Luncheon Remarks - John Lippincott

2012 POY Luncheon Remarks
CASE President John Lippincott
Nov. 15, 2012

Good afternoon, and welcome to the 2012 U.S. Professors of the Year Awards luncheon! I'm John Lippincott, president of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, also known as CASE.

While you enjoy your salads, I would like to say a few words and introduce some special guests.

First, for those of you unfamiliar with CASE, let me offer a very brief description of the organization.

With more than 3,600 members, we are one of the largest associations of educational institutions in the world.

We help schools, colleges, and universities in some 70 countries strengthen their alumni relations, communications, fundraising and marketing efforts.

And by helping strengthen those efforts, we are helping strengthen access to quality educational experiences like those offered by the professors we honor today.

Next, let me welcome you to the historic National Press Club.

This private club for journalists has been in operation for more than a century and is known as "The Place Where News Happens."

And while it is not news to any of us in this room that our nation derives enormous benefit from the quality of teaching at our colleges and universities, we clearly need to share that story more broadly with the American public and with members of state and federal legislatures.

Indeed, bringing attention to what transpires in our best college classrooms is one of the key reasons that CASE created the Professors of the Year awards in 1981.

Thirty-one years later, this remains the only awards program specifically designed to recognize outstanding undergraduate teaching.

A major reason the program has lasted more than three decades is that CASE has not been alone in this effort.

We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership throughout that time with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

After lunch, I will have the great pleasure of introducing to you the head of the foundation, Tony Bryck.

Right now, I am deeply honored to introduce another very special guest.

She is Martha Kanter, under secretary of education in the U.S. Department of Education.

In that role, she oversees policies, programs and activities related to postsecondary education, adult and career-technical education and federal student aid, among other initiatives.

Prior to her service as under secretary, Dr. Kanter had a long and distinguished career as an educator and campus leader.

Highlights include establishing the first program for students with learning disabilities at San Jose City College.

She also served as president and then chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, one of the largest community college districts in the nation.

Another note of distinction: Dr. Kanter is the first former community college leader to serve as under secretary.

It is now my honor and pleasure to invite Dr. Kanter to join me on stage to say a few words.

[Kanter gives brief remarks; JL leads applause, steps back to lectern]

Thank you for those inspiring remarks, Dr. Kanter.

And, by the way, I'm delighted that you still have a job this week. I really did not want to introduce you as "former under secretary."

I would also like to thank several organizations that have helped make this luncheon possible.

First, I want to recognize the generous support of TIAA-CREF, higher education's premier financial investment network.

I would like to invite Kevin Moultrie, director of institutional relationships for TIAA-CREF, to join me on stage and to offer words of welcome.

[Moultrie gives brief remarks]

Thank you, Kevin. TIAA-CREF has been a loyal and generous champion of this program, and we are very grateful for your ongoing support.

The Professors of the Year program also enjoys the support of many other members of the higher education community, including the following organizations:

• American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• American Association of Community Colleges
• American Association of State Colleges and Universities
• American Association of University Professors
• Association of Community College Trustees
• Council of Independent Colleges, and
• National Council of University Research Administrators

In addition, we appreciate the support of Phi Beta Kappa as the sponsor for this evening's reception for our winners at the Folger Shakespeare Library.

Please join me in thanking all of our sponsors.

I would also like to thank Professor Mike Christiansen, our state winner from Utah State University, for gracing us with his guitar playing before we began this ceremony.

Please join me now in thanking him for that delightful addition to our program.

We will now pause for lunch and then return to present this year's awards. Bon appétit!

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After Lunch

Welcome back to the program.

We are fortunate to have with us the presidents of all four institutions with national winners this year. I'd like to ask them to stand and be recognized; they are:

• Gerard Buckley, president of Rochester Institute of Technology's National Technical Institute for the Deaf
• Paul Dale, president of Paradise Valley Community College
• Judy Genshaft, president of the University of South Florida, and
• Cary Israel, president of Collin College

I would also like to take a moment to recognize members of the governing boards of CASE and of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Would the trustees of the two organizations please stand? And would all of you please join me in thanking them not only for their support of this program but for all they do to advance American higher education.

