and business practices after having her as a teacher. I would hope that every business student would have the opportunity to take a class with her because it is a truly rewarding experience. Her method of teaching deserves the utmost recognition and praise. *Very good at getting the information across to the students. *Christy Burge, my accounting 205 professor this semester, made an extremely significant impact on my learning. One of my favorite things about Professor Burge is her vast "real-world" knowledge of accounting and business, in general. She shared stories of her extensive work experiences with us every day, always explaining the importance of various topics and how they relate to the workplace. She craftily connected the sometimes hard to understand topics of the textbook with real-life examples. Throughout the semester, she also visibly showed a willingness to help out each and every student. She stayed after class every single day to talk about various topics ranging from her stories about working with Bill Gates to current job openings and internship opportunities. She was easily accessible in her office and by phone and told us that she would do everything she could to help us land internships and jobs in the future. *Professor Burge has an unbelievable amount of experience in the real world, and she truly wants to see her students succeed. She is very open and honest and has a clear viewpoint on how she sees the world, that she is pleased to share with us on a regular basis, to help guide our college careers. She has made an enormous impact on my semester. *She really seems to care about the students. She also does a great job of relating the material to real-life situations. One of the best teachers I have ever had. *Professor Burge's involvement goes beyond the classroom. She is both an advisor and a friend, in addition to her role as instructor. *Most relevant professor UofL has. Christy is a true asset to the accounting department. She brings real-world accounting into the classroom. *I loved her class. I had never had an accounting class before, and she made it easy to understand, and she challenged me throughout the semester. *Professor Burge is the finest instructor I've had at the University of Louisville. Her class is challenging, and her method is engaging. *She goes to extra mile to help prepare us for the future. *One of the best teachers on campus! Provides some of the best real-world situations and applications of all the material. Very dedicated to her students' future, especially with regards to being prepared for the CPA exam. An amazing teacher! |
| Raymond | Chastain | Physics and Astronomy | College of Arts and Sciences | I had Dr. Chastain for the fall and spring semesters, and I loved his class. Class was always very entertaining and very easy to follow. In my opinion, Dr. Chastain explained things in a way everyone could understand. I did not take Physics in high school--I thought I would absolutely hate the class in college. However, Dr. Chastain made physics an enjoyable experience. His classes are tough but doable, if you put the work in. I learned a great amount. He is a great professor, and I would recommend him to anyone who is required to take Physics. *I took PHYS 298 and 299 throughout Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 with Professor Chastain. I really enjoyed his class because he explains everything very well. He is also very helpful to students during class and outside of class and develops personal relationships to many students. I enjoyed his class and would recommend his class to anyone. *Great teacher. He was very helpful during office hours. Kept the class very playful while covering a lot of material. Learned a lot in his class. *Going into my senior year and being a middle school science education student, I have taken my fair share of science classes. Bio 240's, chemistry, heck even include my calculus and college algebra classes, and not one of those professors knew my name. However Professor Chastain did, and not only did he talk to me when I went to his office, but he really meant it when he said his door is always open. I failed his first test with a 50/100, then I began visiting his office and had to schedule appointments because I couldn't go during his regular office hours (which he was more than happy to take time out of his free time to work with me), and on the next test I got an 87.5/100. He would explain every concept to me in a way that was simple but effective, and he did a wonderful job of answering all my questions and never rushed me out of his office. If I were in there for an hour and a half asking him questions and still feeling confused, I never once felt that I needed to just give up and leave because he was in a rush (something many other professors do). As someone who is going into education, I see many of my ideals in him, a professor who is there to actually teach, not just do research. He is one of a kind, and honestly, if I get a B or even a C in his class, I know it was the grade I deserved. He has a fun way of teaching science with both passion and comedy, while also taking lectures that last 1 hour and 15 minutes and making them seem so much shorter. He is extremely personable and so accommodating, and I truly believe he cares about his students. I honestly have met few professors outside of the Education Department who deserve to be nominated as a wonderful educator. I hated almost all my other science classes, but it's really hard to hate a class that this guy is teaching! *Dr. Chastain did wonders for the world of physics, or at least he did for his students in understanding it. Physics is without a doubt a very challenging subject, one that requires us to put numbers and even letters to things that we may do in our daily lives like throw a football or place a magnet on the fridge. Many find this frustrating and cumbersome, and in many cases confusing, but Dr. Chastain has been an inspiration at not only making this field interesting, but most importantly, he has made it understandable. With his engaging humor with the class and his wonderful teaching approach that requires the students to actually participate in class (egad!!), brings him to be definitely known as one of my best teachers. Thank you Dr. Chastain! *Raymond Chastain is the epitome of a college professor to me. He conducted his classroom very well, utilizing the allotted time period efficiently. He always preferred us to ask questions so he could clear anything up and never rushed any answer. He truly wants his students to understand the material. He also teaches the main concepts very clearly. He took abstract physics concepts and made sense of them. His tests were challenging though. One couldn't just walk into a test and score well without studying. He provides the information that is needed to be studied through his recitations and homework. Ergo, while his tests were challenging, they were very doable, if a student put in the work leading up to the exam. Another strong point of Dr. Chastain was his willingness to help during office hours. He tried various ways to get students to understand the concepts and problems. Overall, Dr. Chastain and his class were entertaining, insightful, challenging, and full of knowledge ready to be absorbed, and that is why I am nominating him as an outstanding educator. *I took Professor Chastain's class this semester thinking that it would be hard and boring. Fortunately, I was wrong. I needed an elective for my natural sciences. Chemistry was not an option, considering I have no interest in the field at all. I took biology already during my freshman year, but as a senior, I wanted to do something different and unique. Taking Physics 107 was probably the best choice I have ever made on selecting classes. When you learn about something as difficult as the Universe you sort of expect to get a boring professor just because of stereotypical norms. However, Professor Chastain made this the best class in my college career here at UofL. I will be graduating this fall, and I couldn't tell you half of my professors' names and couldn't really care less to recommend any of them, except for Professor Chastain. He is hilarious with his 80's movie references and making fun of how scientists changed Pluto into not being a planet anymore. Working third shift is a struggle, and it may be hard to concentrate in class sometimes, but I never wanted to miss a Physics class because it was the best class I had ever taken. Professor Chastain showed awesome videos of solar flares and pictures that blew the class's mind, but it all helped us to understand exactly what he meant. I wish every professor had his teaching style. I loved talking about what I learned in class with my friends, and they were more than interested in learning it too. I have never been able to want to tell people what I learned in class that day until I took Professor Chastain's physics class. He prepares you for the test with great learning objectives to look back at and posts all of his lectures on Blackboard so there is plenty of material to help us study for his test. It was great to be able to send an email and set up an appointment with him in his office just to get some one-on-one learning. I remember the first day of class he was very firm on not using cell phones in class, but I never had a reason to want to get on it considering the class material was way more interesting and unexpectedly fun to learn about. Professor Chastain will be one I will never forget just because he made me want to learn, without him knowing it. As a communications major, I didn't have to take physics, but I did, and thank God! Professor Chastain's wisdom will live on through his students, and of course, his adorable two-year-old son. *I had Professor Chastain for both Spring and Fall semesters of the 2013-2014 school year, in PHYS 298 and PHYS 299. Over the past year, I have been nothing but impressed with Professor Chastain's passion for teaching, dedication to helping students, and skill as a lecturer and educator. I have struggled with physics in the past, including one semester at UofL in 221, because the subject often seemed reduced to a collection of formulas, which I struggled to connect to conceptual foundations. Not only did physics become a very dry subject, but after Newton's Laws, I didn't feel like I had big, important ideas and understandings that I could take away, which made it difficult to stay engaged. The strength of Professor Chastain's instruction begins with his ability to identify and clearly communicate a hierarchy of clear concepts for a given subject matter. Because he clearly communicated the biggest ideas to take away for each unit, and the course as a whole, I not only stayed engaged with the material but became fascinated with new units as I grappled with big physics questions. If the foundation of his instruction was very well structured and clearly communicated conceptual scaffolding, where Professor Chastain really sets himself apart from other educators, science educators in particular, is his ability to teach the same concept in different ways, anticipating and responding to student misconceptions. We would be presented with the most important ideas not once but multiple times over the course of the unit, and each time in a different way, including demonstrations, simple conceptual problems, and eventually multiple in-depth analyses in recitation. When it came time for me to do homework, I didn't always understand every last piece of the unit, but I had such a strong grasp of the key ideas that I was always able to piece the final pieces together using the textbook. In essence, my foundation in physics is strong enough that I feel able to educate myself further in the field using what I have learned. Continuing with this, I think more than any other class I've taken so far at UofL, I will retain the most important concepts from PHYS 298 and 299 for years into the future. In my mind, this is the single biggest determinant of whether an instructor and a class has been a success for me. I am now in my 7th year as a full-time college student, during which time I completed an undergraduate degree and part of a master's before enrolling in the Speed School. I would rank Professor Chastain among the five most effective faculty I have had anywhere at any level. In fact, coming to UofL from a small liberal arts school, where class sizes were small and professors focused overwhelmingly on individualized instruction and student achievement, I was worried that I would miss this environment at a large university. But the past year I have had exactly this experience in Professor Chastain's class. He has an engaging personality, an infectious passion for physics, and a skill for teaching that I was overjoyed to find at the University of Louisville. I have recommended his classes to everyone I know in the Speed School and am recommending him now for the "Favorite Faculty" award. He certainly deserves the recognition. |
| Douglas | Lorenz | Bioinformatics and Biostatistics | School of Public Health and Information Sciences | Incredibly helpful and accessible. He made an intimidating subject (biostatistics) very enjoyable and approachable. He is one of the best professors I have had. *Takes a difficult subject and makes it plain. Very understanding. *Understands student course loads and is accommodating of that. Super funny and one of our most approachable professors, be it help for stats or just to share a funny story with. Goes above and beyond in his explanations when students need help. *Dr. Lorenz is awesome! He did a great job teaching biostatistics in a manner that let even the mathematically challenged understand well! *Biostatistics is a very difficult subject to even begin to comprehend. But Dr. Lorenz made the material as enjoyable as possible and was always quick to assist us when we needed more help. He always went out of his way to help us with whatever we needed--even picking our concentration. He's by far the best professor I have had so far during my time in grad school. *He is one of few professors I have had that genuinely cares about his students and their education. He has really taken the time and effort to make sure that we understood the material and were ready for testing. Always loved going to class with his humor and wittiness. It really made the class fun and enjoyable. *Dr. Lorenz made a very challenging course a fun learning environment. His desire to educate is unmatched by any professor that I have studied under. You can tell that he takes great pride in watching a student grow intellectually. His actions speak volumes regarding his commitment to student growth. He answers every e-mail or in-person question with the depth and breadth that is intended to inform on a deep level. Every e-mail inquiry received a response usually within hours. His responsiveness and attentiveness to each student reflects a sacrifice that most educators cannot match. *Dr. Lorenz genuinely cares about students and will go out of his way to help us learn. By providing high-quality, meticulous instruction, our class was able to know the material beyond regurgitation. Dr. Lorenz is among the special professors that love to teach and, in return, gain love from their students. I can say with certainty that Dr. Lorenz is a class favorite and well deserves this award. *Dr. Lorenz is hands down one of the best professor I've ever had at UofL. He took a subject, which is difficult in nature, and made it easy to understand and enjoyable. He spends every second he has in the classroom and in his office to help anyone, and if he is busy or not available, he answers his emails quickly. His kindness and ability to connect with us proves that he is one of the best professors this University has. I will come away this school year thankful that I had not only one but two semesters taught by him, and I will always be grateful for his time and effort. *Dr. Lorenz is the best professor in the department we have had all year. He has managed to teach a difficult subject (biostats) to a group of students whom most of which have never had the subject before. He has done so in a way that has prepared us in the future to be able to have an intelligent conversation and use biostats to make conclusions about public health studies. He definitely deserves to be recognized for the work he has done with the course this year, since it was one of his first years teaching the material. He did an exceptional job. We even applauded him the last night of class to let him know what a good year it has been. *He is the best lecturer ever! He teaches with patience, and he gives homework that makes you understand better. He made me and my classmates love statistics, like I literally pick up my textbook to solve practice questions now because I understand it. He makes us understand the application of statistics in the real world as a professional. He is very approachable and cares very much for us. The list is endless! Dr Lorenz deserves to win this! Thank you. *Exceptional instructor who cares immensely about students' understanding of material. *The best math teach I have ever had. No, scratch that. The best teach I have EVER had! He really loves the subject and is able to make the course applicable to real-life scenarios. He is very aware of how the "real world" works. He has a sincere care for the students' ability to learn and understand the material. He is extremely approachable with questions pertaining to both inside and outside of the classroom. He enjoys helping the students in any capacity possible. He has helped numerous students outside the classroom with his vast knowledge and experience. He is a very valuable asset for The University of Louisville to have! *Dr. Lorenz is one of the most compassionate professors in our department. He has such a passion for biostatistics that bleeds over into his teaching. He always seems to take the dry topic that is biostatistics and makes it interesting. He always is willing to do what it takes to ensure that every student has an understanding of what we are going over. Dr. Lorenz is definitely an asset to the department and the University. *Without a doubt, the most committed and engaging instructor I've had. It's clear that he takes his role as educator very seriously, as he delivers his (what can be) complicated material in a way that is easily understandable and with good humor! He returns graded materials in a timely manner and has a very fair policy in general--all of which is geared towards learning (which is the whole point, right?). Dr. Lorenz is a very valuable asset to UofL. *Dr. Lorenz is a graduate professor at the School of Public Health and Information Sciences. He teaches biostatistics, which is a very difficult course. However, Dr. Lorenz is an effective and astounding teacher and is able to teach biostatistics in a manner that truly allows students to understand and apply the course concepts and material. He has an amazing personality, so much so in the sense that students enjoy talking with him and are comfortable doing so. I have attended UofL for both my undergraduate and graduate career; never have I encountered a professor who provided me with a pleasant learning experience as Dr. Lorenz has. He is approachable, understanding, and very caring. I have learned so much from him and have nothing but positive things to say. He is an excellent role model, inspiring in many ways, and truly worthy of such an award. I could not recommend him anymore than I have. *He is AMAZING!!!!!!! *Dr. Lorenz is an incredible instructor. He is enthusiastic about biostatistics and makes the subject easy and desirable to learn. *Dr. Lorenz is an exceptional professor!! He was always available to answer questions, either in person or via email. He is timely, consistent, available, and exceptionally nice. On April 17, 2014, we adjourned our final regular biostatistics class at the School of Public Health. As Dr. Lorenz closed his book and put down his pen, our class spontaneously broke into a round of applause. Not for the sweet release from SPSS, or Kolmogorov-Smirnov, but for genuine admiration of Dr. Lorenz and all the hard work he put in to ensure we had the best possible learning experience. I think it says a lot about a professor, when 40 would-be strangers find it necessary to applaud the person that took them down the never ending wormhole that is biostatistics. |
| Roman | Yampolskiy | Computer Engineering and Computer Science | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | Dr. Yampolskiy was able to teach me a lot about computer programming this semester. He was always willing to help no matter the problem, whether that was outside of class or in it. *Great teacher--very understanding with a lot of patience. Makes us work hard but encourages and helps us understand concepts and principles. Thank you, Dr. Yampolskiy! *AWESOME!! *I love this guy. He's non-threatening, fair, but firm. I learned a lot from him, and he was always thorough and gave perfect responses to inquiries in class.*Dr. Yampolskiy was a wonderful professor. He always knew what he was talking about and was very available to students with questions. If I had the choice, I would sign up for one of his classes in a heartbeat.*Dr. Yampolskiy is a great professor and is always quick to answer any questions you may have.*Flexible, funny, and an excellent teacher. Gave difficult projects and instructive homework.*Dr. Yampolskiy taught us Artificial Intelligence in a relevant way, while designing and assigning projects which challenged the class by being so open. Not having the requirement of a particular language set on the class made the class feel more like real-world problem solving with a friend who knows a lot about the content area.*Dr. Yampolskiy is extremely good at what he does. He conveys complex ideas in a simple-to-understand way. He's also a very approachable professor and is willing to assist with any question. He's able to take what most consider a dry subject and inject humor into his lectures on the topic.*Thanks for a great semester!*Dr. Yampolskiy was far away my favorite professor this semester. I always looked forward to the lectures he offered because he made them enjoyable, which is a nice change of pace from some of the other lectures I have now. He is a nice man and extremely helpful. Almost every slide of his presentations he would ask for questions and was more than willing to help any student out with a question of theirs. I would recommend him to any student interested in the CECS department, and I hope I can take future classes with him.*Good teacher, learned a lot and was very helpful. Only complaint would be the TA's.*Dr. Yampolskiy always gives good lectures and fully covers the content, while addressing any questions or concerns students may have. He also is very friendly and a pleasure to have as a teacher.*A*Fantastic professor. Very interactive lectures, very informative, approachable, and flexible with students. My favorite professor I have had so far.*He always knows how to make the lecture engaging.*Course was challenging but fair. Content was intellectually stimulating. Instructor worked with students outside the class to ensure that everyone was learning the material. This course with this professor is a reason to study CECS at UofL.*Dr. Yampolskiy truly is an amazing instructor. He provides excellent lectures backed up with meaningful presentation documents. He is always engaged in the class and willing to answer individual questions. His teaching method is both exciting and informative. I wish I could take another class with him!*Dr. Yampolskiy is a great professor and a great man. He's kind and hardworking and is a leader in his respective field. I hope to have him again for future classes.*A wonderful professor who understand what it means to be a scholar. One who is in touch with technology, problems, and solutions. Few understand how to motivate and get students to push themselves and work. Dr. Yampolskiy understands.*Dr. Yampolskiy is very enthusiastic about his subject, very professional, friendly, puts good effort into being available outside of class, very willing to help, and is very good at explaining material comprehensively in such a way that does not get muddled with too much jargon.*He taught me so much throughout this semester and was very helpful! Such a fun class.*A*Great professor, willing to help students in whatever they need regarding the class.*Has a clear explanation about the lecture. He is very patient. The ppt for the cecs class is clear as well.*Dr. Yampolskiy is a great professor.*He is very passionate about teaching students and about researching new ideas in the computer engineering field.*This professor makes computer programming intriguing in terms of possibilities. His class makes me want to explore technological communications even further. He is open-minded and understanding.*J.B. Speed School of Engineering*Dr. Yampolskiy has definitely taught me a lot this semester. He has made the transition from high school to college very smooth with his teaching skills. He is patient with his students. If a student had trouble, he would take the time out of class to clear their troubles.*Absolutely great professor. He is very friendly and clear when teaching. I have never had any issues getting in contact with this professor outside of class, and he was always more than willing to help. I never felt like I was bothering him with questions and always left with answers.*The professor is excellent at explaining, very direct and is to the point when it comes to the lectures. He provides all necessary course documents immediately, is easily reachable, and quick with responses. He provides good examples to demonstrate where certain aspects of the curriculum are applicable in the real world and often relates outside examples from the real world to curriculum to demonstrate why certain things are necessary. I look forward to taking more courses with Dr. Yampolskiy.*Keeps lectures interesting while teaching course material at the same time.*Dr. Yampolskiy teaches the Artificial Intelligence class in an interesting and challenging way. He encourages students to participate in the class and shows a great interest in his students' work. Dr. Yampolskiy is always friendly and available for any questions during class, office hours and via email.*Great teacher, really knows the subject and is often in his office when needed. He's happy to help any student that wants to learn and will also consider students, even freshmen, for a research position if they really want one.*He seems like a cool guy. Also his accent is cool.*My favorite professor of the last semester. Engaging in the classroom, he helped me to relate to the material of a class that I was wary of taking. By the end of the semester, I not only was able to have a better understanding of C and C++, but I could see how it could be used in many real-world applications and that it could even be fun to accept challenges of programming different things. I can now capably prepare programs on my own, where as in the early fall, I would tell you that a computer makes an excellent doorstop. His class has made every other class I take better through my newfound knowledge of computers.*An amazing professor. He always went out of his way to answer any questions the students had. I probably would not have learned as much as I did had I been taught by anyone else.*He is an amazing teacher. Very informed about his subject, excellent at translating this knowledge into understandable terms for his students, very friendly, and a joy to have class with.*This teacher goes above and beyond to explain the concept of Artificial Intelligence class. I enjoyed him being my teacher for that class, and I hope I will have him for more other classes.*I would like to take this opportunity to nominate my favorite professor thus far at the University of Louisville--Dr. Yampolskiy of Speed School. After transferring to UofL from the University of Kentucky, I was pleasantly surprised with the change in the quality of instruction provided by the faculty. While I've had some struggles with the technicalities of Speed School, and advising specifically, the quality of teaching that was afforded to me in my CECS 130 course (C/C++) was anything but a struggle. In my opinion, Dr. Yampolskiy is the embodiment of the ideal professor--he is clearly an intelligent man, especially in regard to the material his course(s) cover; he is an extremely personable and understanding instructor, qualities I often found myself lusting for during my two years at UK's engineering program, only to be sorely disappointed; and he is also surprisingly witty, a quality that helps facilitate interaction between himself and his pupils, both in class and out of class, by making everyone around him feel more at ease and comfortable. I truly feel I learned a great deal more than I might have had I had a different instructor for this course. I do not typically make it a point to voice my opinion about people, and my perspective on them, but as you can see, this is an exception--just as Dr. Yampolskiy is to the teaching profession. I highly recommend Dr. Yampolskiy for any and all accolades he may qualify for; he has greatly enhanced my experience here at UofL, and he has helped solidify my optimistic opinion on the school as a whole during the past (my first) semester here at the University of Louisville.*Best professor I've ever had, excellent in teaching and provides good guidance for research, always spends time to discuss with student about problems they meet.*Dr. Roman is very smart and open-minded. Many cool ideas and never lets me down when I ask for advice in my research.*The epitome of a great teacher! He is quirky, has a dry sarcastic sense of humor and is really able to engage the class. He always encourages questions and answers them immediately, and if not, he will ask the class to try out the question in the IDE to see it comes out as normal or not. In other words, a great way to learn what works and doesn't work in programming. Overall an awesome professor and hope I have him again!*Professor Yampolskiy is a wonderful person. He is very helpful, modest, and gives a fast reply to your email by giving good advice. You can find him most of the time. Very active in research and teaching. I would like to be like him one day.*Dr. Yampolskiy is a great instructor. He really knows the material well and can present it effectively.*Roman was an excellent teacher who explained his subject well. I greatly enjoyed being his student.*Very helpful teacher. Explained everything in lecture very well and made sure we were following along.*He is a very knowledgeable professor and cares that his students understand the material. |
