CBS Celebrates 2020/21 Teaching and Mentorship Awards

Each year, The College of Biological Science (CBS) presents awards to faculty, teaching staff, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students who demonstrate and embody going above and beyond for our students and college community.

Members of the University are invited to nominate individuals from within the College based on outstanding individual performance or contributions in undergraduate classroom support and instruction, graduate teaching support and instruction, mentorship, and innovative pedagogical practices.

This year, which was certainly unlike any other, we saw the incredible impact our staff had on our students. It gives us great pleasure to share our 2020/2021 teaching and mentorship award winners.

In recognition of her outstanding contribution to undergraduate education and the student experience, the CBS Graduate Teaching Assistant Award has been presented to Alexandra Coates, PhD Candidate, Human Health and Nutritional Sciences. Dr. Jamie Burr, who put the nomination together, remarked that Alexandra’s win is “so very well-deserved!”

The Staff Teaching Award of Excellence has been presented to Sheri Hincks, Teaching Support Instructor in the Department of Integrative Biology. This award is presented in recognition of Sheri’s outstanding contribution to education and the student experience. 

The Graduate Mentoring Award has been awarded to Dr. Shoshanah Jacobs, Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the supervision and mentorship of graduate students within CBS.

Dr. Yoamel Milian-Garcia, Post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Integrative Biology, has received the Mentoring Award for Post-Doctoral Fellows in recognition of his outstanding contribution in guiding and inspiring undergraduates and graduate student researchers.

Finally, the CBS Teaching Excellence Award has been presented to Dr. William (Bill) Bettger, Associate Professor in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences. This award is in recognition of Bill’s outstanding contribution to education and the student experience.

“On behalf of the CBS Awards Committee, I want to congratulate all of our nominees and particularly the award winners,” said Brian Husband, Associate Dean, Academic of CBS. “Our students are fortunate to have so many dedicated and creative educators and mentors in CBS. The commitment they have showed, during the pandemic, no less, is inspiring.”

Please join us in congratulating the winners of this year’s awards!

To learn more about these awards, visit our Teaching and Mentorship Awards page.