Three receive prestigious faculty awards at USD
From the Humanities Division, Susan Wolfe, Ph.D., chair of the department of languages, linguistics and philosophy, was chosen for her vast programmatic contributions to teaching, including literature, grammar, linguistics and philosophy. In the last three years, she has served on seven M.F.A., four Ph.D. and 11 M.A. committees, presented at 11 conferences, and published three book chapters. Wolfe has several essays currently in press that deal with issues of gender, ethnicity, diversity and sexual orientation. She has combined her teaching and research by offering a course on Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, while also publishing a related piece in a book by the University Press of Florida. Wolfe also teaches Honors and works independently with exchange students.
John Swallow, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, was selected from the Science/Math Division for his teaching contributions to cell and molecular biology, animal behavior, evolution and human behavior, and a capstone course in IdEA (Interdisciplinary Education and Action Program). He is credited with incorporating the use of Biopac student lab systems, which guides students through physiology principles. He routinely involves multiple undergraduates in research and is working on an outreach program that exposes middle school students to the scientific method. Swallow won the President’s Award for Research Excellence in 2006 for publications and grants, including a $650,000 National Science Foundation Career award. He has given 11 presentations and authored eight publications over the past several years.
From the Social Science Division, Bill Anderson, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science and director of the Government Research Bureau, received the award for his teaching contributions to research methods, introduction to politics and for the development of literature for an IdEA course. Anderson has incorporated many technological tools into his courses, including YouTube, Facebook and debate packages. In the past two years, he has seven publications, eight technical reports, several book reviews and many conference presentations. Anderson implements into his classes an effective approach to student learning that involves modeling work, setting high expectations and engaging over words and ideas. He has also brought in more than $350,000 in grants and contracts to USD.
The three awards, each carrying a $3,500 cash prize payable through The University of South Dakota Foundation, are presented annually to faculty who advance liberal arts education through teaching and research over a three-year span. A photograph of Swallow (left), Wolfe and Anderson is available for download at www.usd.edu/urelations/images/2009_CutlerAwards.JPG.