2013-14 Nominations
| First | Last | Department | School | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie | Abrams | Louis D. Brandeis School of Law | Professor Abrams exemplifies what it means to be a teacher -- instill guidance, encouragement, support, guidance, and inspiration. She is truly one of the most amazing professors I have ever had, both in and out of the classroom. Professor Abrams' amazing qualities began in the classroom. She loves what she teaches and that love for the subject exudes into her teaching. She gives us every single tool we could possibly need to succeed. She goes above and beyond in this sense. I have never had another law school professor provide us with the tools and feedback for success that Professor Abrams did. Professor Abrams did not stop this amazing guidance at the classroom doors. I have never had a professor make themselves so available and ready to help as Professor Abrams. She would make herself available in whatever means necessary to help you achieve success. She repeatedly offered to meet us during office hours, by appointment, outside of campus, by phone, by Skype. If we wanted to better understand the material, seek success, she did whatever she could to help us achieve this. Further, not only did she make herself so incredibly available, she is an incredibly warm and encouraging person--something I did not expect from a law school professor. I truly feel like I owe much of my success in law school to her. She offered me guidance that I was able to transfer to my other classes. Professor Abrams also agreed to mentor a new student group, Parents Attending Law School, and has absolutely been the best mentor we could have ever asked for. She has and continues to be so incredibly supportive of myself and other student parents, constantly reaffirming us and letting us know how amazing she thinks we are for being able to balance it all. I literally could go on and on about Professor Abrams. She is not just a professor, she is a mentor, she is someone I will continue to be in touch with and seek guidance from far beyond my law school career.*Prof. Abrams is a superb teacher! She is the best professor I have ever met in my life. She encouraged students to think independently, connected theory to everyday problems and was able to somehow mix jokes in between very serious matters. She was meeting with students on an individual basis, if there were any questions, and just always was happy to help. I have never seen a teacher be so genuinely interested in the success of students. She is very enthusiastic about the subject and "infected" all of us with this attitude toward her law course. Despite being a very young professor, Prof. Abrams is a biggest and brightest jewel in the UofL crown. | |
| Chiara | Acquati | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | The best instructor I've had so far in the MSSW program. Encouraged great discussion and just a phenomenal online teacher. Chiara put together a wonderful class on Psychosocial Oncology. She was also great about expecting graduate-level work from her students, and she helped keep a high level of discussion going in the class. | |
| Napoleon | Akayezu | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | One of the best professors at UofL in this department! Has a passion to teach and is excellent at it! Patient and always willing to help. He really deserves recognition! |
| Meera | Alagaraja | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | Fantastic instructor, commitment to students and learning is unmatched.*Great professor--very knowledgeable and approachable; offers unique perspectives on leadership--bringing "Eastern" values to Western-centric class and campus.*Dr. Alagaraja is a great professor with a wealth of knowledge around the subject matter she teaches. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Performance Improvement this semester.*Dr. Alagaraja's class was my favorite class throughout this whole program. She has taught me that I am a good leader, and how I became a good leader was with her help with this course material and my new-found knowledge of myself. I hope to have more instructors just like her whose teachings are extremely useful to me in completing the rest of the classes required in this program. |
| James | Alexander | Biology | College of Arts and Sciences | Makes his lectures more fun and engaging where you just want to listen instead of falling asleep. Really good at explaining the things he lectures about (Bio242). I have been to many other lectures outside of school on different topics, however, I have to say that Dr. Alexander's Biology lecture tops all of them. He doesn't talk like a robot or doesn't just stand there and give us the information, he makes sure that the information he is giving us won't get out of our heads. People or students listen differently, they need something that will get their attention, and Dr. Alexander knows how to do that. Mostly he makes the Biology lecture sound more interesting and fun. I would definitely recommend him and his classes to students. (Make sure you pick Dr. Alexander's class because you will love it and learn from it as well). |
| Robert | Amchin | Music Education Division | School of Music | Dr. Amchin understands that students have a lot on their plate. He is always willing to work around other schedules and help students with anything he can. |
| Mary | Ashlock | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | She made my rookie year at UofL easy, and thanks to her I'm prepared for next semester too!*Always has a smile on and her face and is really entertaining. Also a great advisor for I-COMM!!*She is supportive and helpful towards all of her students! She wants to get to know you outside of the classroom and makes you feel like a valued student!*Professor Ashlock is a great teacher who truly cares for each and every one of her students. The couple of classes that I have had with her have been some of the best classes I have taken at this University. |
| Ronald | Atlas | Biology | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Atlas is the real deal! He makes Micro so interesting, especially since he is an active microbiologist who travels and is involved in the community! |
| Raymond | Austin | Health Management and Systems Sciences | School of Public Health and Information Sciences | Dr. Austin put a lot of work into seminar, and I really enjoyed the format this semester. It gave a really broad view of what's happening in the field. |
| Cathy | Avdevich | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | Cathy is such an inspiration to me! She was my first impression of the Workforce Leadership program. Her guidance in the program was essential to my success as an adult returning to college. She explained everything expected of me in great detail. The reason I got an "A" in her class is because of her teaching style. Cathy gave me the confidence to stay in the program. She deserves this award. |
| Rebecca | Ball | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | She did a great job with this class. She was always there and acted very professionally every day. She showed patience and understanding in trying to teach a foreign language, which can be very difficult. She always offered extra help and was very willing to provide it. Great job! |
| Laurie | Ballew | Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences | School of Medicine | Dr. Ballew is a great role model and is very encouraging and supportive of residents. |
| Megan | Bardolph | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Bardolph is the finest student-centered professor I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Her absolute passion for what she shares with her students is truly inspiring. Professor Bardolph is extremely knowledgeable, approachable, funny, gracious and caring. She makes each student feel special and respects their personal style. By asking students to simply "speak from their hearts," rather than conform to a sterile academic standard, Professor Bardolph brought out the authentic best in everyone. If Professor Bardolph was the template for professors, we would all be smarter and more inspired. Thank you for the effort you put into your classes--every one of them was superb and a tremendous learning experience. Thank you very much. |
| Inés | Barrena | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | She is fun-loving, enthusiastic, well-versed, cultured, and committed to her students' education. Prof. Barrena is an awesome teacher! |
| Debra | Bauder | Special Education | College of Education and Human Development | Great semester! |
| Pauletta "Gay" | Baughman | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | Beyond blessed to have had the opportunity to be taught by such an innovative and resourceful professor. She makes learning easy and fun. |
| Eric | Bednar | Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry and Special Care | School of Dentistry | Dr. Bednar is very passionate about teaching and is very enthusiastic about his profession. He was able to relate to students during his lectures and made learning the Ortho content feel more like a fun activity rather than a chore. Many students in the class were very satisfied and have learned a great deal in a relatively short amount of time. Dr. Bednar was very approachable and students could always ask questions. Overall, the lecture and lab components had excellent structure, and Dr. Bednar consistently did his best to promote learning and create an exceptional learning environment. |
| Richard | Benton | Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology | School of Medicine | Dr. Benton continues to incorporate an outstanding learning environment and teaches material that can be used both in and out of the classroom. He is one of the most respected professors amongst the graduate students!*I like this professor. |
| Thomas | Berfield | Mechanical Engineering | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | Just a great example of what an engineer professor should be. Need more like him.*Dr. Berfield is the best teacher I've ever taken a class with here at UofL. He is an excellent teacher, and person, and is deserving of this award.*Was one of my favorite teachers thus far. I hope to have him as a professor in the future. I learned a lot and actually enjoyed what I learned. Also, his hot dog demonstration was unexpectedly informative and delicious.*I can easily say that Professor Berfield has been my favorite professor in the Fall 2013 semester. He's an immediately likable person who also brings a large amount of enthusiasm to his class. This, combined with an excellent teaching style and a desire to help his students, sets him above any of the other professors I've had this semester.*One of my favorite teachers thus far. His attitude towards students was excellent and did anything he could to make learning more enjoyable.*Dr. Berfield is a great professor. He's always available to help us. He makes students feel welcome when asking for help. His teaching method is wonderful as well. Focuses on the topics and tests students on the material that he taught. Dr. Berfield made me love Mechanics of Materials. |
| Matt | Bergman | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | Dr. Bergman, has been an influence since he was an advisor. As I reflect on the changes and stages that I have been through over just the past two years, Dr. Bergman has had a significant impact. His instruction methods and personal engagement, both in the classroom and away from the classroom setting, are in my opinion second to no one. I have had several opportunities this semester that I would not have been prepared for or may not have even sought out if it hadn't been for his influence. Very thankful for Matt and this program.*We are very fortunate to have him!*He is the true essence of leadership. Others should pattern their teaching style after him. I love his hard but fair approach to teaching. Dr. Bergman has been an inspiration to many.*Dr. Bergman always puts students first in everything he does at UofL.*Matt has made a significant impact on the lives of so many adult learners. He encourages us as students and professionals to achieve our fullest potential. He is a positive role model and motivator. Matt gives us complete feedback that allows us to grow and develop. I believe Dr. Matt Bergman, through his work with adult students, has changed many lives in a positive way. I appreciate his commitment and dedication to the Organizational Development program and his students.*Dr. Bergman is a great representation of what education and human development is all about. He is a master communicator and excellent facilitator. His passion for helping others succeed was evident in every session. Every task was broken down into bite-sized pieces so we could understand and apply each concept. Dr. Bergman created a learning environment that you did not want to miss. He truly is the epitome of the Organizational Leadership and Learning program. Dr. Bergman is the best of the best. I am glad he is at UofL and that I had the opportunity to have him as a professor.*Best professor I've ever had. |
| Latrica | Best | Pan-African Studies | College of Arts and Sciences | The way that Dr. Best taught this semester was great. The way she was able to get the class engaged in the topics was great. She has inspired me to look closer to home for ways in which to fight social injustice, particularly by getting acquainted with local, versus national, politics. Dr. Best took the time to speak more in depth on topics after class. I will continue to seek Dr. Best's advice in my own pursuits long after I leave the university. These are a few of the reasons that Dr. Best was my favorite educator this semester. |
| Robert | Bohn | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | Dr. Bohn goes above and beyond to not only give advice on the current clinical procedure we may have questions about but he also TEACHES us in the process. I have learned so much in clinic from Dr. Bohn, and I'm so grateful group A has the opportunity to work with him!! Thanks Dr. Bohn!!*Dr. Bohn is a joy to work with! He always fosters a positive learning environment by teaching both the technical and interpersonal aspects of dentistry. I feel I've learned so much dentistry from him in the little time I've been in clinic.*He is always extremely helpful and kind. He does a great job at keeping the students' and our patients' best interest at heart. He is a great mentor and role model.*Dr. Bohn sets an example every day in clinic for all of us students. He demonstrates patience and answers our questions without making us feel stupid but at the same time making us think. He is a skilled technician and instills in each of us a passion for dentistry. Dr. Bohn makes me want to come to clinic and learn as much as I can. He has charisma that makes us want to talk to him. Dr. Bohn deserves to be recognized for all his hard work and his love for his students.*Dr. Bohn was amazing to work with my first semester in clinic. It is a very intimidating feeling when you are doing a procedure you have never done before. When you ask most faculty members a question, they will usually give you a somewhat vague response on what to do. However, Dr. Bohn would actually take the time to sit down with us and show us what he was talking about. I also appreciated that he would answer any question no matter how "stupid" it may seem. And at the end of the day, he would always tell you "good job" no matter how poorly you might have thought that you performed. It was just the type of motivation that I needed to get through my first semester in the dental clinic!*Dr. Bohn is the best teacher. He spent time with us last year as a pre-clinical professor, and this year he is in clinic with my group. While most professors simply expect you to know everything and belittle you when you don't, Dr. Bohn is different. He will take the time to help you learn and see how to do things--guiding you along the way. He is a breath of fresh air after spending time with stern faculty.*Dr. Bohn is always attentive and makes clinic a very educational place. He takes his time to make sure we understand the procedure we are doing and gives very constructive feedback. I never feel belittled or embarrassed when working with Dr. Bohn, unlike some instructors. I wish every instructor we worked with had the same attitude and drive to teach like Dr. Bohn does. |
| Jeffery | Borden | Mechanical Engineering | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | Fun and laid-back. Learned a lot. Kept a very busy and work-heavy class interesting. |
| James "Paul" | Boyd | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | Dr. Boyd makes each encounter with his students a learning opportunity. His clinical experience, coupled with his charisma, makes him a great group leader and wonderful teacher.*Brilliant. |
| Derrick | Brooms | Sociology | College of Arts and Sciences | Great instructor. Really understands the best way to run a class in a way that the students can be actively engaged. This is crucial to the learning process and it really helped me learn the concepts during class time. |
| David | Brown | Physics and Astronomy | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Brown is the best physics professor I have ever had and probably the best science teacher at this school. He is so enthusiastic about physics and science in general. He can explain any concept so simply that even those who aren't great at science or math can understand. He is so invested in the department, and his efforts are seen and benefitting the department tremendously. It is because of his encouragement that I am pursuing a physics degree when I never thought I could. I couldn't imagine the department working as well as it does now without him. His academic advising has helped so many people. I wouldn't be graduating in the spring without him. |
| Garry | Brown | Theatre Arts | College of Arts and Sciences | Garry is the most talented, innovative, and gregarious teacher. He is the best. Garry will teach Theatre, Resume Writing, and advise you on setting up a summer internship. He is the most enthusiastic professor who is passionate and on fire in his career. Don't let the grays fool you; he has a lot of life left in him for at least 50 more years. As students, we love him and appreciate everything he does for us. Thank you. |
| Jennifer | Brueckner-Collins | Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology | School of Medicine | Truly one of the best instructors I have ever met.*Dr. Brueckner-Collins is an amazing, caring, and compassionate professor who cares about the students and their learning process. Although I like most other professors from my Gross Anatomy course like Dr. Herring, Dr. Benton, and Dr. Scott, Dr. Brueckner-Collins has an extraordinary love for students. She is by far my most favorite professor of the spring semester at the Dental School. |
| Rhonda | Buchanan | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | I have never had such a passionate and enthusiastic teacher as Dr. Buchanan. Not only does she put forth her best effort to engage the students, but she also genuinely cares about them and goes above and beyond to help them succeed. Having her in class has given me the "small school" feel while at a larger research institution, and I could not be more grateful. She always comes to class prepared and excited and is always looking for ways to create an active learning environment. It is amazing how she can take any topic and make it interesting for all audiences. I have loved her class and will look for any opportunity to have her as a professor again!*She's the most energetic and caring professor I have ever had. The amount of work that she puts into her lessons is apparent, and I don't know how she manages to do that, her other work in the community, and run the LALS program. She's a rock star and for that deserves this award. I wouldn't be the student I am today if it weren't for the hard work and compassion she put into teaching me. I owe it all to her. |
| Robert | Buchanan | Chemistry | College of Arts and Sciences | There is no excuse to be unprepared for exams in Dr. Buchanan's class. He came into class each day with real-world examples to show us how the concepts we were learning about applied to things all around us. He connected everything together smoothly so that the transition between chapters was unnoticeable. Whenever a student would ask a terribly off-topic question, maybe something from 5 chapters ago, he would somehow connect that question to that day's lecture. My experience in Inorganic Chemistry with Dr. Buchanan is one I will look back on for years to come. |
| Roger | Buskill | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | Roger is always there for his students and explains things in an easy way to understand them, without taking away from the learning.*Roger is kind and always there to be a support for students. He listens, makes suggestions, and he cares. I would not have graduated this semester without him working with me when my computer crashed with all my documents on there! |
| Teresa | Cantrell | Philosophy | College of Arts and Sciences | I felt as though I learned so much from Professor Cantrell. Her classes were interesting and kept me focused on the class. I hope to definitely keep in touch with her. |
| Robert | Carini | Sociology | College of Arts and Sciences | Excellent professor. Very helpful and helps students to succeed. |
| James | Carter | Philosophy | College of Arts and Sciences | Great teacher who truly cared about his students! Memorized everyone's name by the end of the semester! |
| John | Casey | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | He was wonderful and really taught well. I entered the class having much difficulty with Spanish, but he gave me a reason to succeed. |
| Kevin | Chapman | Psychological and Brain Sciences | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Chapman has always served me well as a professor and mentor. This year he guided me in the completion of my honors thesis, graduate school applications, and clinical knowledge. For the coming year, he has already pledged to allow me to work as a research assistant and help me publish manuscripts to get ready for applying to graduate school again. I greatly appreciate his presence here at the University of Louisville. *Dr. Chapman is such an great professor. He is really down-to-earth and knows how to grab the attention of the students. His PowerPoint slides are really interesting, and he has a cool way of presenting the material and including students' feedback. And he has a Twitter and posts clues for tests! He is cool! |
| Warren | Chellman | Mathematics | College of Arts and Sciences | Mr. Chellman was very helpful and patient. It had been over 30 years since I had been in a math class so I was anxious about understanding and learning the concepts. He always asked the class if we had questions and took the time to explain. He was willing to stay after class to help and made it clear we were welcome to come to his office. |
