Tufts History Professor Gerald Gill has been named Massachusetts Professor of the Year for the second time in the past five years by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (CASE). Gill teaches a number of Tufts courses, including "African American History to 1865," "African American History since 1865," and a seminar course on the Civil Rights Movement. Gill is also in the process of introducing his summer school course, called "Sports and American History," as a permanent addition Tufts' history department.
In order to win the CASE Massachusetts Professor of the Year Award, professors must demonstrate an extraordinary dedication to teaching, an impact on and involvement with students, and support from colleagues. Aside from his substantial duties as a professor and undergraduate advisor, Gill has also been an advisor to the Boston-based Blackside Productions for the past 12 years as a film critic. Projects he has been involved in include the television specials Africans and the Americas and Eyes on the Prize I and II. He is also scheduled to publish his book, Dissent, Discontent, and Disinterest: Afro-American Opposition to the United States Wars of the 20th Century, next year.
According to his students, Gill's many projects and interests do not detract from his commitment to his classes. He attempts to know every student by name - his classes range from 12 to 60 students - and he puts a lot of effort into keeping students interested.
"Professor Gerald Gill appreciates that his job is to instruct, not to indoctrinate.... His treatment of American history is uncompromisingly fair... he presents both sides of major debates and does not penalize students for holding opinions that contradict his own," said one student in a course evaluation, according to a Public Relations press release.
"I sometimes have a passion about what I teach, and I would like to convey that for informational purposes. I just find the study of history so fascinating, in part because of what we can learn about peer societies and also what some of those lessons might mean for us today," Gill said. He went on to say that he tries to incorporate good teaching methods that he encountered as a student into his own classes to make them more interesting.
"I've always been exposed to good teaching, I guess from elementary school onward, and I've learned something from each of the teachers I've had," he said.
The application process for the award entails a personal statement by the applicant, two letters of recommendation from former students who are still undergraduates, and one or two letters of recommendation from senior administrators.
"To be quite honest, I was quite surprised [about winning the award] in part because it's the second time I won it, and I initially didn't want to apply for the award since I was named Professor of the Year before. So when I found out, I was more than pleasantly surprised," Gill said.
This is the third time in five years that a Tufts University professor has been selected for the honor. Engineering professor Chris Rogers won the award last year, and Gill won the award in 1995.
"I think it says something for Tufts. Rather than this being a prize for me, it is a prize for Tufts that we have been able to have three Massachusetts College Professors of the Year Awards in the past five years. It says something for Tufts that individuals are able to do research and to continue to be effective and excellent instructors in providing quality academic education," Gill said.