For all of us at CASE, one of the great pleasures of this program is working with our colleagues at the Carnegie Foundation.

In addition to helping us guide the development of the awards, the Carnegie Foundation underwrites a portion of the costs of administering the program.

The foundation also provides a $5,000 monetary award to each of our national winners. Most important, the foundation conducts the final round of judging that leads to the selection of the four national winners.

Leading the team at Carnegie is Dr. Anthony Bryk. Tony became the foundation's ninth president in 2008. Previously, he taught at Stanford University and at the University of Chicago, where he helped found the Center for Urban School Improvement.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Anthony Bryk to the lectern.

[Bryk makes remarks]

Thank you, Tony. Your remarks have provided a wonderful introduction to these awards and the work of these outstanding professors.
Nearly 300 educators from across the United States were nominated for the 2012 Professor of the Year awards.

Based on a thorough review of the nominating materials-including curriculum vitae, teaching logs, and personal statements-independent judges from across the United States selected 31 state winners and four national winners.

Our winners will humbly protest that they are not the exception but the rule when it comes to America's professoriate.

And while I would agree that our nation enjoys an extraordinary pool of talented professors, those we honor today are truly exceptional.

They are exceptional for their approach to the classroom experience, an approach that is intentional, innovative and inspirational.

What do I mean by intentional?

I mean these professors do not believe that learning just happens.

They see learning as a process that can be guided and even driven through the strategic use of multiple tools and carefully designed pedagogies. They are intentional about setting forth defined learning outcomes and deploying multiple, tested techniques to help students achieve them.

And what do I mean by "innovative"? I mean these professors go far beyond traditional classroom lectures to use online self-assessment tools, social media, in-classroom personal response systems and many other interactive methods to engage students in the learning process.

They also engage students in problem-solving by using innovative, real-world examples that provide the context and the impact so critical to effective learning.

What do I mean by "inspirational"? I mean these professors exhibit not only great knowledge of their subject matter, but also great passion for teaching, for their own life-long learning, and for making a difference in the lives of their students.

Today, we applaud these intentional, innovative and inspiring educators.

We applaud their belief in a learning process that involves mutual discovery and their dedication to the principle that knowledge liberates, empowers and humanizes us.

And so it is my great pleasure to introduce you to the 2012 State Professors of the Year who are with us this afternoon.

The state winners were ranked by our judges in the top tier of all nominees nationally and at the very top of the list in their respective states.

I am delighted that 27 of our 31 state winners were able to join us.

As I read their names, I would like to ask each winner to stand and remain standing until all names have been read.

And I'd like to ask our audience to please hold your applause until all of our state winners are standing.

I will introduce them to you in alphabetical order by their home state.