| John | Chenault | Pan-African Studies | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Chenault has the ability to connect past, present and future historical information, while making it relevant to personal experiences. |
| Namok | Choi | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | Wonderful! |
| Karen | Christopher | Women's and Gender Studies/Sociology | College of Arts and Sciences | Great, fun professor. Gets class involved in discussions, respects everyone's thoughts and opinions, and makes class enjoyable.*Great teacher, and I felt she helped me expand my knowledge in family life. |
| Barbara | Clark | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | School of Medicine | Being a PhD student with ADHD is tough without the help from faculty. Though every faculty member of the biochemistry department had been exceptionally helpful to me in any need, I had to go through all the obstacles in a semester. Dr. Clark's help was exceptional, mainly to understand my situation in each and every moment related to meeting deadlines, assignments, presentation, understanding some topics, and many more in relation to BIOC-603 course of Spring 2014. I know, it's very tough to understand the problems of person with an ADHD by any normal person, because it is a disease for which is still not well accepted by our society. I will lack in words to appreciate her help in the Spring 2014 semester. If any further information is required, please feel free to email in this regard. |
| Phyllis | Clark | Cultural Center | Office of the Provost | She has gone above and beyond to help the Porter scholars with whatever they need. I admire that she does whatever she can so that we have no excuse not to succeed. After having surgery, she wasted no time coming back to work and seeing how we Porters have progressed during the time she was absent. She is always one call or email away to assist a student in need. She always has a great attitude and smile that is welcoming to anyone who may cross her path. |
| Flint | Collins | Fine Arts | College of Arts and Sciences | Flint Collins is a wonderful professor--his passion for and knowledge of his subject are both contagious. His easygoing style helps to make complex ideas more approachable. He helps students grasp the essential historical, social and personal context that art work exists in, which has really brought centuries of history to life. I would definitely take future classes with him. |
| Wanda Lott | Collins | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | Dr. Collins is an awesome professor, and taking her class and being under her tutelage for four months solidified my reasons for becoming a social worker. She is a selfless person and found the time out of her busy day to assist students with work, life and school balance. If it were not for Dr. Collins' encouragement this past semester, I do not think I would have been able to secure a 4.0! She is an excellent professor!*I'm enrolled in the MSSW Online program, and being a student in Dr. Collins' class made me feel as if I were on campus. Dr. Collins was available by email and phone and provided thorough, helpful and very timely feedback. Her weekly sessions were varied and provided a variety of ways for students to interact and review the topics studied. Her class was more than reading and answering questions on a blog! | |
| Crystal | Collins-Camargo | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | Dr. CC is awesome! She is one of the rare faculty members that "gets" social work education. She understands (and helps students to understand) that education transcends the classroom. She supports her students in every aspect of their academic endeavor, and she is fair, transparent, and dedicated. She should certainly be recognized as a "faculty favorite"!! | |
| Sue | Compton | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Awesome teacher! Always had fun going to her class no matter what! She cared about all of her students equally!*Great lady, was a joy to be in her class, because she always made it fun, interesting, and thought-provoking every day. |
| David | Connor | Justice Administration | College of Arts and Sciences | I really learned a lot in his class; he had a great way of teaching that made things stick. He was very interactive and kept the class involved! |
| Lawrence | Cooper | Humanities | College of Arts and Sciences | The best! |
| Dave | Coyne | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Coyne is an amazing teacher! He has truly dedicated himself to his students. I can say that from him this semester, I learned so much and truly value him as a teacher and person. There was never an email he did not promptly respond to or a question he did not answer with examples and other resources we could look into. I have never had a teacher so encouraging and willing to help his students be successful. He always made time for every one of his students, in class and out of class, through office visits or emails, or by whatever means the students so needed. He made the past two semesters a real learning experience. Yes, the homework was a lot and intense, but I have ended the semester feeling good about all I have accomplished. He needs to be recognized for all his hard work and dedication to the University and its students! |
| Latonia | Craig | Pan-African Studies | College of Arts and Sciences | This semester was the first time I had taken a PAS class. Dr. Craig was my professor. She is an outstanding professor! As an adult online learner, I not only take online classes but I also work a full time job (approx. 60 hours per week). I would normally do my homework at later hours during the evening. It did not matter what time of day or night, if I had an issue or question, Dr. Craig would always respond right away. This was such a tremendous help to me as it allowed me to continue with my work and complete what I needed to do in a timely manner. She also engaged the class in a way that really allowed us to discuss and sometimes even debate the issues in which we were studying. This was very insightful and enjoyable to me as it isn't always the case with online classes. It is professors such as Dr. Craig who make education exciting! |
| Fabian | Crespo | Anthropology | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Crespo is an amazing teacher; he makes every effort to get his students to understand the concept. He goes through awesome effort to make his PowerPoints more in-depth than other teachers I've encountered; they have pictures, highlighted words, animations, videos. He teaches it like a story, almost, versus just reading the PowerPoint slides. He also offers an enormous amount of extra credit to help students along the way. In closing, he makes every effort to ensure his students understand and enjoy the material he teaches.*Amazing professor who truly cares about his students. He uses humor and knowledge to keep students engaged and has taught me so much this semester.*He brings so much energy into the department. Even though he is always busy with his own research and being on a tenure track, he always has time for students who come to his office just to talk.*Dr. Crespo maintained a humorous mood throughout the entire semester. He very clearly explained everything he taught. I walk away feeling as though I learned the perfect amount. I was not taught too much, but I was also not taught too little. The information he gave us was accurate, and easy to follow, while not being too easy. He was very attentive in class to the needs of individuals and the class as a whole, and he was also very willing to go back to a slide for further explanation or discussion after class. |
| Gary | Crim | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | Dr. Crim is the best. He appreciates what is useful knowledge in the pursuit of excellent clinical dentistry and expects nothing less from his pupils, all while appreciating the time constraints of a modern dental student.*Dr. Crim is patient and kind. He explains the objectives and expectations of the course well. Although he is a very busy person, he always makes himself available to students. |
| A. Glenn | Crothers | History | College of Arts and Sciences | The guy is a phenomenal teacher. Robert Kebric is also great. Great History Department. |
| Jennifer | Cruze | Justice Administration | College of Arts and Sciences | Amazing teacher. Always available outside of class. Cares about students' grades. Makes sure we understand material. Very good semester with her. |
| Denise | Cumberland | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | Dr. Cumberland is an excellent instructor and really cares about her students.*Denise will go out of the way to help motivate a student to produce better work, have stronger critical thinking, and find ways to promote a student's ability through self-reflection.*She was a very good professor, and she taught me a lot about myself and my personal values and beliefs. |
| John | Cumbler | History | College of Arts and Sciences | He's amazing. |
| Judith | Danovitch | Psychological and Brain Sciences | College of Arts and Sciences | By far the best professor I've had during my college career. She is extremely knowledgeable about course content and just goes the extra mile to make sure her students succeed. I looked forward to her class every week and cannot say enough good things about Dr. Danovitch.*Great professor!*She made her class very fun and engaging in a way that the subject was easy to learn.*Great class. Great instructor.*She is more then helpful, and she is really inspired with what she does and gets people really inspired about what we are doing.*Professor Danovitch's Psychology 404 class was my favorite this semester. She provided constant entertainment with video examples of different studies, in class interaction and including her personal stories. This was one class that I looked forward to attending each week. I hope to be able to have her again during my college career. It was her first semester at the University of Louisville, and she did and excellent job! |
| Cherie | Dawson-Edwards | Justice Administration | College of Arts and Sciences | If a student yearns to know the truth about anything, she is the woman to speak with! The advice she gives is the type one would remember and be able to recall when need be. She always has an answer for you and is able to show where to go. She can be firm, but that's needed in today's society and especially as a criminal justice administrator. Dr. Dawson is always out in the community fighting for justice via being part of educational boards, volunteering, and a researchist. She is passionate about the struggles of the youth. She's experienced many sides of life that make her a well-rounded person. She expects the best and nothing but greatness from her fellow peers and students. Most of all, she inspires me to be all that I can be plus more! I consider her to be a role model. I think she is a great professor; a professor of truth, dignity, honor, and passion. I would totally recommend her as my FAVORITE EDUCATOR! |
| C. Andrew | Day | Geography and Geosciences | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Day explains things concisely and makes time for his students. The best course I had this semester.*Helpful and involved. |
| Andrew | Denney | Justice Administration | College of Arts and Sciences | What makes Professor Denney such a standout professor is his ability to make the students in his class want to understand and participate. While all of the professors at UofL are wonderful and well qualified, Professor Denney is above and beyond that. He is very understanding, and he listens to the needs of his students. He truly cares about the education of each one of them. He answers questions without making you feel stupid, and he listens to your concerns with concern of his own. He is very well-organized and does a great job of posting grades in a timely manner. In addition to this, he takes time to make comments when a student excels on an assignment. Getting an individualized compliment from a professor is not something that happens very often, but they are very encouraging, and rewarding for students. I think that Professor Denney is not only a good professor, but a great professor who goes the extra mile to meet the needs of each and every student that he has in class.*Professor Denney is a wonderful asset to the University of Louisville. He is a great teacher and mentor. Not only did I learn a great deal in his class this semester, but I enjoyed the learning process as well. He is always available when his students need assistance or guidance. Most importantly, Professor Denney works hard for his students. Their success is important to him. It's been a pleasure learning from him this semester. |
| Phil | DiBlasi | Anthropology | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor DiBlasi has taught the skeletal forensics courses at UofL for a substantial length of time. He discusses the material given at length and goes into great detail. If a student has questions regarding the material, an exam, or anything pertaining to the course, he takes the time to answer any and all questions you may have. He makes himself available for students more so than other professors. He always makes sure to return material in a timely manner. He takes a genuine interest in the material and loves discussing it at length. He is an all-around great professor. |
| Randall | Dills | History | College of Arts and Sciences | Extremely committed to the learning experience of his students.*Dr. Dills taught and encouraged discussion in a friendly and accessible manner, and I think almost everyone participated regularly. |
| Betty | Doyle | Early Childhood and Elementary Education | College of Education and Human Development | Ms. Doyle is the epitome of what a great teacher should be. Her dedication to the craft of teaching is something that all student teachers should strive to achieve. Her vision and expectation of what a teacher should be shows itself as a tangible skill that all her students walk out of the classroom with. With the energy of an eighth grader, and the knowledge and skill of an expert, she has become the single most important role model for me. |
| Margaret | D'Silva | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. D'Silva is a terrific professor. I have enjoyed taking all of her classes. Dr. D'Silva really tries to work with each and every student. Her online classes are very clear; the syllabus is always a helpful reference. I generally think of her, although I have never met her face-to-face, as a great teacher and a great person. So I nominate Dr. D'Silva as my favorite professor at UofL. |
| Sherry | Duffy | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | I like how she takes the time with her students. She makes sure you understand and do the work correctly.*Ms. Duffy has been a wonderful educator. Ms. Duffy has not only been available whenever I needed assistance but also motivated me to do well in her class. Ms. Duffy also was a major factor for me getting back into to UofL. She walked me through the enrollment process and gave the encouragement I needed. |
| Thomas | Dumstorf | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | He has spent countless hours outside of class helping me with scholarships, including contacting Perm State University for information and requesting information from the director of an intensive Russian language summer program in California. |
| Jane | Duncan | Electrical and Computer Engineering | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | Ms. Duncan is an amazing administrative assistant. She is always willing to help everybody at any time. She goes beyond what she has to do to make us happy. She makes sure everyone does well in classes. |
| Perri | Eason | Biology | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Eason and her courses have been one the most memorable and extraordinary aspects of my college career. She is an outstanding, inspired and inspiring professor. |
| Mitch | Eckert | Fine Arts | College of Arts and Sciences | Mitch has been an exceptionally supportive and helpful professor, especially as I went up for my BFA Orals. I cannot imagine how it would have gone if I had not had that support and that guidance. |
| Ayman | El-Baz | Bioengineering | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | Dr. El-Baz is a very active professor in his department. I took a course with him, and I learned so many things about my research, and he also give me so many ideas in my field to publish.*This professor cares about all of his students and makes time to make sure we really understand the material. I have had him for three courses, and each one has been better than the last!*I would LOVE the opportunity to nominate Dr. Ayman El-Baz as an outstanding bioengineering professor at the University of Louisville. Dr. El-Baz is highly involved in the learning process of his students, and when you receive an "A" in his class, it is because he has mentored your progress, and every point was earned! You work your butt off, but the sense of pride in receiving an "A" in his class ONLY comes from going through one of his classes.*He is, hands down, the most valuable resource I have on campus. His guidance and knowledge has been a major factor in my ability to excel here at the University of Louisville.*Very proactive in ensuring every student fully understands the topic covered in his class. Also, managed to make himself available as frequently as possible, despite serving as interim department chair for the semester.*During the Fall 2013 semester, I had Dr. El-Baz for BE 640--Medical Image Analysis. This class was amazing. Dr. El-Baz explained extremely complicated concepts in an easy-to-understand way. In addition, he showed his students how to implement the class work into their own research. This class is one of the most informative and beneficial classes I have taken at UofL. This is almost certainly because of Dr. El-Baz's desire to see his students succeed in and beyond the classroom.*He has shown outstanding knowledge on the subjects he teaches and shares opportunities and applications to use what he teaches in class with his students frequently. He also stresses the main objectives of the classes he teaches are to learn and retain the material for real-world applications. He also makes himself available to assist students on projects, not only while they are in his class, but anytime a student may need help with a project, whether it comes from a co-op, another class, or simply personal study.*Makes information really understandable for students and gives great presentations that help. Always available for help and questions. |
| Aaron | Ellis | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | Communication |
| Sarah | Emery | Biology | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Emery covered a lot of material and was very thorough in her explanations. She is no-nonsense but very fair, and I feel like we got a lot done in each class session. I enjoyed the labs and field days. Dr. Emery is very knowledgeable and shared a great deal of that knowledge with the class. |
| Carl | Enoch | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | Professor Enoch not only makes his classes interesting, he enthusiastically encourages all students' participation by making everyone feel like their thoughts, ideas, concerns, opinions and experiences are welcome information. He is reachable for out-of-class assistance and advice, and his communication channels are always open. He makes each individual student believe that he loves teaching them specifically and that they are special and important. I am truly learning what a social worker does by his example in the classroom.*Mr. Enoch is not only an educator, but a guide to what a social worker should strive to be.*Professor Enoch is a wonderful instructor. His motto for our exam is, "I want you to learn it, not memorize it." *Professor Enoch is very understanding of our differences, cultures, and religions. He respects everyone's personality, and I do enjoy his class. I would love to nominate him for his excellent work.*He truly makes learning fun and explains lessons using real-world examples. One of the best teachers I ever had. This is my first year at UofL, and he has made it so much fun! I get so much from his classes without the crazy stress that I feel a lot of time.*He loves his job and it shows!*Professor Enoch is an immaculate instructor and an inspiration to all his students. He not only shows interest in our grades but our overall academic emotional and physical well-being. I couldn't imagine anyone more deserving than Professor Enoch. | |
| Paul | Ewald | Biology | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Ewald is a revolutionist in challenging the currently accepted definition of biology and its application to medicine. He teaches his students to think critically and will play a key role in generating the evolutionary perspectives that physicians and the future of medicine needs. |
| Elizabeth | Fairhead | History | College of Arts and Sciences | By far the most enthusiastic, caring, and determined professor I've ever had.*Professor Fairhead made history fun and interesting. She taught me how to read a map, and I am almost fifty years old. I never thought I would learn how to read a map. She took the time to actually sit down and show me, and I appreciate that. She came to class every day excited and motivated. You can tell she loves her job. She is a wonderful instructor. |
| Jasmine | Farrier | Political Science | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Farrier is the reason I chose to switch my major to political science. Even in a class of 70 some students, she still took the time to recognize me and encourage me with kindness and understanding that has really left an impact on me. She truly cares about the success of her students and continually goes out of her way to help. There was a deaf student in my class, and she bought a movie on Amazon that we watched in class in hopes of having closed captioning on there for the student. I'm so pleased to have had the experience of taking two of her classes so far, and I plan on taking any others that she teaches. Professor Farrier is incredibly bright and inspires me not only to never stop learning but to always think for myself and of myself.*Dr. Farrier has been an excellent teacher for multiple courses I have taken. She has provided very helpful insight when needed as well, through my career at UofL. |
| Nettie | Farris | English | College of Arts and Sciences | She really understands the struggles her students are going through and helps them work with their problems while still being able to finish our work and stay on top of our assignments. |
| Richard | Feldhoff | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | School of Medicine | Dr. Feldhoff has made our learning and understanding of biochemistry an enjoyable experience. He genuinely cares about the success of his students and demonstrates it throughout the semester. |
| Theodore | Feldmann | Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences | School of Medicine | Dr. Feldmann has been a terrific supervisor. He is an a great role model for all residents! |
| Ronald | Fell | Biology | College of Arts and Sciences | I have never been so challenged by a class nor as inspired to do well by a professor. I have learned so much, and he makes me want to learn more. Absolutely amazing! |
| John | Ferré | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | I'd like to take a moment to recognize Dr. Ferré. Dr. Ferré is an excellent educator who truly shows compassion for his students. When I would get to class a few moments early, he would ask me about what I was doing outside of the classroom. I had mentioned where I worked previously during class discussion and ended up telling him about my internship and the various advances I hoped to make upon graduating in the spring. He showed a general interest in my well-being in a professional manner. Potter Boxes aren't exactly the most thrilling thing to discuss, but Dr. Ferré would always come up with an interesting topic to discuss and analyze. He was able to draw the class in and had people willing to respond. One of the best classes I have taken at UofL with a fantastic teacher! |
| John | Finch | Middle and Secondary Education | College of Education and Human Development | Dr. Finch is a very caring and passionate teacher and cares for the well-being and education of all students. (He has have made a tremendous impact on me in regards to this.) His personality and attitude is very professional and personable. He is not like other professors who put up a persona of perfection. He is relatable to all students from every walk of life. I want to thank him for everything he has taught me. I believe he has made me a better person and educator. He has truly been the best teacher of my life! |
| Matthew | Fischer | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | 'nuff said*COOOLEST DUDE EVA. Really good at explaining concepts. Loves teaching. Loves his students. Hard worker. Very dedicated and loved by many.*Favorite out of all of the professors I've had in college.*He is simply awesome.*Matt Fischer is a professor of professor. He has a complete and brilliant understanding of the Arabic language as well as Middle Eastern culture. I feel that he had a sincere desire to see his students achieve. |
| Tyler | Fleming | History/Pan-African Studies | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Tyler is a phenomenal instructor. He really makes sure that his students have a good foundation in the information and then he builds their knowledge from there. He is also very compassionate, and you can tell he really cares about what is going on with his students when they open up to him both in and out of the classroom. He is also very funny and makes learning a piece of cake. I would sign up for any other class he teaches in the future. He is doing something very special as a white instructor teaching both PAS and HIST. He really knows his stuff. He made me fall in love with History and Pan-African Studies all over again.*Dr. Fleming's enthusiasm and knowledge of his courses is obvious from the first meeting. His willingness to talk about different aspects of African history and culture allowed me to start to see past the bad experiences I have had in Africa. Dr. Fleming has opened whole new venues to me that I thought would remain closed forever. You see, I was stationed in Somalia in October of 1993, and I have seen the worst of Africa firsthand. However, thanks to Dr. Fleming, I am happy to say that I have started to move past my personal experiences and see all that Africa has to offer. |
