3 APSU profs honored with annual Socrates Award
Three Austin Peay State University professors have been singled out by their students and peers as exceptional teachers this year, earning them one of the Universitys top distinctions for tenure-track faculty members.Kevin D. Schultz, assistant professor of physics, Minoa Uffelman, assistant professor of history, and Gregory A. Moore, assistant professor of health, were named this years Socrates Award winners, a honor bestowed by APSU annually to teachers who have excelled in motivating and inspiring their students.
Three Austin Peay State University professors have been singled out by their students and peers as exceptional teachers this year, earning them one of the University's top distinctions for tenure-track faculty members.
Kevin D. Schultz, assistant professor of physics, Minoa Uffelman, assistant professor of history, and Gregory A. Moore, assistant professor of health, were named this year's Socrates Award winners, a honor bestowed by APSU annually to teachers who have excelled in motivating and inspiring their students.
Schultz has earned a reputation around the physics department as an 鈥渋nnovator鈥 who has helped streamline several courses offered in the program. He has linked his Modern Physics course with a new Science Writing class in the English department, ensuring the students learn the writing skills needed to convey scientific ideas. Associate physics professor Dr. Spencer Buckner said the result of this pairing is students are now entering upper division classrooms better prepared and with a stronger grasp of the fundamental physics principles. They are also 鈥渨riting better, more coherent papers than before.鈥
Uffelman, in the APSU Department of History and Philosophy, was recently praised by a colleague for how involved her students were in her classroom. Dr. Mark Michael, professor of history, sat in on one of her classes one afternoon and was struck by the number of students lingering around after class time was over.
鈥淭he students were still engaged in discussing the topic,鈥 Michael said. 鈥淭hey weren't packing up and were in no rush to leave 鈥 they were happy to stay over a couple of minutes to discuss these issues in greater detail.鈥
He attributed this behavior to Uffelman's ability to create a 鈥渘onjudgmental and intellectually non-confrontational environment,鈥 where students can comfortably ask questions and express their views.
In the APSU Department of Health and Human Performance, Moore was hired about five years ago to oversee the Health Service Administration graduate program and improve the undergraduate internship program. According to Dr. Marcy Maurer, interim chair of the department of health and human performance, he has exceeded those expectations. 鈥淏oth (programs),鈥 she said, 鈥渉ave expanded and flourished under Dr. Moore's leadership.鈥
The HSA program has doubled in enrollment, and the number of successful internship sites for students has also grown.
Maurer also commended Moore's interactions with students, saying, 鈥淗e has thought-provoking conversations with students and I believe he truly cares about their success.鈥
Schultz, Uffelman and Moore were presented with their awards during a ceremony on April 29. For more information, please contact Charles Booth in the APSU Office of Public Relations and Marketing at 931-221-7597 or at boothcw@apsu.edu. -- Charles Booth