Past recipients of the Distinguished Teacher Award are, pictured left, standing from left, Linda Gould Levine, Joseph Moore, Saundra Collins, seated from left, Evan Maletsky, Richard Franke, pictured right, standing from left, Lee Lee, Robert McCormick, Bonnie Lustigman and, seated, Judith Shillcock.

By Diana St. Lifer

Full-time faculty members are invited to apply for the 2005 Distinguished Teacher Award, created to acknowledge faculty members' dedication to the art and craft of teaching, and give them an opportunity to create a course in their field of interest.

The recipient will receive a summer stipend to prepare a course that will be taught in AY 05-06. The professor also will receive funding to purchase scholarly materials or supplies, for travel to conferences, for a student assistant or for other purposes related to the development of the course.

Last year's recipient, Bonnie Lustigman of Biology and Molecular Biology, created a course, Microbial Genetics, which will be taught this fall. "I look forward to teaching this class for upper division undergraduate biology majors so they can learn the latest developments in microbial genetics," she said.

Being named a Distinguished Teacher and having the experience of creating a course have had a tremendous impact on past recipients, and the benefits to the campus community have been numerous."Montclair State University has a long and proud tradition as an institution in which the art of fine teaching was raised to the very highest level," said Provost Richard Lynde. "When I speak with alumni, I find that their most vivid and lasting memories are of members of the faculty and of the quality of the education they provided. It gives me great pleasure to affirm that the tradition of excellence in teaching is as strong at the University today as it ever was.

"One has to look no further than the list of University Distinguished Teachers to find compelling evidence of the centrality of teaching to the mission of the University and the remarkable level to which the art of teaching has been raised," he added. "I have not the slightest doubt that one of my successors 30 or 40 years from now will have the same pleasure as I have had hearing alumni attest to the impact that one or more members of this remarkable group have had on their lives."

Read what some past recipients have to say about the opportunity, and don't forget that applications for this year's award are due to the deans and the Distinguished Teacher Committees by March 2.

Linda Gould Levine of Spanish and Italian, 2003. Course created: Sexual Subversion in Contemporary Hispanic Literature and Film. "I had a wonderful experience teaching the course. Students were open-minded concerning discussions about diverse representations of sexuality in literary texts and films and were able to move beyond conventional notions of sexuality and what is considered 'natural' in our society."

Robert McCormick of Psychology, 2002. Course created: Maleness and Masculinities. "In a career that spans more than three decades, this recognition by my peers resonates profoundly. Developing and teaching a new course that had never been offered before at MSU was a total joy."

Lee Lee of Biology and Molecular Biology, 2000. Course created: Emerging Diseases. "It is necessary that all students learn about newly emerging or re-emerging diseases, such as AIDS, TB, cancer, Mad Cow Disease, Ebola, bioterrorism and others. Our world is rapidly changing and students need to become informed citizens equipped to make important health-related decisions in their lives."

Saundra Collins of Psychology, 1999. Course created: Introduction to Black Studies. "The Introduction to Black Studies course stands out as a historical landmark in the advancement of the African-American Studies minor. It is the first African-American Studies course developed by the first and only African-American to receive the University Distinguished Teacher Award to date. The course has been taught to large diverse groups of students every year since it was established in 1999. It has been a distinct honor to have the opportunity to make this mark in history as a University Distinguished Teacher."

Richard Franke of Anthropology, 1995. Course created: Nonwestern Contributions to the Western World. "The award gave me the opportunity and encouragement to develop a course I had been thinking about for years. I am teaching it now for the 10th year as a GER and I enjoy it more all the time."

Judith Shillcock of Biology and Molecular Biology, 1994. Course created: Medical Miracles.

Evan Maletsky of Mathematics and Computer Science, 1993. Course created: Fractals and Infinity. "Mathematics must tickle the senses as well as stretch the mind. It is through handling, seeing and thinking experiences that we sense the excitement, appreciate the beauty and share in the creativity of the subject. Fractals and infinity are two perfect examples."

Joseph Moore of History, 1992. Course created: Connections: Focusing on Turning Points in History. "Teaching this course stimulated me to incorporate many parts of it in my other courses. In doing so, I've refined and modified it, so the stimulation has continued."