| J. Price | Foster | Justice Administration | College of Arts and Sciences | Awesome professor and really funny.*Professor Foster walked into the classroom on day 1 and said that he wanted us to want to learn. He didn't want us just going through the motions of learning and coming to class. He made me actually want to learn.*He's an amazing man, professor and mentor!! UofL will not be the same without him after he retires this year. I appreciate his enthusiasm in the classroom, his patience with students and his open door to sit down and talk. You instantly love him when you first meet him and you won't ever forget him. Best professor at UofL hands down |
| Danielle | Franco | Chemistry | College of Arts and Sciences | She was a great professor, always making sure everyone understood the material. |
| Karen | Freberg | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Freberg is an exceptional professor. She responds to emails immediately, is always available for office hours (or will reschedule for a better time), and teaches so enthusiastically. Honestly, Dr. Freberg is probably the best professor I have at the University of Louisville. Her lectures are never boring or dull. She relates everything to real life. Dr. Freberg is fabulous and should be recognized for all the hard work she does and how she is always there for all students! Dr. Freberg goes ABOVE and BEYOND the duties that a professor has. She eagerly teaches the material that students need to retain in order to enter the career force, while also implementing the material in a real-world fashion. I have never had a professor who will do anything for their students besides the minimal teaching duties required. After taking Dr. Freberg's courses, I can honestly say I am ready to graduate in May and feel comfortable to start my career journey.*Very well-structured class. |
| Mark | French | Civil and Environmental Engineering | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | Dr. French brings the complete package: great attitude, enthusiasm, interactivity, visual aids, web documentation, and speedy grading. |
| Hermann | Frieboes | Bioengineering | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | Dr. Frieboes is one of the nicest professors that I have dealt with at the University of Louisville. He stands out from his peers when he says hi to you as he gets on the elevator and doesn't just walk by. He is a great advisor as well. With him, the student comes first. He is a great professor as I learned material in a way that caused me to retain it. He has a great teaching style and ability to communicate effectively and efficiently with his students. |
| Robert | Frierson | Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences | School of Medicine | He is a great teacher and an excellent psychiatrist. I have learned a lot working with him. |
| Leslie | Friesen | Fine Arts | College of Arts and Sciences | Leslie is a fantastic instructor who always goes out of her way to make sure students in her program succeed. This spring my cohort finished our program with Portfolio Day at the Cressman Center, and Leslie was a great coach and advisor getting us through that nerve-racking couple of days. |
| Robert | Fritz | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | Mr. Fritz is amazing!! He is so knowledgeable in this field! He is always prepared for class and gives great lectures. He gets the whole class involved in discussions. I have been in courses where classmates don't want to discuss topics but not in this class! The textbooks he required us to have were great as well. I actually enjoyed reading them.*He is an EXCELLENT professor. We learned a lot from him.*He is such an experienced professor and so down-to-earth, just willing to help us learn while having fun doing this in a judgment-free zone. Lives what he teaches! Great Professor. |
| Miles | Fuller | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Great new instructor. Very personable, funny, knows what he is talking about, and encourages creativity in class. |
| Roy | Fuller | Humanities | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Fuller knows what he's talking about. He's very educated in world religions and made class fun and enjoyable.*Professor Fuller was an excellent teacher. He was very knowledgeable about the different world religions and really tried to give us a solid understanding of what each religion was like. His assignments contributed greatly to helping me learn the material as they required me to really think about my beliefs and experience other religions. The lectures that he gave in class were entertaining, enthusiastic, and full of information. He gave examples, showed video clips, and read from various religious texts in an effort to further our knowledge. I fully enjoyed his class and would very much like to take another of his classes in the future. I would recommend him to anyone. |
| Christopher | Fulton | Fine Arts | College of Arts and Sciences | Encouraging, insightful, and knows his material more than any professor I have ever had. I was already changing my mind to majoring in art history, and he pushed me even more. Great professor. |
| Jordan | Gabbard | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Gabbard is by far the best language professor I've ever had. I would recommend him to anyone wanting to learn German, and I look forward to taking his other classes in the future. |
| Jason | Gainous | Political Science | College of Arts and Sciences | He has a way of making the material interesting, even when it is the most boring. He has a lot of insight into what he is teaching from his personal experiences and research, which helps in explaining some of the concepts. I have had him before, and if I needed more courses that he was teaching, I would absolutely take him again. He is one of the best professors I have had at this University, and he is one of the reasons I have decided to go into the field of political science. He has such passion for what he teaches. |
| Hugh | Gardner | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | Joy to work with.*Highly knowledgeable in our field and very constructive when helping students!*He really cares about the people he is teaching. He doesn't let his ego get in the way of things. He understands we are students who are still learning and patiently instructs us instead of expecting us to know all the information immediately. He gives you the confidence as a provider instead of breaking you down. When you leave Dr. Gardner's clinic, you truly believe in your abilities as a dentist, and it gets you excited to show up each day, work hard and keep getting better. He never leaves the clinic early and most days you can find him in there until 5:30 or 6:00 working with students, way past the time he is required and paid to be there. He makes it obvious his reason for being at ULSD is to teach students to be better dentists, not simply to collect a paycheck. |
| Robert | Garrett | Entrepreneurship | College of Business | Exceptional professor in every possible way. A true role model for what all 21st century teachers should strive to be in and out of the classroom. Relatable, knowledgeable, well-informed, approachable, and down-to-earth. This list could go on and on. He is the best teacher I have had thus far in my tenure at UofL. |
| Andrea | Gaughan | Geography and Geosciences | College of Arts and Sciences | She is excellence in every way a teacher can be to any student, being that she is dealing with a disabled student or not. She always tries to help in any way she can, and she never gives up on anyone. I am going to expand what I have learned from her to the whole world that I will be able to reach. She is the best.*She is brilliant and takes a unique interest in helping further students' research and opportunities. |
| John | Gibson | Philosophy | College of Arts and Sciences | The best. Hands down. |
| Rod | Githens | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | Dr. Rod Githens has touched my life by seeing ability in me that I could not see in myself and by opening my eyes to a potential future that I never imagined. This fall, Dr. Githens taught and mentored me with kindness and supported my progress, even through times when I felt undeserving of support. I have been blessed to have him as my advisor.*I would like to nominate Dr. Rod Githens for this award. I was out of school for several years and having just finished my first semester, I feel much better about my choice to attend graduate school, a large part due to Dr. Githens' work. Dr. Githens is extremely patient, thorough and provides a multidimensional educational experience for students in his Evaluation class. I learned so much that I have already begun using in my profession, and I feel that the other members of his class do so, as well. Dr. Githens is an excellent ambassador for the work at UofL, and I'm very glad to have had the opportunity to take a class from him. |
| Michael | Godbey | Mathematics | College of Arts and Sciences | He is the best professor I have had so far. He is very accommodating, very knowledgeable and he kept class interesting. I have never had a professor who is so friendly and funny. I don't like math very much, but with Dr. Godbey, it wasn't bad at all and that's saying a lot coming from me. He is very good at explaining things in different ways to help everyone learn. I would recommend him to anyone, and I would love to take more of his classes.*He is extremely skilled in helping everyone learn. He is observant to all students' needs and does what he can to help. He gives great advice for students concerning their majors. He has always been a great help to me and such an amazing teacher. |
| Stephan | Gohmann | Economics | College of Business | Most useful class I took so far. Very effective teaching.*Best economics teacher I've had so far.*Gohmann is the greatest teacher in American history. You should build a statue of him outside the College of Business. He's an American hero. If you so decide to do this, I will gladly donate to help get the statue built.*As a senior with a double major in finance and economics, his class has by far been the most educational and thought provoking. He does a fantastic job of facilitating discussion and covers all topics fairly and sufficiently, as well as being very approachable and considerate. The best professor I've had while at UofL! |
| Kristopher | Grady | Political Science | College of Arts and Sciences | Challenging class with an enjoyable professor who made the material interesting and memorable. |
| J. Sterling | Grant | Justice Administration | College of Arts and Sciences | He always told you straight up. He always made the material relate to real life. He was always there for the students and still offered his help although he is leaving. By far the best professor here at the University of Louisville. |
| Chris | Greenwell | Health and Sport Sciences | College of Education and Human Development | Dr. Greenwell's SPAD 525 Sport Event Management class was one of the most influential classes I have ever taken, both in my undergraduate and graduate careers. In this class, we planned a golf scramble for over 100 participants, and Dr. Greenwell led us to put on an amazing event. He pushed me to think outside the box and really challenged me. Dr. Greenwell let us make many decisions on our own, while still leading us in the right direction. He is an overall awesome professor and has made such a huge impact on my graduate career at the University of Louisville in the Sport Administration program. |
| Jo Ann | Griffin | Women's and Gender Studies | College of Arts and Sciences | She's an absolutely amazing professor. She truly tries to get student involvement in all aspects of the classroom discussion and doesn't rely at all on reading off a slide and having the class just take notes on the lecture. The class is a true discussion. She really makes every student strive to put in their best effort and truly understand the topic and how it relates to the world at large--rather than just memorizing concepts, people, definitions, and dates. She gives a decent amount of out-of-class work, but it definitely is manageable and isn't busy work simply for the sake of points in a grade book. |
| Jacob | Gross | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | Dr. Gross is more than just an educator. He's a listener, a mentor, and a friend. He's a dependable professor who we (I speak for the majority of my classmates), can feel comfortable asking questions. He does not speak as if he is our authority or superior, but refers to us as his colleagues. He also showed us this semester how much he cares about educating us by deciding to have a mid-term evaluation/assessment of himself. I have yet to come across a professor that I could feel totally comfortable around. His classroom is a safe-zone for our thoughts and opinions. For these reasons, Dr. Gross has ultimately had a significant impact on my learning. |
| James | Grubola | Fine Arts | College of Arts and Sciences | He has helped me grow beyond what I ever thought possible for myself as an artist. |
| Karen | Hadley | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Hadley fostered an engaging, interesting learning environment for ENG 491. This course tends to have a negative reputation, but this was not at all my experience. Dr. Hadley did a great job in making the material approachable. She was always energetic, encouraging participation, and willing to help with any issues we had. I really enjoyed her personality too. She should be recognized as one of the English department's best instructors. |
| Michael | Hagan | Humanities | College of Arts and Sciences | This teacher always made class fun and worth coming to. He told many interesting stories that dealt with what we learned about which made it that much easier to enjoy the class. |
| John | Hale | Anthropology | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Hale is a great instructor who engages his students and makes lectures exciting and fun. I've loved his class this semester and all of the knowledge he has shared with us about his experiences. I thoroughly enjoyed when he brought in the author of our textbook, which also made reading the text more fun as well. Overall great instructor. |
| Martin | Hall | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | Great teacher. Lots of enthusiasm for the subject, well-organized classes, thoughtful in-class activities, clear assignments that are relevant to professional skill building, and genuine interest in students learning. | |
| Marion | Hambrick | Health and Sport Sciences | College of Education and Human Development | He always went out of his way to make sure I'm on track with my dissertation. He always encouraged me to be better and assured me that anything is possible, as long as I put effort into it. He is not only my advisor but a mentor and my go-to person when I'm in trouble. |
| Meg | Hancock | Health and Sport Sciences | College of Education and Human Development | All of the professors in the Sports Administration Department are amazing educators, however, Dr. Hancock takes the role to the next level. She is not only preparing us to receive our degree, she is also preparing us for life. Dr. Hancock is the professor that I know I can always count on to be honest and encouraging, especially when it's needed the most. She allows her students to learn from each other, while also teaching us lessons that will transcend any exam we take. We are lucky to learn to from her.*Her demeanor and attitude towards life and this class motivates all of us to give our very best. Even when there were issues in the program, she brought about the conflict in a very upbeat and positive way which changed the mood of the semester. |
| Stephen | Hanson | Philosophy | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Hanson is the best and the coolest professor I've ever had. He answers all the questions you have in a way you'd understand. He is THE best. |
| Tami | Harbolt | Women's and Gender Studies | College of Arts and Sciences | Her class was great! I learned a lot and felt comfortable enough to speak up and participate in class discussion. Very unique class; she brought in her dog one day and that was just the best. A lot of my professors and classes run together in my memory, but this professor and her class will remain distinct. I even enjoyed doing the research paper!*Dr. Harbolt taught difficult course material on subjects involving our human relationships with animals. She taught this in a way that did not create blame or guilt, but enlightenment on the subjects. I so appreciated her class and teaching style, because I not only learned an incredible amount, I felt personal changes and shifts occurring within myself and personality. We need more classes like Women and Animals, and more teachers like Tami Harbolt. |
| C. Tim | Hardin | Industrial Engineering | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | Dr. Hardin has been a great mentor to all the industrial engineering students since he joined the department several years ago. He will always set time aside to spend assisting students with academic and personal issues that arise. He has also developed the lesson plan for the online master's program for Engineering Management. Without a doubt, the most deserving professor for this award.*I had Dr. Hardin for three of my introductory classes in industrial engineering. His passion and love for the subject went beyond the classroom and could be seen in his teaching style. He used his experiences from the industry to provide his students with a better understanding of the subject and tried to relate concepts to real-world situations. After taking his class, I was convinced industrial engineering was the right choice for me. Dr. Hardin is very approachable and always ready to help. I have even approached him for help with classes he did not teach. Overall, Dr. Hardin is an amazing teacher, and I am glad to have had the opportunity to have him thrice as a professor.*I think that Dr. Hardin deserves this award for his attentiveness to students and all of his hard work with the online Engineering Management Master's. Also, he does a good job of using online resources in teaching his classes.*He has been my teacher for three classes and is really personable and cares about his students. Whenever I see him around campus, he asks how I am doing and genuinely cares about my well-being. He makes me love my major. He is a great guy.*Dr. Hardin is one of the best professors I've encountered while pursuing my education. He exemplifies the qualities of a well-rounded professor--he is extremely knowledgeable in his field, has a passion for helping students understand, and truly cares for his students. While I was in Dr. Hardin's class, he had an extremely high understanding of the material he was teaching. If anyone asked him for further explanation or a related question which wasn't specifically being covered in class, he always knew the answer and came across clearly with the explanation. While I was taking another class, I encountered a problem with understanding how to approach a question which was an aspect of a larger project. I knew Dr. Hardin had taught a class covering the material used in this problem. Although I hadn't taken that class from him and I wasn't in any of his classes during that particular semester, he still made appointments with me and another student in my class to help us find the appropriate method to go about solving the problem. He even followed up with us to make sure we understood the material. Another time Dr. Hardin displayed his passion for helping students understand was when I was in Work Design taught by a newer professor. This professor had never taught this class before, and Dr. Hardin had previously been the instructor. During the portion of the class where we covered how to do MOST (an alternative to traditional time studies), Dr. Hardin stepped in to teach us the material since he had a better understanding. He came to several classes to lecture and give us a lab on the material. His willingness to aid other professors to better their students' understanding is incredible. Most importantly, Dr. Hardin truly care for his students --not only in their knowledge of industrial engineering material, but for their well-being, education, career, and future. Anytime I pass Dr. Hardin on campus, he asks me how I'm doing, how I've enjoyed my co-ops, etc. He always displays a great concern for how you've been doing. I heard of a scholarship and decided to apply. When I asked Dr. Hardin for a letter of recommendation, he promptly replied and was very helpful in the process. Dr. Hardin deserves the Faculty Favorite Award because he is a great example of what every professor should strive to be. His willingness to help others--students and faculty--and his compassion are just a few of the qualities that stand out to me which are honorary.*I have taken two courses from Dr. Hardin in my engineering career: one in-class and one online. As a student, I found that relating classroom engineering theory to practical outside application is THE most essential aspect a professor can contribute to further my education. Both classes I have taken with Dr. Hardin have done just that: make learning something worthwhile and naturally motivating. While Dr. Hardin was a great classroom professor, he really seemed to be an extraordinary online professor. I felt, in my previous experience of taking online courses, that I was basically throwing my money away; teaching was nonexistent online. These professors would post slides and assignments online and abscond until grades were due. But, I thought I would give another online course one more try by taking Dr. Hardin's Operations Management course. I was an ME, and although I was taking an EM course, everything he taught still seemed practical to my major. Unlike many other professors, Dr. Hardin was always quick and willing to respond to email or conference one-on-one. He is a professor that I would describe as firm yet fair: always understanding of your course load or any struggles you are having outside of the course and willing to work with you so you are not overwhelmed. Dr. Hardin genuinely cares about his students and their futures. Outside of the classroom, he will always ask you how you are doing or how your day is going. With all of the stress Speed School students are under, I find this quality very important in a professor because it shows students that someone is there for them and helps keep us sane. Dr. Hardin stands out compared to all other professors around him. |
| Albert | Harris | Humanities | College of Arts and Sciences | This professor was very creative, interesting, and patient. His teaching method influenced me to be more interested in my studies. |
| Muriel | Harris | Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences | Public Health and Information Sciences | Dr. Harris is phenomenal. She is not only great in her research, but in her teaching as well. She emphasizes the importance and process of learning. She stresses that public health is more than just memorization, but actual understanding. She is always willing to put students first, and her actions demonstrate that.*She is tough but loving and such a wonderful educator!!!! I want to learn in her class. |
| Brandon | Harwood | Humanities | College of Arts and Sciences | He was a very nice and helpful teacher. He was very flexible with his appointment times and was very clear about deadlines. |
| Barry | Haworth | Economics | College of Business | He's a great professor. |
| Theresa | Hayden | Justice Administration | College of Arts and Sciences/Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | Dr. Hayden is very encouraging and presents the subject in a way that makes you eager to learn more! She is an excellent professor and an amazing asset to the Justice Administration Department!*Dedicated to excellence in learning and student success.*You can tell that Dr. Hayden really cares about her students. She challenged us this semester but always let us know that she was always available to help if you needed it. I appreciate the challenge she gave us in Research Methods.*Professor Hayden always made sure that each and every student clearly understood what she was teaching, and she genuinely wanted each student to succeed. My major is Justice Administration, and she did a GREAT job at teaching the class a lot about research. She deserves all that comes her way for being a caring and amazing professor!*I am on older student who had Dr. Hayden for Research and Design this past spring semester. Dr. Hayden's teaching abilities taught me a new way to think that will help me with my continued studies. Dr. Hayden was supportive on a personal yet professional manner when I lost my aunt to cancer and worked with me to get my assignments in to her. Not many professors go out of their way to help you in a time of need to strive in their classroom. Dr. Hayden should be a major contender for this award.*Dr. Hayden really made Research 668 and 669 so much fun. I was dreading this class and just the word research caused so much anxiety. She spent extra time with me as well as other students. She allowed me to attend extra classes since she taught the same class on other days. She made herself available before and after class as well. What should have been the most difficult class ended up being my favorite social work class by far. The extra time she spent with me really made the difference in my learning experience. She made learning research and EBP fun and rewarding. She went above and beyond what a professor normally does, and her passion for teaching shows in how dedicated she is to her students who are willing to put fourth the effort to learn. She is amazing!*Excellent instructor. |
| Lora | Haynes | Psychological and Brain Sciences | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Haynes is an inspiration for her students each semester. Her dedication and love for helping all students to reach their potential through community outreach. It is hard to imagine how much there is outside of the confines of the classroom. Dr. Haynes has helped me and others to find a love for compassion and community that was simply hard to imagine. She is an outstanding professor and pillar at the University of Louisville. |
| Maura | Hencker | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | She really inspires a love for her subject and truly cares for her students.*She was fantastic. Her enthusiasm and cheerfulness was endless, and because of the way she taught the class, I am willing to take more ASL classes, even though I have already fulfilled my foreign language credits. In the midst of boring classes this semester, her class was the one that kept me going and motivated. Everyone in the class loved her and agreed that she was the best in the department. I recommend her to anyone and everyone. |