• From Arkansas: Stephanie Vanderslice, professor, department of writing, University of Central Arkansas
• From Colorado: Barry Fagin, professor of computer science, U.S. Air Force Academy
• From the District of Columbia: Patrick Thaddeus Jackson, associate dean for undergraduate studies, School of International Service, American University
• From Florida: Pat Anderson, professor of aerospace engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• From Georgia: Judith Lupo Wold, clinical professor and interim associate dean for educational innnovation, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University
• From Illinois: Gary Creasey, professor of psychology, assistant director, United States Department of Education, TEACHER Plus Project, Illinois State University
• From Indiana: Michele T. Villinski, Hiram L. Jome Professor and associate professor of economics and management, and co-director of the Environmental Fellows program, DePauw University
• From Kentucky: Tom McCollough, Nelson and Martha McDowell Rodes professor of religion, Centre College
• From Maryland: John Hamman, professor and chair, Germantown Mathematics Department, Montgomery College
• From Massachusetts: Michael Barnett, associate professor of science education and technology, Lynch School of Education, Boston College
• From Michigan: Stephen DeBacker, Arthur F. Thurnau profesor of mathematics, University of Michigan
• From Missouri: Eric William Nelson, professor of history, Missouri State University
• From Montana: Michael W. Morrow, professor of biology, University of Montana Western
• From Nebraska: Rita M. Lester, professor of religion, Nebraska Wesleyan University
• From Nevada: Alfredo Fernandez-Gonzalez, associate professor of architecture and director, Natural Energies Advanced Technologies Laboratory, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• From New Jersey: Kent D. Fairfield, associate professor of management, Silberman College of Business, Fairleigh Dickinson University
• From New Mexico: Kenneth J. Martin, regents professor of finance, New Mexico University
• From New York: Rees Shad, coordinator of the media design programs, Hostos Community College of the City University of New York
• From Ohio: Gillian Oakenfull, associate professor and director of experiential learning, department of marketing, Miami University
• From Oregon: Juliet W. Brosing [BRO-sing], professor of physics, Pacific University
• From South Carolina: Alliston K. Reid, Reeves Family professor of psychology, Wofford College
• From Tennessee: Mike Pinter, director of the teaching center and professor of mathematics, Belmont University
• From Texas: Greg Sherman, professor of physics, Collin College
• From Utah: Michael Christiansen, professor of music and director of guitar studies, Utah State University
• From Virginia: Robert Swap, research associate professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
• From Washington: Karl Fields, professor of politics and government and Asian studies, University of Puget Sound, and
• From West Virginia: Dan Hollis, associate professor of journalism and mass communications, Marshall University

Please join me in applauding the 2012 State Professors of the Year!

And now to our national winners. The U.S. Professors of the Year are judged within four institutional categories: baccalaureate, community college, doctoral and master's institutions.

They are selected based on four criteria:

• Their impact on and involvement with undergraduate students;
• Their scholarly approach to teaching and learning;
• Their contributions to undergraduate education on their campuses;
• And their recommendations from colleagues and students.

CASE convenes two panels of experts-many of whom are former national and state winners-to conduct the preliminary rounds of judging.

We then forward the highest-scoring nominees to the Carnegie Foundation, where a panel identifies the "best of the best."

It is now time for you to meet "the best of the best." And who better to introduce them to you than their former students.

We begin with the Outstanding Baccalaureate College Professor of the Year. This year's winner is Christy Price, professor of psychology at Dalton State College in Dalton, Georgia.

And here to introduce Professor Price is one of her former students, Carol Duzan. Carol, will you please step up to the lectern?

Christy Price, on behalf of CASE and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, it is an honor to recognize you as the 2012 Outstanding Baccalaureate College Professor of the Year!

Next, we recognize the Outstanding Community College Professor of the Year.

And the winner is Lois Roma-Deeley, professor of creative writing at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix, Arizona.

Introducing Professor Roma-Deeley is her former student, Carolyn L. Szatkowski. Carolyn, will you please come forward?

Lois Roma-Deeley, on behalf of CASE and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, it is an honor to recognize you as the 2012 Outstanding Community College Professor of the Year!

Our next award goes to the Outstanding Doctoral and Research University Professor of the Year.

And our winner is Autar Kaw, professor of mechanical engineering, at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.

Introducing Professor Kaw is his former student, Daniel Miller. Daniel, will you please come forward?

Autar Kaw, on behalf of CASE and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, it is an honor to recognize you as the 2012 Outstanding Doctoral and Research University Professor of the Year!

We conclude with the Outstanding Master's University and College Professor of the Year.

The winner is Todd Pagano, associate professor, department of science and mathematics, and director of the Laboratory Science Technology Program for Rochester Institute of Technology's National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, New York.

Introducing Professor Pagano is his former student, Nelsy Carcamo Ortiz. Nelsy, will you please step up to the lectern?

Todd Pagano, on behalf of CASE and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, it is an honor to recognize you as the 2012 Outstanding Master's University and College Professor of the Year!

Congratulations to all of our national and state winners.

Thank you again for all you have done to help your students craft better lives, to help your colleagues create better learning environments, and to help your institutions contribute to a better world.

Before I turn the lectern over to Dr. Bryk to close our program, I would like to remind our state winners that we will be taking a group photo in this room immediately following the program. Tony, you have the last word.