Each year, Kent State University honors full-time, non-tenure track and part-time faculty members who are nominated by their students and peers for being among the most dedicated, highly effective and motivated professors at the university. The Outstanding Teaching Award is presented by the University Teaching Council. The three award recipients will be honored at the University Teaching Council’s Celebrating College Teaching conference luncheon and awards ceremony on Oct. 19.
This year’s finalists for the Outstanding Teaching Award are:
Patrick Faller, Department of English, Tuscarawas Campus
Patrick Faller is said to be well-organized and expectations for the class are clearly and fairly outlined in his initial syllabus. Students who nominated him cite relevant course readings and portfolio projects, which allow the students to fully demonstrate their skills. Students respect him for his extensive knowledge in his craft and his effective, fair teaching style.
Mary Heidler, Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, College of Business Administration, Kent Campus
In her online classes, Mary Heidler left an impression on her students. Students credit her with good digital communication and making sure students are staying aware of upcoming assignments with a weekly overview of expectations. According to the nominations, she is enthusiastic about her subject and she conveys that in her courses. Ms. Heidler is known to challenge her students to be innovative and put their knowledge to use.
Mary Kutchin, College of Nursing, Kent Campus
Mary Kutchin was nominated by students who believe she is a good communicator and is there to help whenever a student needs it. Students note they get excited to attend her classes and love her teaching style, as Ms. Kutchin uses real-life examples to explain any subject to her classes. Students appreciate that she challenges them while still having fun in the classroom and keeping them entertained.
Jamie McCartney, School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences, College of Education, Health and Human Services, Kent Campus
Students who nominated Jamie McCartney, Ph.D., say she is well-organized, loves teaching and is very dedicated to her job. Dr. McCartney’s students say she cares about the success of her students and encourages them to remain positive while learning. No matter how hard the course load got for her students, they recognized that she was always there to help push her students along in their learning journey.
Timothy Palcho, College of Aeronautics and Engineering, Kent Campus
Timothy Palcho is well-liked by his students. Nominators say he is well-versed in his subject matter and keeps his classes engaged by using real-world scenarios to teach. Students say Mr. Palcho is a dedicated educator and teaches his students to stay focused. He also helps his students understand topics with his broad knowledge and logical teaching style.
Eriko Tanaka, Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, Kent Campus
Eriko Tanaka, whose focus is Japanese language, is credited by students with being fantastic at creating ways for students to study language in different ways, making it easy to comprehend. Students look forward to attending her class and felt that her energy always helped students feel motivated to learn, even on their most tired days.