| Ann | Herd | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | The best and most complete.*She is a world-class facilitator. I have had her for numerous classes and always feel that the effort to finish the course should be worth double the hours of credit. She is a taskmaster, but a fair person and a true facilitator. |
| Nicole | Herring | Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology | School of Medicine | Dr. Herring is knowledgeable in both lecture and lab. She always finds ways to present the information so that her students can understand and apply it to future lessons. Her notes were excellent, providing useful pictures and logical flow of information. In lab, she always takes time to discuss everything important and can clearly explain points that are unclear.*Dr. Herring is so helpful! She explains things clearly. She is a great lecturer, and in lab she takes the extra time with students to make sure that they see the structures that have been taught. She understands that first-time anatomy students are not going to know how to dissect and doesn't expect us to do it all ourselves.*I like this professor. |
| Paul | Himes | Biology | College of Arts and Sciences | Hiring Dr. Himes was a great step forward for the University. He is extremely knowledgeable and excited about both teaching and research. He is a pleasure to learn from and was by far my favorite teacher this semester. |
| Amy | Hirschy | Educational and Counseling Psychology, Counseling, and College Student Personnel | College of Education and Human Development | Dr. Hirschy is a great instructor, advisor and mentor. She's always willing to meet with you on or off campus. Her personality and intellectual conversations are amazing. I have struggled completing my degree, but Dr. Hirschy has taken me under her wings and has shown and given me the confidence I needed to move forward, closer to completing my degree. She greets you with her remarkable smile and welcomes you with kindness and respect. She is a great educator, teacher and excellent mentor. Thank you, Dr. Hirschy, for all you do for the graduate students at the University of Louisville. |
| Robin | Hognas | Sociology | College of Arts and Sciences | Very good professor. She makes the class interesting and helps students to succeed. |
| Grady | Holman | Industrial Engineering | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | Dr. Holman has a wealth of real-world experience that gives his students a glimpse into what the transition to the workplace will be like. He has a plethora of interesting stories of what life is like beyond graduation. |
| John | Hora | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | WE WERE A TERRIBLE CLASS, AND HE DID A GREAT JOB WITH US! |
| Lenore | Hoyt | Chemistry | College of Arts and Sciences | She went above and beyond by helping me after class, giving me advice on how to study, encouraging me to keep practicing the material for the exams and that I could do it. I believe that she deserves an award for helping me and other students. |
| Benjamin | Hufbauer | Fine Arts | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Hufbauer is the most amazing professor I have met in college. Although I am only a sophomore, I do not believe I will find a professor that will inspire me, shock me, and change everything I thought I knew about the world. His lessons gave me a new perspective on life. And it was not just the material he showed me that blew me away; it was the way he introduced everything that would bring me to tears some days. Professor Hufbauer truly made me think about the who, what, why, and how of EVERYTHING. Listening to his lectures as he described works of art and their meanings would make me cry some days, because it made me think of the world and what was going on in my life. He was not just some person who walked into class, gave us the material, and then left. He treated his class like they were the children he would always laugh and joke about He let us get to know him personally and wanted us to see him as someone who was fun, exciting, and caring. Professor Hufbauer deserves to be acknowledged because he was someone who always looked at me in the eyes when taking attendance. Who always tried to show us what he saw in works of art. And who truly loves what he does and proves it everyday when I go into his class. |
| Mary | Hums | Health and Sport Sciences | College of Education and Human Development | Absolutely great teacher. |
| Jim | Hunter | Humanities | College of Arts and Sciences | Great professor!!!*Very fun, humorous and relatable and makes a boring subject interesting! |
| Marianne | Hutti | School of Nursing | There is no other word for Dr. Hutti than amazing! She has been my advisor through the doctoral program and for the last 2.5 years has been instrumental to my success. Dr. Hutti has high expectations for me, and while she pushes me to reach them, she is very supportive and nurturing along the way. Dr. Hutti is a great role model. Both in academics and in life, she has shown that she truly cares about me and wants to see me succeed. If my life path leads me into academics, I can only hope I can be as good as Dr. Hutti. Ashley D. Miller | |
| Ibrahim | Imam | Computer Engineering and Computer Science | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | He has shown excellent resolve in helping my RSO, which he is the sponsor of. He meets us anytime of day or night. He drove our guest speaker around the city of Louisville for an entire week, treating her to meals. He is always there for us when we need him. I strongly recommend him! |
| Susan | Jarosi | Fine Arts | College of Arts and Sciences | Awesome*Dr. Jarosi has a passion for art and education that is matched by her creativity and ability to engage her students in the classroom. Needless to say she is a great teacher. |
| Pearlie | Johnson | Pan-African Studies | College of Arts and Sciences | I enrolled in this as part of my general education requirement. However, during the course of the semester, the class challenged me to look deeper into the human condition. Dr. Johnson did more than teach a class, she facilitated a life lesson that has forever changed my person. I am better and stronger as a result. |
| Tina | Johnson | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | Ms. Johnson is the best teacher that I ever had. She cares about her students, she cares that they learn, and she is always there for everyone. | |
| Ricky | Jones | Pan-African Studies | College of Arts and Sciences | He really wants his class to learn and explains the material well! Wants everyone to succeed!*Best professor I have had in my entire educational experience! |
| Yvonne | Jones | Anthropology/Pan-African Studies | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Jones's class is truly eye opening and important. The relevancy of her course to critical thought in everyday life is considerable. I've found myself referencing materials from her lectures in day-to-day life discussions outside of school more so than any other class I have taken in college so far. |
| Natasacha | Jones-Cochran | Pan-African Studies\Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | I would like to nominate my instructor Natasacha Jones- Cochran as my favorite teacher! She taught a course that I was reluctant to take and made it so interesting and appealing by using several different methods of learning to get her points across! Since the class I took was online, Natasacha Jones-Cochran definitely went the extra mile by posting supplemental readings, film excerpts, photos, etc., and most importantly, encouragement and patience to her students throughout the whole semester! I look forward to taking her class for the Spring 2014 semester!*Fun, fair, helpful and considers all of her students' feelings.*Professor Natasacha Jones-Cochran generates an energy to her classes that is often missing at the college level. Her energy is extremely conducive to learning. She is flexible yet organized. Her title as professor is not used as a tool to intimidate students. |
| Debra | Journet | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Journet has taught my favorite and most thought-provoking class here at UofL. She encourages students to develop their own ideas while teaching essential material. |
| Shannon | Kapp | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | Shannon was an awesome teacher! I had her for ASL 101 and 102. She made her classroom an environment to learn. She knew all of her students by name and name sign. She worked with any students that needed to make up quizzes or tests for legitimate reasons. She used all kinds of learning techniques so that no one would be asleep and everyone was paying attention. She returned emails in a timely manner. |
| Julia | Karcher | Accountancy | College of Business | Professor Karcher is by far my favorite professor I have had during my four years at the University. Her passion for Accounting shows during her teaching. She wants her students to learn the material. She will stop what she is teaching to help a student in class until they understand the material. When you email her, she responds promptly! She is not only my professor, she is my friend and mentor! She deserves this award :)*Dr. Karcher truly taught me how to learn and took an interest in my life, inside and outside of the classroom. She helped me with internship interviews and coached me through the decision-making process, once I was offered three internships. She got to know me personally so that she knew what she needed to do to help me learn and knew what internship would be best for me!*Professor Karcher cares deeply about her students' understanding of the material. She doesn't make you feel ridiculous for asking a question (no matter how easy). She is by far the best professor I have had in college and definitely the most helpful. |
| Karen | Kayser | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | Professor Kayser always provides excellent learning opportunities outside of the "text" (field trips, guest speakers, etc.). She is the best! | |
| Robert | Kebric | History | College of Arts and Sciences | Great teacher!!! Very informed in his field.*Dr. Kebric is, simply put, the most challenging instructor I have had in my university experience. He requires his students to navigate hundreds of pages of reading from a wide variety of sources every semester. He rejects excuses and encourages students to take responsibility for their actions and their grades. His classes are not for the faint of heart. However, he is always willing to discuss issues that students are having and to guide them in their studies, should they want it. His singular teaching style makes it interesting to come to class every day just to see what he is going to say. One of the best.*Robert Kebric is great. |
| Richard | Keeling | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | He has been such a big help all year and always has a smile on his face.*Most knowledgeable, approachable, helpful and always available instructor in the senior clinics. Very lucky to have him working.*Always willing to come early and stay late. Takes time to teach and help any student who asks. Very friendly and does superb dentistry. Respects and helps his peers, students, and patients.*Most helpful, most knowledgeable, kindest instructor. A real asset to ULSD. |
| Stephen | Kendra | Computer Information Systems | College of Business | Every professor needs to be like Professor Kendra! He has a deep and genuine care for his students. He makes you work hard for your grades, but he is more than willing to help any student, whether it be with something related to lecture material or a personal matter that has nothing to do with school. He has made a significant impact on my learning because he inspires me to want to be the best version of myself, while instilling hard work and the rewards that come along with self-discipline. Going to his class feels more like going to go see a role model who you never get tired of seeing. CIS is not a subject that most people would typically enjoy, but Professor Kendra has a special way of making it an incredibly interesting subject and his passion for teaching and the material he teaches is undeniable. Anytime I would have a bad day, I would always be so glad to get to CIS 150 with Professor Kendra because I knew being in the positive and welcoming environment he fosters in all of his classes would make my day better and allow me to forget about my worries.*Professor Kendra is absolutely amazing. He is caring and honest with all of his students. He shows that he cares about more than his coursework--he cares about life after college. You know from day one that his concern is preparing you and guiding you as much as possible. Between his genuine mentality about life and his role as an educator, and his quirky sense of humor, there is never a dull moment in his lectures. |
| Sharon | Kerrick | Entrepreneurship | College of Business | Dr. Kerrick has been such an asset to my education. She is well connected within the community and has a strong passion for helping students succeed. Her commitment to not only help students succeed but also connect UofL to the greater Louisville community is why she is my favorite instructor from Fall 2013. |
| Ray | Klein | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | The person that I want to nominate is Ray Klein. The class that he teaches is 442 Organizational Change. This teacher made not only a difference in my educational needs, but he taught me how to make a difference in my personal life as well. One of the goals that educators have for their students is the ability to encourage them to further their education. After taking his class, I was truly inspired to go further in my educational goals. I pursued my course of study and even took on a larger load. I am now about to take my last three classes and am going on to pursue my graduate degree. Ray truly motivated me to do more with myself!! The way he delivered his class made everyone of the students look deep within ourselves and find a point of change. As a result of what I learned, I have encouraged five others to enroll in our program and return to school. He truly is an amazing instructor that needs to be recognized for the work he is doing. I am truly a better person because of what he taught me and nominating him for this award is only a small token of my deepest appreciation!*I have learned so much in his classes, mainly because of his teaching style. He teaches theory and then gives several examples throughout the semester. This helps me to understand, as well as remember the theories.*I am writing this letter to nominate Professor Raymond Klein who teaches ELFH 420 Conflict Management as well as ELFH 442 Organizational Leadership and Learning. Professor Klein is an outstanding educator that truly has the interest of each student at heart. I had the opportunity to learn under his leadership last semester and was truly impressed with his ability to teach us how to incorporate change not only in the workplace, but within each of us as individuals. This semester I was blessed to have him again as the professor of Conflict Management. Professor Klein uses all of the tools necessary to ensure that each and every student is effectively learning in his courses. He uses as many resources available to convey the messages so that when you leave his courses you are definitely educated and can use the concepts in all applications of life. I highly recommend him to other students and hear nothing but positive feedback from them once they complete his courses. Professor Klein, you truly made a significant impact on me, and I would like to take this time to nominate you as my favorite educator at the University of Louisville. |
| Karen | Kopelson | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Kopelson has been a wonderful teacher and guide to all of her students this semester. I have personally grown in her classroom and have developed a deeper passion for my area of study from being her student. |
| Elizabeth | Krauss | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | I have had some difficulty with family responsibilities this semester, and Elizabeth Krauss has really gone out of her way to help me get through her class. I am very grateful the University has instructors like her. |
| Hamid | Kulosman | Mathematics | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Kulosman has a great way of explaining the material to help the class understand. He is very organized and returns graded assignments quicker than any professor I've ever had. He responds promptly to email and is very helpful in his replies. |
| Venetia | Lacy | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | Ms. Lacy is the best instructor I have experienced during my time at UofL!*Professor Lacy made her class enjoyable to attend. Always doing whatever is necessary to make sure the student is understanding the material. |
| Buddy | LaForge | Marketing | College of Business | Buddy is an EXCELLENT professor. Not only does he really care about the well-being of his students, but he takes many steps to make sure that his students are not only learning the material covered but also retaining it. He ensures that we are able to learn critical thinking. I had given up on ever enjoying marketing, but not only have I changed my mind, I am interested in actually pursuing a career, which I had been against until I took his classes this fall.*Buddy has made a personal connection with each one of his students. He makes us feel important and not hesitant to speak up and participate in class. In the classroom, he talks in a way that it is personal and does not feel as if you are being instructed and read words from a book or PowerPoint. His teaching techniques of weekly quizzes and step-by-step processes have kept students on top of their work and forced to learn the material. His steady and immediate feedback allows for recognition of good work and improvement suggestions for growth. He gives us numerous opportunities to interact with employers and employees that hold good jobs that have even taken Buddy's class. All of these people have illustrated how taking his class and going through the sales role play has helped them through their careers. The role plays are a great self-teaching technique with recordings of all role plays and evaluations that must be done as well and has helped with my communication skills. Over the course of taking Buddy's class and being introduced to communication skills, selling techniques, and reading the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I have grown as a person in all areas and have taken the things Buddy has helped me with outside of his classroom and even outside of school. Buddy is a great instructor and, more importantly, a great person who is very deserving of this reward. |
| Tasha | Lavey | Political Science | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Lavey is great! She goes the extra mile to ensure that the students are on track and are actually learning, not simply passing an exam. She cares and it shows.*She is an excellent instructor, and she brings out some of the best materials that she uses on PowerPoint with information to teach her class. So much knowledge I have learned from her for being such an excellent instructor and person. She is down-to-earth and tries to help her students in whatever area he or she may need help with. I would recommend taking a course with her. She is very knowledgeable. |
| Thomas | Lawson | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | He is so helpful when the student needs it, and he has a good knowledge in his field. | |
| Bomi | Lee | Ensembles and Conducting Division | School of Music | Professor Lee sets an excellent example of leadership, professionalism, and musicianship. She is extremely talented at singing and conducting but also in teaching. She inspires me to be more passionate about music and to pursue excellence in my studies. |
| David | Leibson | Louis D. Brandeis School of Law | Best professor ever! | |
| Sharon | Leightty | Fine Arts | College of Arts and Sciences | The teacher has keen observation skills and a positive attitude to push the limits of students' abilities in the art field. A deep knowledge base of information regarding current artists and trends and classical subjects are often discussed.*Sharon Leightty is a very intelligent artist and professor. I learned so much in her class, and her teaching style is really easy to get on board with. She offers a deeper understanding of how art functions and is able to explain these complex concepts in a way that is enticing and easy to understand. You can really tell she truly loves doing what she does and is very good at it.*I have relished and learned from many of the professors that I have had the good fortune to interact with, but Sharon definitely stands out from the rest. She clearly epitomizes the ideal instructor, so much so that she has moved me to continue in my chosen path as a future teacher. She has encouraged me beyond mere institutional instruction, fostered my growth as an individual, and promoted a realistic vision of the world that not many teachers clarify. She wasn't just a professor, but a friend. She found all of her students' weaknesses and helped embrace them. For me, she gave me the confidence to pursue my dreams, even going out of her way to make one of my biggest dreams of traveling abroad come true. I cannot praise her enough; I truly believe the Hite Art Institute holds a treasure. |
| Brian | Leung | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Brian is literally one of the wisest and most helpful professors I've ever had here at UofL. |
| Betty | Levis | Health and Sport Sciences | College of Education and Human Development | BJ is a great instructor. I love her class! She teaches in a way to get everyone to understand. You can tell she loves teaching the class in which she teaches!*College of Education and Human Development. *Greatest teacher ever. Learned so much about disabilities.*She is by far the most hardworking, caring, and life-changing instructor I've had. She works day in and day out only to help others and all the while keeping a positive attitude and outlook on life. She is a motivating instructor who turns the course into a hands-on learning experience. I am a junior, and out of all my classes and instructors I've had in my college career, I have gained the most knowledge from this course and Ms. Levis herself. I'd recommend her class to anyone, any major. She is such an amazing person and is incredible at what she does and has such a positive impact on anyone that has the pleasure of coming into contact with her. She deserves all the recognition in the world.* BJ is very passionate about what she does. She not only made us open our eyes a bit wider to disabilities possibly unknown to some of us, but she entrusted us to be a part of her daily experiences by letting us volunteer at some of the events and by bringing in great guest speakers. Her hands-on teaching helped me learn better than reading a text and memorizing all the information. I thoroughly enjoyed this class and learned more than I expected. |
| Linda | Lewis | Oral Health and Rehabilitation | School of Dentistry | :) |
| Allan | Linehan | Oral Health and Rehabilitation | School of Dentistry | Dr. Linehan cares about student success and is willing to break the red tape to help students succeed and learn correctly. |
| Laine | Lopez | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | Laine Lopez is awesome! She is always willing to help all the Latino students. Even though she is not an instructor of any of my classes, I felt that she needed recognition for all the hard work she does to help all the Latino students to succeed. |
| Michael | Losavio | Justice Administration | College of Arts and Sciences | He's such a great teacher, and he genuinely cares about the success of his students.*Professor Losavio takes a special interest in getting to know his students. His passion and knowledge for the law makes his classes interesting! He applies the knowledge in the texts to real-life experience and cases. I look forward to taking more classes from him! |
| Robert | Luginbill | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | This is my third time having him as a Latin teacher, and he is simply amazing. He makes learning Latin interesting and is always there to help. |
| Keith | Lyle | Psychological and Brain Sciences | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Lyle was a true inspiration to me this semester. As a student who changed his course of study from biology to psychology, I assumed that psychology would be more science heavy and neuro-based. I took courses that I thought would dive into the inner functioning of the brain, but instead, it was all theories about how to make people do what you want. In Lyle's Cognitive Processes course, what I thought psychology was, finally showed itself. He allowed me to think about what I wanted to do with my life when it comes to future psychological studies.*BEST PROFESSOR I HAVE EVER HAD!!!*Instructor was very knowledgeable about the material and kept class interesting. Utilized research to improve students' learning and retention of information through PUREMEMs. I am graduating this semester, and Professor Lyle is the finest instructor I have encountered. |
| Yuxin | Ma | History | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Ma was a great professor this semester. She helped me with numerous activities throughout the semester and was very flexible with meeting hours. |
| David | Maddy | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | Dr. Maddy's genuine commitment to students and interest in their well-being is abundantly evidenced in his conversation with them, offers of hospitality to them, and the way he very generously gives of his time over lunch breaks and after 5 p.m. He has made second year of dental school far more doable. |
| Caleb | Magyar | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Caleb has taught me so much and has helped me grow as a writer. He genuinely cares about each and every one of his students and makes an effort to get to know us and our individual needs. I look forward to his class every day.*For this Spring semester, I was originally going to have a different English professor, but at the last moment we received Caleb as our instructor. At first, I was somewhat worried that I wouldn't enjoy the class because of him, but after the first class I knew that wouldn't be the case. Professor Magyar quickly became one of my favorite professors on campus! |
