Members of LAS receive campus and college awards in teaching and advising
Joey Figueroa, LAS intern writer
May 11, 2016

From left: Brian Ross, executive associate dean of the College of LAS, honors recipients of the Dean's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, including professors Robert Barrett (English), David Rivier (cell and developmental biology), Mara Wade (Germanic languages and literatures), and Lee DeVille (mathematics).
From left: Brian Ross, executive associate dean of the College of LAS, honors recipients of the Dean's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, including professors Robert Barrett (English), David Rivier (cell and developmental biology), Mara Wade (Germanic languages and literatures), and Lee DeVille (mathematics).

Teachers and advisers in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences have been recognized in the college and across campus for excellence in guiding students through their studies at Illinois.

Each year, LAS shines a light on a handful of its outstanding faculty and staff with annual teaching and advising awards. Professors, teaching assistants, specialized faculty, and advisers were chosen for six different honors.

All winners were first considered through a nomination process that began in January. The LAS Awards Committee then reviewed all nominations and used the established criteria in each category to rank and discuss the nominees before its recommendations were presented to Executive Associate Dean Brian Ross, said Amy Lawrence Elli, associate director of academic programs in the college.

All of this year’s recipients of college honors were first-time winners. Each honoree received a commemorative plaque and a monetary reward—including flat rewards, salary increments or money placed in discretionary accounts for research—ranging from $1,000 to $3,500.

“Undergraduate teaching and advising are central to the mission of the college and more broadly to the University of Illinois,” said Barbara Wilson, interim chancellor and Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of LAS. “The recipients of these awards demonstrate the excellence we all strive for each day in service to our students.”

Additionally, several LAS educators and advisers were recognized campuswide during a reception at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center. A complete list of LAS awardees for campus and college awards follows:

Edward W. Collins and Doris Strickland-Collins Intern Award, LAS 101
Daniel Byrne
Taylor Greenspon
Hyein Lee
Rebecca Stolberg

Edward W. Collins and Doris Strickland-Collins Intern Award, LAS 122
Andrew Dalin

Excellence in Undergraduate Advising (LAS)
Jennifer Brandyberry, molecular and cellular biology

Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for Graduate Teaching Assistants (LAS)
Nickolas Andersen, mathematics
Seong Hee Cho, psychology
Wendy Truran, English
Sarah Yeakel, mathematics

Teaching and advising awards for the College of LAS were given during a ceremony at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center.
Teaching and advising awards for the College of LAS were given during a ceremony at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center.

Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by Instructional Staff (LAS)
David Morris, lecturer, English

Humanities Council Teaching Excellence Award (LAS)
Sean Minion, teaching assistant, classics
Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi, professor of history

Lynn M. Martin Award for Distinguished Women Teachers (LAS)
Anita Mixon, teaching assistant, communication
Karen Sears, professor of animal biology

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (LAS)
Robert Barrett, professor of English
Lee DeVille, professor of mathematics
David Rivier, professor of cell and developmental biology
Mara Wade, professor of Germanic languages and literatures

Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
Nickolas Andersen, teaching assistant, mathematics
Seong Hee Cho, teaching assistant, psychology
Lee DeVille, professor of mathematics
Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi, professor of history
Anita Mixon, teaching assistant, communication
Karen Sears, professor of animal biology
Wendy Truran, teaching assistant, English

Campus Award for Excellence in Guiding Undergraduate Research
Becky Fuller, professor of animal biology

Read article: A temporary farewell to the Altgeld bells
A temporary farewell to the Altgeld bells
A large crane is parked on the north side of Altgeld Hall on this sunny and mild mid-December morning. As I watch from near the Alma Mater statue, the arm of the crane that extends far above the scaffolding surrounding Altgeld’s bell...
Read article: University of Illinois welcomes largest ever incoming class
University of Illinois welcomes largest ever incoming class
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign welcomed a record-breaking freshman class for the 2023-24 academic year, with 8,325 new freshmen (up from last record of 8,303 in 2021) enrolling this fall. They help boost undergraduate student enrollment to 35,467, the largest ever in university history...
Read article: Altgeld glow-up
Altgeld glow-up
When you’re as old as Altgeld Hall, you deserve a nice cleansing scrub. The stony skin of the building dates to as far back as 1896, after all, and a lot of history, and other gunk, has built up on the stone. Even a U of I student’s thesis from more than 50 years ago notes the coloration change....