At an awards ceremony on Friday, lecturers LeeVigilant of the sociologydepartment, Chris Morse of the chemistry department, and Kiyoko Morita of the Japanese department were named "professors of the year" by the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate and received plaques for their exemplary teaching. Many of their students came out to support them at the ceremony, held at Hotung Caf?©.
This year, the Senate Education Committee, which organizes theaward, received 15 nominations from students. Nomination forms asked students questions such as "How has [your professor] improved the academic environment at Tufts?"
Once all nominations were received, the seven-member committeetried to select one winner, but could not come to a consensus. The award has been given out since 1998, but usually only to one faculty member. This year, though, the Education Committee thought all three recipients deserved the award.
"We felt that all of them had done outstanding things that wewanted to recognize," said Abbey Wilson, chair of the Education Committee.
Wilson outlined the achievements of the winners, saying that eachwas outstanding in his or her own way. Vigilant has been able to connect the material he taught with real-world events in his class about social movements, she said. In addition to studying demonstrations, students attended one for presidential candidate Ralph Nader last fall.
Morse, who often teaches large classes, was commended for hisability to make a personal connection with students.
Morita began a program in which Tufts students teach Japanese tochildren in elementary schools in Arlington and Somerville, an effort that Wilson said improved town-gown relations.
Morita said the award showed what great students she has.
"Without my students, I could not have become a good teacher," shesaid.
The lecturer, who teaches three classes and has been at Tufts since 1993, wasn't even sure the award existed. "Naturally, I was very surprised and I was very touched," Morita said. "I don't teach or create new courses expecting to win an award."