| Thomas | Maloney | Philosophy | College of Arts and Sciences | He's a great guy. He's the grandfather I never had. I highly appreciate the pressure he placed upon me in the papers he assigned. I also value his independent thinking. I love a challenge; I noticed this same spirit on Mr. Maloney. He amuses me and vice versa. I can see that he's one of those professors who will never retire. He loves what he does and is passionate about that. He contributed significantly this semester in inspiring me to continue in my endeavor of becoming a professor myself someday in the near future.*Absolutely wonderful teacher. Philosophy is a tough subject to learn, even tougher to teach. He kept the class lively and was always willing to help. Thank you for the wonderful semester!!*Wide-eyed and eager to converse with a professor at my soon-to-be University, I entered Thomas Maloney's office during my first campus visit to the University of Louisville. Coming from a small Appalachian town, I was excited and slightly intimidated as I walked into his office. Never did I imagine that this warm, jovial, and brilliant individual would become my professor, mentor, and friend. As graduation now approaches, I reflect on those professors who have had the largest impact on my academic as well as personal growth. Dr. Maloney has supported and inspired me for four very transitional years in my life--Fulbright and other scholarship applications, graduate school recommendations, thesis work, Latin conversations, philosophical inquiries, the list goes on. The greatest quality of Dr. Maloney, as every student, former student, and colleague would likely agree, is his constant enthusiasm for scholarship and his empathy for those wide-eyed, eager yet nervous students who enter his office. This is truly an outstanding individual who, after 40 years of teaching, still inspires students and colleagues on a daily basis.*Great man. Great educator. |
| Michael | Mansfield | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | Dr. Mansfield is always willing to give extra instruction on anything, even when we are not in class. Every time I ask a question, he respectfully answers it while making sure I understand the concepts. Today and many others times in the past, Dr. Mansfield stayed after class and helped my classmates and me with our projects for nearly an hour. Finally, as he checks to make sure everyone is wearing eye protection and masks, Dr. Mansfield always has a great attitude and will talk with the students to see if there is anything he can do to help. Overall, Dr. Mansfield has enhanced my learning in lab while making it more enjoyable. |
| Edgardo | Mansilla | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | Mr. Mansilla provided so much information that I have already implemented into my community planning and capstone project for the Spring semester. I wish he taught more classes at Kent. He made himself available for individual consultation about my project and tried to make the class engaging. | |
| Samuel | Marcosson | Louis D. Brandeis School of Law | Phenomenal professor. | |
| Kelly | Marshall | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | Excellent teacher who is great at what she does. Really goes out of her way to help students succeed and learn! You can tell she wants everyone to do well and be able to enjoy learning French. |
| Patricia | Martin | School of Nursing | Pat Martin is an amazing instructor. She is well-versed in the field of nursing and shows great care and interest in her students. She inspires a love of learning. She is not only willing to help students with all coursework, whether she teaches the course or not, but she provides assistance kindly and with an obvious passion. Working with her, you can see the love she has for her students, patients, and nursing. | |
| Scott | Massey | Fine Arts | College of Arts and Sciences | Great teacher. Takes the time to get to know every student personally to help them get more out of the course as well as their entire college experience. Also helps students think about their individual goals and what they want out of their degree and life. |
| Susan | Matarese | Political Science | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Matarese is an absolutely wonderful teacher! She is very professional and is proficient in all of the material that she teaches. Her class was interesting, informative, and fun. She encouraged participation during class time and was very helpful outside of class as well. |
| Max | Maxwell | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Maxwell is an extremely great professor who is always there for his students. He assigns projects that allow his students to go out of their comfort zone and actually learn something that can't be learned in the textbook. I would recommend his classes to any student at UofL. |
| Jennifer | McCants | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | Dr. McCants is the example of a true educator. She is precise, meticulous and is adamant that procedures are carried out well for the best outcomes. She is renown for being the best at what she does. She is a counselor, a motivator and is never too tired or busy to provide guidance and assistance in patient management. A true professional! |
| Maggie | McGatha | Middle and Secondary Education | College of Education and Human Development | Dr. McGatha has helped me through so much during the course of my doctoral studies. I would not have finished if it wasn't for her support. Dr. McGatha is outstanding! Also, Dr. Choi is wonderful as well!!! |
| Laura | McNeal | Louis D. Brandeis School of Law | Professor McNeal has been one of the best law professors I have had during my two years in law school. Law school is a very competitive place, and the subject matter can be rather difficult. Many of the professors add to this by speaking in a complex manner and not truly attempting to help students get through their course. Professor McNeal differs greatly from those professors. She has been willing to meet with me several times out of the semester, read over practice problems, and make her overall class one in which I am actually learning--not just going and trying to piece together what she's said later. I truly appreciate her teaching ability and help. Professor McNeal definitely deserves to be recognized for her work. | |
| Suzanne | Meeks | Psychological and Brain Sciences | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Meeks has been influential in my academic success at the University of Louisville. She has been my undergraduate research mentor for two years. Through her teaching, I learned to conduct my own research project from start to finish. She welcomed me into her lab and furthered my education in psychology. I would not be starting my Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program in the Fall if I had not had the opportunity to work with Dr. Meeks. |
| Rebecca | Mercke | Oral Health and Rehabilitation | School of Dentistry | She is amazing and so organized!! Classes are tough but she is always well-prepared, and she is very caring! I love her!!*Excellent teacher who goes above and beyond to educate her students effectively! Extremely helpful! She makes the Dental Hygiene Program better! |
| Ralph | Merkel | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | Really hands-on with students and brings out the best work in his students. Is always honest about your work and always has constructive criticism that helps you to better your work. Favorite professor of my college career by far! |
| Rodney | Merkley | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | I have taken several online classes, and this class was the first and only online class that I felt the instructor went through great efforts to combine the in-class layout with an online setting. Incredible...others in online learning should take a look at what he has done.*Dr. Merkley was an outstanding instructor who always exhibited enthusiasm and used the most advanced technology I have experienced in an online class. He was consistently organized and punctual with his responses. It was obvious he actually read the assignments I submitted because of his remarks and notations that were always helpful. I always felt he was invested in the class and sincerely wanted us to learn from his knowledge and experiences. This motivated me to be invested and to try and give my best as I felt he was doing. Hands down the best instructor I have had so far!*Professor Merkley is a perfect instructor for online learning! The class material was relevant to the course, and the lectures were informative and encouraged critical thinking. Surprisingly, I felt connected to my classmates and my instructor, despite the class being online. |
| Michael | Metz | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | Dr. Metz demonstrates excellent teaching abilities and truly cares about every single student and their progress, and outcome as a practicing dentist is very important to him. |
| Larry | Michalczyk | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | Mr. Michalczyk sincerely cares about our learning and is passionate about Macro Social Policy. I was not initially excited to take the policy course, thinking it was going to be boring. However, Mr. Michalczyk made the class pertinent and applicable to us and our future work as social workers. I am very excited for the continuation of this policy course next semester. Thanks to Mr. Michalczyk, I have changed my opinion on policy and hope to work towards improved social policies in the future! I am fortunate to have him as a teacher! | |
| Cynthia | Miller | Physiology and Biophysics | School of Medicine | Great professor.*Dr. Miller is the best educator I've ever had in my life. She understands educational theory and applies it so that students have to work not to learn in her class. She makes everything easy and intuitive and somehow still teaches an incredible amount of information. I wish I had ten thousand votes that I could use to nominate her.*Best teacher I have ever had. She should teach the entire class!*Always there when you need her, works so hard to help us learn with activities, videos, etc. Very fair and easy to go to with questions.*The best professor. Best lecturer. She cares and loves teaching. We all love her. She makes physiology fun.*She is by far the best teacher I've ever had. She teaches clear and concise and then delivers challenging questions. She really makes sure we learn the material and she's hot.*Dr. Miller is the most hard-working, dedicated, caring, and motivational professor that I have ever had. I wish that she taught every subject.*She works so hard and does an amazing job!*She really facilitates a great learning environment. I've never had a professor who is so willing to go the extra mile for every single student.*I'm sure many other people have nominated Dr. Miller for this recognition as she is a favorite professor of the dental students. Dr. Miller goes way above and beyond to help us learn, and makes learning fun! She has the best notes and PowerPoints and has an uncanny ability to predict problems that we may have with the material and ameliorate them in advance. Above all else, she is really a kind person who cares about her students, and we care a lot about her too!*Amazing!!!*She is a great professor who is able to convey difficult information in an easy-to-understand way. She also runs the class very effectively and is efficient with test results and responses to emails. She is easy to approach and ask questions, and she is able to explain the information in many different ways making it easy for anyone to understand.*Dr. Miller was outstanding in teaching me physiology! I have had physiology before but was never able to retain it as much as I have when she taught. She truly knows how to make class enjoyable and do activities to make sure we are understanding and learning what she is teaching. She is the best professor I think I have had in a very long time.*Extremely helpful teacher and explains concepts on a level where students can grasp it on the first try and build from there. Makes learning faster, yet you are an expert in it by the time you are done. |
| Sarah | Miller | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | She is a very good teacher who takes the time to make sure the students understand what is going on. |
| Shawnise | Miller | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | Dr. Miller encompasses the truest definition of social worker! She gave effortlessly and freely of her time and was so open and giving. In addition, her lessons each week and our Social Justice Action Project gave me a first-hand look at how to become an activist for social justice. I truly admire her strength and dedication to us!*Dr. Miller was the instructor for my Social Justice Practice course this semester. Not only is she extremely knowledgeable about current topics in social justice social work practice, but she is extremely passionate as well. She did not hesitate to have difficult discussions in class, and she challenged social work students to confront their biases and prejudices. Dr. Miller was extremely supportive of all of her students and was always quick to respond to any questions or concerns we had. This was no small feat as she teaches many classes, has other responsibilities at the University, and has a young daughter! During the course, we worked on a Social Justice Action Project (SJAP). The project was well planned to make the most of our time in the course. Dr. Miller also offered to work with students who were interested in publishing an article about their experience with the SJAP. All of my professors at UofL have been wonderful this semester, so it is hard to nominate only one. Dr. Miller's passion for social justice, education, and her students make her a stand-out professor.*Dr. Miller is a profound professor, and her class is amazing. The Social Justice Advocacy Project that is required for her class is something each UofL student should experience. Dr. Miller is student-centered and teaches from the heart.*Dr. Miller is an excellent professor and student advocate who seemed genuinely interested in her students' input. | |
| Kristen | Miller | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Ms. Miller made a huge impact on my learning this year as a writer. Her intro to creative writing class was perfectly organized and executed. All of her assignments really got me into what she was teaching, and she always gave good criticism. I am saddened to see her leave the Creative Writing Department this semester because I would have loved to hear her criticism in the future. Truly a fantastic teacher. |
| Rose | Mills | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Awesome and very sweet lady! Loved her class!*This instructor helped me pass English 101, and now I love college writing. |
| Laura | Moyer | Political Science | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Moyer is a great addition to the University of Louisville. I have taken her courses in both the Fall and Spring Semesters, because she makes learning Constitutional Law fun in an effective way. I highly recommend her courses to ANY student.*She has always been more than willing to meet outside of the classroom to discuss ideas and concepts that are hard to understand. I've never met a teacher who was so willing to help me learn and never acted like taking time out of class for me was a burden. She always came to class with a desire and passion to help her students learn.*Dr. Laura Moyer is the chair of my final master's research at the University of Louisville. In just a few words, my final research represents my transition from being a student only to becoming a contributing academic researcher/scholar. Throughout the research process (throughout this last semester), I encountered delay after delay, fear, and anxiety over how to go about conducting real research. But Dr. Moyer has gone above and beyond for me, offering me constructive feedback, encouragement, copious amounts of notes/comments, and a faith in me that I did not have in myself. I would not have finished if it were not for her. She made a real difference in my experience as a student and as a researcher at the University of Louisville.*As I am finishing my first year here at the University, there's no doubt many people have left an impression on me, but none more so than Dr. Moyer. I recall my time at orientation when I was registering for classes. I knew I was interested in political science, so I opted to take both POLS 312 and 314; the professor for each class was listed as "TBA," and I was very nervous not knowing who I would take. Fate should have it that I would have both classes with Dr. Moyer. I asked upperclassmen if they had her before, and no one knew anything about her. She was new, and I was skeptical about having the same professor twice with nothing known about her. I have no regrets with my decision. Dr. Moyer was the epitome of what a professor should be. She motivates her students. She encourages participation. She is clear in her teaching and expectations, and I learned. I truly have learned in her class. I can argue any constitutional provision you would ask and detail aspects about the Courts I never imagined. I have learned a lot this year, and she contributed to a large part of that. So much that I took her again in the Spring for POLS 313, and I am taking her honors seminar this fall. There's a reason that I am looking to take her a fourth time as a first-semester sophomore; she's just that fantastic.*Dr. Moyer is an incredible teacher. As someone interested in Law School, I feel like I have been given a dose of what to expect there. Most of my classes, thus far, have required ample and long papers and minimal memorization, but this class requires what law schools expect, case memorization and application to hypothetical cases. This was something I was not, and I'm sure other students were not, used to. And particularly for myself, halfway through the course, I found out that I had ADD, which made me feel like I would not make the 90 grade range in the class, given my grades on the first exams. But I did, because Dr. Moyer pushed me to exceed the limits I had previously placed for myself (but nothing outside my comfort zone). If someone asks me what I want to be when I grow up, I'd say that I'd like to be "Dr. Moyer"--someone whose passion for a subject is really exhilarating, and exhilarating enough to drive others to want to learn more. I'm just sad that Dr. Moyer was not here before for other graduating students to benefit from in previous years.*Dr. Moyer is an exceptional teacher! She will work with her students, and her best asset is making you think! Dr. Moyer makes you think outside the box, and you must come to the class prepared. Her questions keep you engaged, as well as, develop those critical thinking skills. Detail is a must in this class, and that is an important asset if you are thinking about becoming an attorney. I learned a lot in this class, but most importantly, she was there to help if you needed the assistance. I can't speak enough about her and this class! Great teacher and we should have more at the University of Louisville just like Dr. Moyer! |
| Robin | Mozer | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Fun and enthusiastic when engaged in discussion with students. Down-to-earth and no sugarcoating. Understanding and fair. |
| Mary | Mudd | Communication/Debate Program | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Mudd had the impossible mission of making public speaking enjoyable, but she succeeded on all fronts. Her class was the most fun I've had this semester.*Mary Mudd is an amazing instructor! I've learned so much from her about being a critical thinker and framing my thoughts to make a good argument. If I wasn't graduating, I would look into her debate program. Her office is always open, and she doesn't turn students away even in the midst of her writing her thesis paper for graduate school. Mary Mudd embodies what a UofL instructor should be. I will never forget her class, COMM 319-01. Getting a good grade, and having to earn it, always feels good. Debate is challenging, but thanks to Mary, I feel as if I can conquer the world. Thanks for your guidance. |
| Bamba | Ndiaye | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | He is AWESOME!!!! Best French professor and probably my favorite professor in my undergraduate career! He really does an excellent job at reinforcing students to utilize their skills, and the class is comfortable. I wake up each morning looking forward to attend his class, and I have learned so much about Africa, French, other things that I hope will stick with me. |
| John | Nelson | Economics | College of Business | Professor Nelson is always joyful and a fun professor to be around. I have had him for three classes, and every class he makes it memorable! I was not a big fan of economics but definitely enjoyed his classes! |
| Ryan | Noble | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | I have the pleasure of working closely with Dr. Noble on a regular basis in Clinical Treatment Planning at the School of Dentistry. He always makes time to help me, even when he is very busy and is always very kind and approachable. Not only does he have wisdom, experience and insight, but has the talent and patience to skillfully communicate higher-order thinking to a developing practitioner. I always try to glean as much as possible from our interactions. Dr. Noble embodies all of the characteristics that one would expect in a great instructor and mentor. He is a professor that brings credit to the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. I give him my highest endorsement and my admiration. |
| Richard | Nowka | Louis D. Brandeis School of Law | Professor Nowka is a very patient and thorough instructor. It was a pleasure to be in his class.*Professor Nowka is a great teacher, patient with us in class and always willing to take the time to answer all of our questions. He truly cares about his students. | |
| Athanasios (Thanos) | Ntounis | Oral Health and Rehabilitation | School of Dentistry | Dr. Ntounis is very helpful, instructive, and kind in the clinic. He is a pleasure to work with! |
| Laurie | O'Hare | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | I would love to nominate Ms. Laurie O'Hare. She is my advisor at the Kent School of Social Work. She just filled the position only a semester ago as our longtime Geri Morgan transferred to the Dean of Students Office. Being new, Laurie filled Geri's shoes seamlessly--going right in working with students and learning very quickly. Laurie has been available via email, phone, and meeting in person anytime I have requested it. She has sent me scholarship forms when she knew I was having trouble paying for school. And when my husband broke his ribs in a bad car accident, my son broke his arm skateboarding, and I fell down the icy steps taking my son to get his cast (all happening in the SAME WEEK), Laurie was too kind to let me know she was thinking of me, and if I needed anything, she was not far away at all. Ms. O'Hare took on a hard position with composure and elegance. For this, I nominate her. Thank you. | |
| Angela | Orend | Sociology | College of Arts and Sciences | I'm not a sociology major. That being said, she made the class so interesting and interactive. Information soaked in so much easier than a typical lecture hall because of how she taught. She cares about her students and their success, sending emails periodically throughout the semester making sure everyone is on track. You can tell teaching isn't just a job for her, she loves it!*She is very funny and keeps things interesting in class:) |
| Gary | Osborne | Mechanical Engineering | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | Dr. Osborne is very helpful with students and goes above and beyond to make sure I understand. The University has a great professor in him. |
| Jennifer | Osborne | Oral Health and Rehabilitation | School of Dentistry | She's great! |
| John | Pani | Psychological and Brain Sciences | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Pani is an outstanding teacher and goes out if his way every class to help his students to better understand his field.*Not only is Dr. Pani one of the most intellectual and skilled professors I have had the pleasure of meeting during my short time at UofL, but he is also very passionate about the education of all his students. Simply put, Dr. Pani is a professor for all the right reasons. Last semester he was my instructor for Cognitive Psychology 322, and he was always very engaged in the material. Furthermore, he was willing to allow me, a freshman, the incredible opportunity of helping him with his research this spring semester. Psychology 401 (independent study) has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. |
| Y. Sam | Park | Mechanical Engineering | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | Dr. Park is an excellent teacher. His passion for engineering shows in every thought-provoking lecture. |
| Shawn | Parkhurst | Anthropology | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Parkhurst has an obvious passion for the subject he teaches. He makes time spent in the classroom valuable to each student, and he makes himself available outside of the classroom as well. He spends time above and beyond what is normal to provide feedback and constructive criticism to his students. His class is demanding, yet fair; it is also deeply rewarding and meaningful. Dr. Parkhurst is one of the best professors I have had, and he is greatly deserving of this recognition.*Best. |
| Susan | Peacock | Health and Sport Sciences | College of Education and Human Development | She is a fun, energetic teacher who really loves what she is teaching. I looked forward to class everyday. She was funny, down-to-earth, and always in a relaxed mood. She made the lectures so interesting. She engaged everyone and made us all want to participate.*Always made an 8 AM class worth waking up for. |
| Michael | Perlin | Biology | College of Arts and Sciences | He has so much energy when teaching genetics, and I learned a lot from him.*He is an excellent professor. He makes sure we understand the material and tries to help us as much as he can.*A*Dr. Perlin not only teaches his class with enthusiasm and patience, but he is extremely helpful outside of the classroom, even after I've long been out of his class. He carries out top-notch research and yet still makes time to teach very informative classes and give his students individual attention and assistance if they need it! |
| Armon | Perry | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | Dr. Perry takes a special interest in students. He usually stays at least 15 minutes after class, answering questions and having conversations with students. He uses real-world situations to teach concepts that would otherwise be vague and unclear. It is clear that Dr. Perry truly cares, not only about students, but about creating competent social workers who will create positive structural change.*Dr. Perry has been an extraordinary professor. He makes text real with experience and examples. He has encouraged his class to challenge him in conversation and has been accepting of both critics and praise from his students. Not many professors are that engaging and personable. I recommend he be awarded. He deserves public recognition of how well he prepares his classes for field and real-life experience. | |
| Dennis | Piontek | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | Great mentor and always willing to help and go the extra mile. |
| Robert | Pipal | Biology | College of Arts and Sciences | Great TA! Very flexible with hours in assisting with material. Very knowledgeable and can tell he cares about his students and their learning! |
| Natalie | Polzer | Humanities | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Polzer is an amazing educator and brilliant academic. I'm glad I got the chance to meet and learn from her this semester. I would recommend her to anyone who has an interest in religious studies. |
| Bruce | Ponder | Justice Administration | College of Arts and Sciences | This professor is awesome. His assignments are easy to understand, and he replies to emails in a timely manner. He is one of the best online instructors I have ever had in my many years of education in both online and in-class classes. I think he deserves to be nominated. His co-instructor is awesome as well, but I have interacted with Professor Ponder a lot more. |
| Nancy | Potter | Philosophy | College of Arts and Sciences | Engages class in discussion. Provided great reading material for the course. Very encouraging of the students and seems genuinely interested in our goals and how we are doing in the course.*I took Dr. Potter's Ethics class this semester, and she has truly left an impact on me. She helped me to make sense of a lot of confusing things in my life, and I feel much more centered now. I feel like she helped me to broaden my thinking. I can't put into words how much I appreciated her as a teacher. |
| Cedric Merlin | Powell | Louis D. Brandeis School of Law | Professor Powell is the most enthusiastic professor you could meet. His classroom discussions are always engaging, thought-provoking and encouraging. As a law student, material can be very dense and to be honest, boring, at times. Professor Powell has mastered the art of taking that material and transforming it into concepts that students can easily understand and apply to the real world. He does this through humor, real-life hypotheticals and real-life issues. In addition, Professor Powell is ALWAYS available when you need him. He truly cares about his students.*Professor Powell is the epitome of an educator. He conducts his lessons in a professional, yet fun manner. He encourages critical thinking by pushing us to analyze cases outside of what is written in the textbooks. He encourages diversity and debate. He is available for assistance outside of the classroom. He is a role model in the ways he encourages and supports students' education and careers. | |
| Naina | Prakash | History | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Prakash made learning history really fun to me. I always looked forward to my 10 a.m. class because she was always energetic and fun to be around. She made me smile inside when I went to her class. History has never been my favorite subject, but she changed that. I now love learning about history because she made it so easy.*Dr. Prakash was by far the most amazing professor I have had this semester. Being a freshman, I was very apprehensive about how I would pass a college course. After the first few classes with Dr. Prakash, my mind was at ease. Her lectures were very entertaining and constantly held my attention. She was extremely clear with getting the main ideas across and then did an excellent job going into detail on certain topics. Everything flowed smoothly through each lecture, and it was astounding she knew everything without even glancing at a PowerPoint or outline. Dr. Prakash had everything together and if at some point you were unsure of what she said or what she was trying to communicate, she would be more than willing to stop and explain the idea in a different way to ensure you knew what she was talking about. Dr. Prakash has been my favorite professor, and I hope she is able to teach another history course as I move up in my years here. Her class was loaded with course material, but it never seemed too hard because she broke everything down to a level we could absorb and master. Her tests were extremely helpful as well. All material came from the class notes and background information in the book. The tests were also set up in a way which tested out recognition of events, the specific details of events and finally a section of critical thinking in which we were given topics for an essay, and we were required to expand upon one. Dr. Prakash definitely deserves this award for her hard work and dedication to us, the students. Without her, I don't believe I would have enjoyed my first semester as much as I have. Thank you. |
| Bridgette | Pregliasco | Educational and Counseling Psychology, Counseling, and College Student Personnel/Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | Dr. Pregliasco is an incredible instructor in the College Student Personnel Program. She provides us with guidance and knowledge in countless areas of higher education and student affairs. Dr. Pregliasco always takes time to explain difficult topics and meet outside of class. Having had Dr. Pregliasco in three different courses has significantly contributed to my level of learning. Not only is she the instructor for multiple courses but she is also the program chair for both the College Student Personnel Program and Higher Education Program! She is unstoppable! She has been a strong, positive, role model for the women in the program, and she is a faculty member who I will feel comfortable reaching out to for years to come. |
| Carolyn | Provenzano | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | I've taken online courses for six years now and never had an instructor so engaged as Ms. Provenzano. Not only is she a great instructor and class facilitator, I suffered the loss of my life-long best friend by suicide midway through our semester, and Ms. Provenzano called me out of the blue to check on me. I was having an extremely hard time coping with the loss of my best friend while watching his three daughters who are the same ages as my three kids (2, 5 and 8 years old), performing military duties, being a husband, consoling my friend's widow, doing research, writing papers and leading a group in SW602, funeral arrangements and the list goes on. I was at a breaking point, and she knew all the right things to say to keep me from losing it completely and helped me get my head back in the game. Little does she know the positive effects of her actions. I've since grieved and moved on from my loss and am proud to say that not only is Ms. Provenzano a great instructor, she expertly performed the role of a social worker, a concerned friend and a counselor. I truly am grateful for her phone call and sincere interest in my well-being not only as a UofL student, but as a person in dire need of personal guidance and support. Please thank her for me. | |
| Frances | Purifoy | Anthropology | College of Arts and Sciences | This professor was my instructor in Anthropology 202. She was a fantastic teacher, but it was our conversations outside of class that really inspired me. This was the first professor I really had a relationship with. She knew my name and what I was planning to do in my future. Her words really helped encourage me to stick with what I want to do. After many of our conversations, I left with a new sense of purpose. I really felt like I could achieve anything I wanted to. I really appreciated the faith she had in me and my abilities.*Dr. Purifoy is always pleasant, and it is evident that she truly cares about what she teaches. Because she is interested in the topics she teaches, it has made her class very enjoyable and informative. She is very knowledgeable and wants her students to succeed. |
| Michael | Ramach | Music History and Opera | School of Music | Mike is a fantastic instructor. He teaches with so much passion and is always willing to help his students out. I got so much out of his Music in Theatre class, especially a greater appreciation for opera. He is not only respectful to his students but also is very interested in who they are and why they are in the class. He engages us every class, and I leave feeling much more learned about music theatre. Couldn't ask for a better professor. |
| Che | Rhodes | Fine Arts | College of Arts and Sciences | Kept class fun and always was patient with students. He was funny and, as a result, kept the class actively engaged in the classwork. Didn't put too much out-of-class responsibility on the students. Awesome class and awesome instructor. |
| Christine | Rich | Chemistry | College of Arts and Sciences | She was the best professor I've had at UofL. She taught the material well and from different perspectives, and you could always tell she loved what she was teaching. Every lecture she was passionate, and time never dragged in her class. I feel fully prepared for the organic portion of the MCAT coming out of her class. I would recommend her to anyone. |
| John | Richardson | Chemistry | College of Arts and Sciences | Awesome instruction, easy to follow along. Very helpful, very enthusiastic, very thorough teacher, very fair. Overall, he is one of the best professors I have ever had. Clearly demonstrates basic chemistry topics in very understandable ways! |
| Natali | Richter | Chemistry | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Richter has made organic chemistry an enjoyable experience, which is quite a feat.*Dr. Richter puts in a lot of effort into her organic chemistry class. She provided us with more practice and study material than one could hope for and was quick to respond to any questions I sent in.*Dr. Richter is an amazing teacher. She was always willing to help me outside of class, even when it was not during her office hours. She would answer questions day or night, in her office or through email which means a lot to me since I am not always able to make it during office hours. She truly cares about her students and works very hard at motivating us to reach our full potential. She is such a pleasure to learn from as she makes the organic chemistry interesting and trys many different ways of teaching to accommodate all learning styles. She is truly an amazing woman and teacher, and I am so glad I have had the opportunity to learn from her.*By far the best professor I've had thus far at UofL.*Dr. Richter made me love chemistry again! She is the most amazing instructor I have known in the two years I have spent at UofL. I wish I would have met her sooner! |
| Sara | Robertson | School of Nursing | Sara has given me the confidence I needed to start my transition to a nurse practitioner. She is very professional, extremely knowledgeable, and most of all practical. I was very upset one day and was walking through an office to talk with Jessica, and Sara stopped her conversation and took me aside and asked me if I was okay and took time to offer me advice and encouragement. That is a true educator who will take care of students in every sense to ensure their success. She is my role model and who I want to be when I graduate!! | |
| Monica | Rodriguez | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Rodriguez is an excellent professor. UofL is so proud of having her because she cares about her students, and she makes sure her students learn the material. I would love to see this professor recognized. She deserves it. |
| Kevin | Rose | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | His genuine interest in making sure the students understand what is being taught.*Dr. Rose really made my Diversity in the Workplace class about learning and not just about the grade. I tend to be very focused on grades. In this class, I received more understanding and eye-opening experiences and thoughts of other people.*Dr. Rose is an excellent instructor/facilitator. He is very patient with all of the students and creates a "safe" learning environment where we all feel comfortable to try new things. He has made the transition into the graduate level very smooth, and I want to commend him for his professionalism and patience with all of the students.*Dr. Rose is an outstanding professor! He truly has the best interest of his students at heart!*Dr. Kevin Rose deserves recognition for his outstanding approach to education. This semester I had the pleasure of taking my first class with Dr. Rose through the distance learning Master of Human Resources and Organizational Development Program. While I have taken many online courses, this class was out of the ordinary. To begin with, I did not feel like I was using an online forum. Dr. Rose magically created the feel of a traditional classroom. He is the first professor in my entire educational career who emphasized making his classroom a safe place. I really felt free to try and make educated guesses without fear of ridicule or embarrassment. I was able to push limits and boundaries in my thought process because he made it a safe environment to do so. Dr. Rose also put the emphasis on learning and building our skill set. He was able to turn dry and lofty material into something tangible and relatable. He has a gift for teaching. He has shown his students the most respect I have ever seen a teacher show, and he was accessible morning, noon, and night. Dr. Rose has given me the confidence to hungrily attack this master's program and to implement my projects at work that I have learned in class. He is a superb human being and has so much compassion and enthusiasm. I wish he taught more classes in this program.*This dynamic Assistant Professor and Scholar-Practitioner in Residence has an uncanny ability to teach, coach, and mentor his master's program students in a way that allows them to excel in applying new knowledge into a literature review. His knowledge in quantitative and qualitative collection and analysis allows students to go outside the box and be creative in designing, collecting, and analyzing data for problems in everyday organizational operations. Dr. Rose also takes the time to know his graduate students which aids in how class discussions are facilitated, allowing each student to bring his/her knowledge into every issue we discussed. Dr. Rose is one of those rare professors who brings the best out of each and every student whether they are undergraduate or graduate students. I therefore nominate Dr. Kevin Rose for Favorite Educator for the Fall Term 2013.*Dr Rose did an outstanding job instructing ELFH 617, Evidence Based Research HROD, this semester. His instruction was clear and interesting. He also made himself available to address students' questions and concerns when assistance was needed. I really enjoyed his class and look forward to having him as an instructor again. Thanks. |
| Edna | Ross | Psychological and Brain Sciences | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Ross is an exceptional teacher who goes above and beyond to provide an engaging classroom atmosphere and to encourage group work. Not only did her in-class discussions benefit my education, but I was able to take what I learned in class and apply it to my everyday life--this is a quality of an exceptional teacher! She is constantly reminding us to "think critically," and I have found that after taking this course, I am a more conscientious individual and approach problems and solutions from many different aspects rather than just one.*She was very knowledgeable of the subject and was able to connect with me as a student through her lectures.*Fantastic professor! She made waking up early to get to Psych enjoyable! Great personality. Dr. Ross made learning a great experience! If I could take Psychology 201 again, I would!*She is the best.*She was a fun teacher! |
| Jairus | Rossi | Geography and Geosciences | College of Arts and Sciences | The best teacher here.*He is very helpful and knows this topic well. He makes class interesting and is always available for help. |
| Michael | Rowland | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | Nurturing professor with a knack for fostering adult education and learning. |
| Prasanna | Sahoo | Mathematics | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Sahoo is probably one of the best math teachers I have ever had. It is obvious he enjoys teaching and is aware of how students learn best. He has made my last semester of math very enjoyable. |
| William "Bill" | Sanders | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | Brilliant.*I nominate Bill Sanders.*He's the best!!!! Makes each student feel as smart as he and treats patients and other faculty like gold. |
| Sharon | Sanders | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | Professor Sanders was hands down the BEST professor I had the opportunity to learn from through the course of my Kent School MSSW career. She has such great patience and will go above and beyond to help a student understand a concept. I feel confident in my knowledge and ability as a social worker in part to her teachings. She is passionate about the field, and that passion comes across in her own enthusiasm as a teacher. She welcomes feedback and will adjust her class style accordingly.*Professor Sanders by far is the best professor I have ever had. She cares beyond measure and taught me so much! | |
| Bibhuti | Sar | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | Dr. Sar demonstrated exceptional qualities in teaching this semester during a teaching class. I can say it was, if not the best, one of the best courses I have ever taken up to my doctoral level. | |
| Ryan | Schroeder | Sociology | College of Arts and Sciences | With Dr. Schroeder's expert guidance as my committee chair, I was able to complete my dissertation. His involvement was instrumental to the project's realization. |
| David | Schultz | Biology | College of Arts and Sciences | I had Dr. Schultz for both Intermediary Metabolism and Medicinal Plant Biochemistry and found them to be directed very well and learned a lot. Both classes were challenging, but they were taught and structured in a way that helped me remember pathways and components of pathways. Dr. Schultz was one of the best professors I've had (among other very good professors) at UofL, and what stands out is the professionalism he provides with his subject matter. He gives the material and explains why it's useful. His personality also just makes him a likeable professor and person in general. |
| Matthew | Scobee | Mathematics | College of Arts and Sciences | I had him for MATH 206. He was great. I will definitely try to take one of his classes again. |
| Patrick | Scott | Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences | School of Medicine | I like this professor. |
| Shannon | Scroggins | Biology | College of Arts and Sciences | I was nervous when my Bio 261 class had a new instructor because it is a difficult class. Professor Scroggins has truly exceeded all of my expectations when it comes to any college professor. All professors should be modeled around the ways she is, not only in the classroom, but how she handles the day-to-day operations. She is the most approachable professor I have ever had, and I would feel 100% comfortable asking her anything. I would really consider this professor for this award because she is a really deserving candidate, and I know it would be much appreciated. Class is always fun due to her lack of coordination. Even when I might not want to go, I know I would be missing out because I only have her for four more classes. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you strongly consider Professor Scroggins. |
| Mary P. | Sheridan | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Among amazing English department faculty who are generous with their time, encouragement, and expertise, Dr. Mary P. Sheridan has stood out for me this year for providing English graduate students with explicit opportunities to engage in, and reflect on, essential habits for professionalization. Demystifying academic faculty practices, she structured her course to include writing for publication, reviewing academic work in progress, and participating in conference-style conversations with faculty from other universities. Her forthright disposition consistently welcomes questions and invites us into conversations in the field. As a mentor, she clearly articulates the importance of learning by doing, lowering the stakes to encourage active participation, and enabling collaboration between graduate students, all of which have been transformative for me as a first-year PhD student. |
| Melissa | Shirley | Middle and Secondary Education | College of Education and Human Development | Dr. Shirley genuinely cares about our progress as students. She goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that her students are getting the most robust educational experience they can receive. The University is fortunate to have a great educator like Dr. Shirley. |
| Lauren | Short | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Great job!!! |
| Brad | Shuck | Leadership, Foundations and Human Resource Education | College of Education and Human Development | Dr. Shuck explains coursework using real-world examples that are easy to comprehend. He utilizes technology better than any other instructor I have seen thus far, and he's always responsive to his students' inquires and requests.*College of Education and Human Development *Dr. Shuck is the best educator I have had the opportunity to study from. He understands the students' pace of learning and adapts his teaching to ensure the best method of instruction. He answers emails and takes phone calls at all times of day/night. His feedback is not only prompt, but allows students to be more engaged and empowered to complete the task, project, or assignment. The instruction (or facilitation) I have received has not only improved my skills, but it has had second and third order effects by improving the skills of the people I work with and the organizations I work for. Dr. Shuck facilitates his classes to ensure that the students make a positive impact on their people and organizations.*Although I've had the pleasure of knowing Dr. Shuck as a faculty member for four years now, it wasn't until I faced adversity that I began to fully appreciate how exceptionally kind, supportive, and mentoring he is. Thanks to him, I not only persisted in my degree program when I thought I wouldn't, I gained fresh insights into what I want out of my professional career and invaluable development opportunities that will help me reach those goals. It is my honor to nominate him as a faculty favorite. |
| Richa | Singhal | Biology | College of Arts and Sciences | Richa was an amazing educator! By far the best educational experience I have had in college. |
| Richard | Slawsky | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | I feel that Richard Slawsky goes above and beyond to not only help his students succeed in the classroom but also help them to connect to the real world around them. He is always willing to take the time to help a student out even if it doesn't pertain to his class and is always looking out for the well-being of all students at UofL, whether it means dropping names to help a student find an internship or job, or simply taking the time to help edit a student's paper and or resume to improve on. He is an all-around guy that would go out of his way for anyone, even if he is piled under his own graduate school work, which shows a lot.*It was always a pleasure to be in class. |
| Siobhan | Smith | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | She is the best! The most dedicated professor ever. |
| Steve | Sohn | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | This is my first semester as a graduate student, and it would have been much more stressful without Steve. New to his position as the Director of Graduate Studies for the Communication Department, he has been a valuable resource for me and my cohort. He is reassuring, quick to respond to email, and lighthearted. Whenever we are stressed or questioning anything, he welcomes us to reach out to him. Steve has great advice, life experience, and lights up a classroom. |
| Wei | Song | Geography and Geosciences | College of Arts and Sciences | He is always well-organized and efficient with his lectures. Class time is used for learning new material, but he will spend time reviewing information if needed. Assignments and tests can prove challenging, but expectations are clear, and he is available and willing to help. I have a much clearer understanding of a subject I struggled with prior to the class I took with him this semester. |
| Patricia | Soucy | Bioengineering | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | Dr. Soucy is both a wonderful educator and person. In lecture, not only does she teach material well, but she takes the time to prepare "real-world" examples and applications to reiterate the importance of the material being presented. She is approachable and welcoming to questions, and she is never too busy to help a student who needs some extra study help. She sees the potential in each student, and she pushes us all to excel. Additionally, she is a wonderful mentor for students who need career and academic guidance. She goes above and beyond in all that she does, and she does it with a smile and encouraging attitude.*She helped me realize my issues and significantly aided my academic career. |
| Joseph | Steffen | Biology | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Steffen is a great professor. I feel that he really cares about his students understanding the challenging material he presents. He is always there if you have any questions, and he makes it easy for students to come to class by providing an entertaining and informative lectures. |
| Christine | Steineck | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | Great sense of humor, wanted students to succeed. |
| Rob | Steiner | Health Management and Systems Sciences | School of Public Health and Information Sciences | Dr. Steiner is a great teacher and a public health leader. I had the pleasure to work with Dr. Steiner who has been my mentor and chair of my dissertation committee. He has taught me to become a life-long learner, a good scientist, and a change agent to pursue social justice and improve the health and well-being for people in Saudi Arabia and around the world. I would like Dr. Steiner to be recognized by the University of Louisville because he has truly made a positive impact on my life by not only awarding me with the PhD degree but by also inspiring me to effect positive change for the common good. |
| Nancy | Steinmetz | Sociology | College of Arts and Sciences | This professor makes what might seem like a lecture class very dynamic and interesting. |
| Barbara | Stetson | Psychological and Brain Sciences | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Stetson truly cares for her students and plays an active role in enhancing each individual's education. She always takes the time to listen to our perspectives and is exceptional in providing one-on-one attention.*Great professor! Made class very interesting and made it to where you wouldn't want to miss a class!*Dr. Stetson is a fantastic professor! She is genuinely concerned with the educational well-being of her students and goes out of her way to demonstrate the real-world applicability of what she is teaching. I'm very fortunate to have had her as a professor multiple times during my college career! |
| Brittany | Stevenson | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | I have learned more in this class than I learned in two years of Spanish in high school. Profesora Stevenson has made learning Spanish fun and enjoyable so that it is very easy to commit to memory. She is by far the best teacher I've had, not only this semester but in all my time at UofL. |
| Carol | Stewart | Humanities/Theatre Arts | College of Arts and Sciences | Carol is a fantastic instructor. She is probably the most engaging faculty member that I have ever had in my four years at UofL. She teaches us interesting and important material in our class, Honors Creativity in the Arts. She has such an expansive knowledge of the arts, even comedy, music, and visual arts. It is also very clear that she really cares about us as students and wants us to get a lot out of this class! |
| Thomas | Stewart | Humanities | College of Arts and Sciences | Easily one of the best educators I have ever had the privilege of having. He makes every class discussion interesting and makes learning fun. He is very understanding of his students and does all he can to ensure they learn the material well. |
| Kaila | Story | Pan-African Studies/Women's and Gender Studies | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Story is an awesome educator. The reason I do not refer to her as an instructor is because she is more than that. She does not instruct her students to do anything. She is always an open field for us to learn things about others and ourselves. One of the many great things that I love about Dr. Story is her informality. She is not your typical professor nor does she try to be. She is hype to modern American culture and intelligent about cultures that came before us. She does not stand in front on the class lecturing to us. She educates us about certain issues and allows us to educate ourselves and come up with our own theories. She does not drown us in test, quizzes, and worksheets, but instead, leaves an open forum for her students to discuss and talk about what we've learned. Unlike in my other classes where I'm focused on learning the material so I can pass one of the many exams, I focused on learning the material in her class so I can apply it to my everyday experiences. Her energy is amazing, and her style is graceful. I love everything about her, inside and out. I would like to speak on how I felt about her. Dr. Story never once belittled her students. Unlike many professors that I've taken, I felt comfortable in her class. Too many professors attempt to abuse their authority, but when I was in her class, I felt that all she wanted was for us to learn. What's the point of all the papers, test, exams, and quizzes if we only remember what we learn for that semester? Isn't the purpose to teach us things that will last a lifetime? That is what she does. I've promised myself the first time I had her class that I would take every class that she teachers because she is that amazing. This is why she should be nominated for the favorite educator award.*Fabulous instructor. |
| Barbara | Stratton | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | She is an awesome group manager! |
| Amanda | Strickland | English | College of Arts and Sciences | She was an amazing teacher that helped relate the material we were learning to our lives. Very informative.*The best teacher I have ever had. She makes the classroom work fun and the papers interesting to write. I had a very good time in her class.*Awesome teacher! Relates the information to recent events and popular music and movies. |
| Kristin | Swartz | Justice Administration | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Swartz is, by far, my favorite professor at the University of Louisville. She is very knowledgeable and passionate about Justice Administration or Criminal Justice. She helps her students in any way she can. She is very friendly and open to her students. She also gives her students every opportunity she can in order to reach an A+. I can easily understand her and am not afraid to ask her for help. In a way, I feel like I spoiled myself by being in her class this semester. If there ever comes a semester where I cannot take a class taught by Dr. Swartz...well that will be one very sad semester! I cannot wait to learn more from her in upcoming semesters.*Dr. Swartz has been hands down my best professor in the last four years here at the University of Louisville. The impact she's had on my life is one I'll never forget. The way she cares about and teaches her students is just so real. She was super up-front and forward about what we would find and not find in our career field as soon as we graduated and moved on to the "real world." Dr. Swartz is willing to do not only what it takes for her students to succeed in the classroom but also outside of it. She is willing to sit down and talk with you about future plans, and possibilities, and always provides encouragement whenever she can. And when she can't, she'll be honest and just tell it to you like it is! Even after I've been out of her class, I've continued to keep in touch with her. She is good about responding and provides whatever knowledge, help, or resources she can to figure out what it is you need. I don't think I'm speaking just for myself when I say this, but Kristin Swartz is a role model. I hope that one day I can achieve and make a difference in people's lives the way she has in mine! I think that professors from other departments are so commonly recognized. I think if anyone deserves an award like this it is Dr. Swartz from the Department of Justice Administration!*PROFESSOR SWARTZ IS THE MOST DOWN-TO-EARTH PROFESSOR I HAVE ENCOUNTERED THROUGHTOUT MY MANY YEARS OF BEING A STUDENT. SHE CAN RELATE TO THE STUDENT ON A PERSONAL LEVEL AND DEMONSTRATES THAT THROUGH HER INSTUCTION. SHE IS EXTREMELY FAIR AND TRIES HER BEST TO MAKE LEARNING ENJOYABLE.*Dr. Swartz goes above and beyond for her students, both inside and outside the classroom. She is an amazing professor, and her classes are known among the JA Department as being interesting and engaging, no matter the topic. In addition to being a superior educator, Dr. Swartz is also instrumental in supporting her students in their extracurricular activities. She always has an open door and is more than willing to lend a hand in any way she can. Personally, Dr. Swartz has been an invaluable mentor and friend to me during my undergraduate years here at UofL, and I am confident she will continue to support and guide me through my postgraduate time here as well. Overall, Dr. Swartz is a prized addition to the Justice Administration faculty and the University of Louisville as a whole. |
| Kira | Taylor | Epidemiology and Population Health | School of Public Health and Information Sciences | Though we have a small class of only three students, Dr. Taylor goes above and beyond, both in the classroom and out. Her teaching methods make material understandable, and when one student is struggling, she takes time out of her week to work with them individually. She teaches with passion and works hard to instill that same passion in her students. |
| James | Taylor | Health Management and Systems Sciences | School of Public Health and Information Sciences | Dr. Taylor went above and beyond for the students in our class. He created a unique way to present the material we were learning. He also made himself available at all times in order to help students with whatever problem we may have. For example, I am a graduating master's degree student and needed someone to help guide me on what organizations may be good for me to work at, along with resume help. He jumped at the chance to help me, even contacting people he knew to help me network myself. He made sure to let the class know that just because the class was over it didn't mean we couldn't come to him with any problems we may have. |
| Katherine | Taylor | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Taylor is without a doubt the greatest educator I have had the privilege to learn from in all my years of formal schooling. She knows the importance of real-world applicability and works tirelessly to make that a focus in her classroom. I already use the skills from her class on a daily basis. She creates a wonderful environment that challenges but also encourages. I will definitely miss having her class and recommend anyone and everyone take it. Professor Taylor deserves to be recognized for all she has done for her students and will continue to do. |
| Christina | Terrell | Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences | School of Medicine | A |
| Richard | Tewksbury | Justice Administration | College of Arts and Sciences | No comments are necessary.*When I first started into the graduate program for Justice Administration, the first class I had signed up for was with Dr. Richard Tewksbury. I had told a fellow student (who had been there longer than I) this was the professor I had and all the color drained from her face, and she immediately told me that I made a huge mistake. I have to admit that I was a little worried once she said that, but I was not going to let what someone else said completely ruin my impression of a professor before I, myself, had gotten the chance to do that first. Going into that first class was not only terrifying because it was my first graduate class, but I hadn't been in school in three years, and now I had this impending doom of this horrid professor looming over me. Then walks in Dr. Tewksbury. If you have never met Dr. Tewksbury, you would think that just by looking at him there is no way this man could instill fear into a student; however, Dr. Tewksbury can be quite intimidating. He is a very intelligent and witty person and always with a quick retort. Dr. Tewksbury has made my learning experience within the graduate program a great one. He has pushed me in ways that I did not know I could be pushed and has taught me to look at ideas with different perspectives. There were times when I was frustrated because I did not know exactly what he was looking for, but it became clear at the end of the semester. This is the second semester in a row that I have had him, and he has greatly impacted my learning. He pushed me because he saw potential that I did not. I have a great deal of respect for Dr. Tewksbury as a professor and as a researcher. The work he does is very inspiring and motivational to me and makes me want to follow in his footsteps. His methods of teaching are very unique, but they keep the students engaged while learning. Dr. Tewksbury is by far my favorite professor that I have ever encountered and I encourage anyone who has the chance to take him to do so, despite any rumors they may have heard! |
| Larry | Tyler | Engineering Fundamentals | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | Professor always did what he could to help students understand very difficult material. Made such a hard class entertaining. |
| Robert | Urekew | Philosophy | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Urekew is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. He has been a wonderful professor to have, and I have learned so much. |
| Lynn | Usher | Economics | College of Business | Being a college freshman, I was skeptical, and admittedly nervous, of a college microeconomics class. The very first day of class, Ms. Usher made me feel completely comfortable and very excited for what lay ahead in the course. It's amazing that she could do that in a class of a couple hundred people. I'll never forget her, as her class has been my favorite this semester.*She is a very fun teacher, even though the work is boring.*I learned so much from Ms. Usher in her ECON 201 (Microeconomics) class this past semester. Her teaching style is clear, concise, and engaging. Due to her enthusiasm, I even enjoyed learning about concepts as technical as what long run equilibrium looks like in the graph for a price-searcher market. Her witty examples and stories made class fun and helped make economic concepts concrete. I also really appreciate how Ms. Usher made me and her other students do our best while at the same time doing her best to make sure we understood the material. Ms. Usher truly cares about her students--as a small example, she even brings candy for both her 160-person classes on test days. On a more personal level, Ms. Usher was very sympathetic when I mentioned that I'd had a death in my family and might need to miss a test. Ms. Usher sincerely wants her students to succeed as much as they can in college and does her utmost to ensure that they will.*By far one of the best teachers I've ever had! |
| Jeffrey | Valentine | Educational and Counseling Psychology, Counseling, and College Student Personnel | College of Education and Human Development | Dr. Valentine has an open-door policy that I have and still do regularly use. He always takes time out of his busy schedule to assist me and explain concepts to me more clearly. He has taught multiple classes I've been in, and I have enjoyed the thoroughness of his presentations because I can go back and review slides and notes and always find what I need. |
| Russell | Vandenbroucke | Theatre Arts/Peace Studies | College of Arts and Sciences | I took Dr. Vandenbroucke's PJCT class (PEAC 325) and really enjoyed it. It was life-changing to learn about the peace movement and examine ways to bring about peace in the world and within ourselves. I think most of this class would agree that it was our favorite class of the semester! |
| Daniel | Vivian | History | College of Arts and Sciences | Very passionate about history and his chosen profession. |
| Tamara | Voigt | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | She is the bomb.*My professor, Ms. Voigt, has given me a totally different outlook on communication courses. I was nervous at the start of the semester, but I've learned so much about business communication from her, and I thank her for that! |
| Eric | Vukmanic | Psychological and Brain Sciences | College of Arts and Sciences | He connects with students on a more personal level and really helps them stay interested in the material. |
| Barry | Wainscott | Health Management and Systems Sciences | School of Public Health and Information Sciences | Thank you so much for your help.*Dr. Wainscott was very supportive in helping me prepare for my exams. He worked through many hours of reading and discussions. His guidance has been crucial.*Dr. Barry Wainscott is always readily available to be of assistance for guidance and direction, giving his time unselfishly. |
| Kandi | Walker | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Walker is one of the most inspiring people I have ever met. She was the first college professor I had that made me excited about learning. I switched my major to communication and applied to graduate school because of her influence and support. It was an honor to be her student. |
| Mónica Ann | Walker Vadillo | Fine Arts | College of Arts and Sciences | Dr. Walker is so enthusiastic about her material. It is obvious that she loves to share her knowledge, and in doing so, her love of art rubs off on the students. She is readily available to help students with any problems they may have. Although she's a visiting professor, you would never know as she fits in so well. |
| Russell | Weaver | Louis D. Brandeis School of Law | Professor Weaver is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the subject matter that he teaches. He shares his varied experiences with the class and relates them to the topic at hand. Professor Weaver is skilled at explaining complex and abstract ideas in a very easy-to-understand manner. He encourages critical thinking and participation which keeps the class interesting. Professor Weaver is a treasure and a great reason to select the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. | |
| Jonetta | Weber | Sociology | College of Arts and Sciences | I've had her twice now as an undergraduate, and she's one of the best professors I've had. She is very passionate about what she teaches, and she does such a good job at keeping you engaged, especially at 8 in the morning!*She has got to be one of the best professors that I have had. The fact that she can teach "Sociology of Sport" at 8 a.m. in the morning and make it fun and interesting, along with other courses, and maintain being the advisor for the Sociology Department. |
| Rebecca | Wells-Gonzalez | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | She was absolutely wonderful. Not only is she incredibly knowledgeable about the subject she's teaching, her assignments were truly meaningful and not simply busywork for the sake of having something to grade. She was incredibly accommodating to my anxiety disorders when most professors wouldn't have been, and I feel like I really got a lot from this class. She's an amazing professor and an amazing person.*She is the best speech teacher because she is very likeable, and she presents the topics in a way that is very relatable to the students. |
| Kathy | Werking | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | I returned to school after a 40+ year hiatus--Dr. Werking is absolutely wonderful--never heard a negative word about her. She has encouraged me in the classwork and personally too. I only wish she was my instructor for every class. I highly commend her! |
| Meagan | West | Academic Advising Center | College of Arts and Sciences | She is a great advisor. She has helped me through two advising appointments so far, and she is the best I've had. She is very sincere and personal. She truly cares about what classes you want to take and getting you on the right path to get things done and move ahead. Meagan deserves so much appreciation!*Very helpful. |
| Jennifer | White | Women's and Gender Studies | College of Arts and Sciences | Great teacher! |
| John | Whitesell | Fine Arts | College of Arts and Sciences | John has gone above and beyond his role as a professor in order to help my classmates and me succeed. |
| Michael | Williams | Humanities | College of Arts and Sciences | This is the second semester in a row I have had Professor Williams. I specifically took this class because I saw he would be teaching it. I love going to his class because he is easily the most passionate professor I've had in my three years here at UofL. He comes in every day with so much enthusiasm that every student can't help but do the readings and work, because he has inspired them to do so, even if they initially do not like the subject material. Professor Williams is truly one of a kind, and as I am an education major, I truly do aspire to be half the teacher he is. He makes us laugh every day and keeps us engaged the entire 1.25 hours of class. He is a unique, caring, awesome individual and he deserves to be recognized.*He is just awesome.*Incredibly intelligent and engaging professor. He's the type of professor that I'll tell my children about years down the road--truly exemplifies what it means to be an educator. |
| Christopher | Williams | General Dentistry and Oral Medicine | School of Dentistry | Dr. Williams is always available and helpful in the dental clinic. He always has a witty comment and friendly smile for both the patient and the student, regardless of the circumstances. |
| Stuart | Williams | Mechanical Engineering | J.B. Speed School of Engineering | Dr. Williams is an outstanding professor and a good guy. He goes out of his way to help students and treats them with respect. Few professors act with the humility and professionalism that Dr. Williams does. He is an excellent teacher, researcher, and mentor and definitely deserves this award. |
| Jessica | Winck | English | College of Arts and Sciences | I really had a great semester and learned a lot from this class. Her teaching methods, assignments, and projects were really helpful. |
| Stefanie | Wooten Burnett | Health and Sport Sciences | College of Education and Human Development | Stef has always been a great supporter! Besides my mom, she is my biggest cheerleader and will do anything she can to help me succeed. She cares about me in and out of the classroom, and she puts her students first. She challenges me by setting high expectations and pushing me to reach expectations that are even greater. Her passion for teaching and physical education has driven my passion along the way and inspires me each and every day. Most importantly, Stef has always reminded me to be a lifelong learner. The learning doesn't stop after I graduate from UofL. I will continue to learn something new each day and look forward to coming back to the University of Louisville to continue my education in a couple years! |
| Myra | Wright | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Myra made English a subject we could all understand and fun to learn. |
| Pamela | Yankeelov | Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work | Dr. Yankeelov went above and beyond for all of her students! She answers emails during all hours of the night and helps students when they are struggling with their projects. Her class is challenging, but it is rewarding to look back and know that I was able to complete the class to Dr. Yankeelov's standards. | |
| Wendy | Yoder | Classical and Modern Languages | College of Arts and Sciences | She is the most helpful professor I have ever had. She actually cares about her students learning the material. She never makes anyone feel bad for getting an answer wrong. She is also a wonderful person!*Madame Yoder is very friendly and approachable. This was my first semester having her, and she really helped me understand a lot of the difficult concepts of grammar. She engaged me in the classroom, and I felt like I was learning every class period. Madame Yoder is very funny and makes the class something to look forward to.*Ms. Yoder is an amazing teacher and very fair to her students. I have learned a lot in her class, and as a transfer from Western, she has made me appreciate the University of Louisville a lot more! Thank Ms. Yoder! |
| Tamara | Yohannes | English | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Yohannes has beautiful fire inside her when she teaches. Her passion for American Literature has made me love the subject as much as she does. I've enjoyed having her as an instructor so much, I am taking another class of hers next semester.*Dr. Yohannes is the quintessential example of an excellent university professor and represents the best of UofL's teaching faculty. Dr. Yohannes is both extremely knowledgeable and incredibly passionate. Her classroom demeanor is kind, bright and witty. She is always ready to share a laugh with her students and willing to assist them in any way she can. Dr. Yohannes has inspired me personally in many ways but is also a consensus favorite among students familiar with the English Department. Many, like myself, have gone out of the way to enroll in sections taught by Dr. Yohannes. The announcement of Dr. Yohannes' impending retirement has been met largely with disappointment, as so many of us are sad to miss future opportunities to take her classes. This award would be a proper send-off for a true faculty favorite and could not be more deserved on her part.*Dr. Yohannes is an amazing professor and advisor. Her positive attitude is contagious, and she's extremely passionate about what she does. Though she's retiring this semester, she deserves to be recognized as an amazing educator.*Dr. Yohannes is an amazing instructor who inspires her students to do better by giving constant feedback and encouragement throughout the semester. As a non-traditional, nearly 50-year-old student, Dr. Yohannes has not only been my professor but she has been my academic advisor. She has listened to me, explained things in detail, offered solutions to my problems and recognized my situation as unique. She was instrumental in helping me overcome confidence issues with regards to my writing, thus prompting me to strive to do the very best with each assignment. I wish that I had the opportunity to take more classes with Dr. Yohannes, but she will be retiring. I'm so fortunate to have been in her class and had the opportunity to work with her. She is an example for other professors to follow. |
| Thomas | Zehnder | Economics | College of Business | Who would have thought getting up early on a Saturday morning to go to class would be fun? With Zehnder, it is a treat. Looking forward to not getting to sleep in next semester too!*Dr. Zehnder is an awesome professor! He always does his best to make sure students are learning. He makes class fun and uses real-world examples that really engage the class in a better way than the average professor. He wants the best for all his students and sees potential in them all. |
| Kristina | Zierold | Epidemiology and Population Health | School of Public Health and Information Sciences | Dr. Zierold is very practical, and her assignments are applicable to real-life situations. She has a great sense of humor, and she is very personable. She is one of my all-time favorites. |
| Charles | Zimmerman | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences | Professor Zimmerman is a wonderful teacher as well as a wonderful person. He has taught me so much in my public speaking class; has definitely improved my ability to communicate ideas in both writing and speaking genres. He is an unconventional professor but his enthusiasm, experience and knowledge makes his teaching extremely effective! He is BY FAR my FAVORITE EDUCATOR! *Professor Z is one of few professors that I have had that makes class as interesting as possible. He always has a positive attitude and loves teaching students. He is also one of the most interesting people that I have ever met and has a story for every situation we talk about in class. |