Dear Faculty,

This week and through the end of this academic year we celebrate our peers who have accomplished much as teachers, scholars, and advisors. Below you will find the list of those who have been selected as Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching awardees, University Scholars, our Outstanding Faculty Advisor awardee, and our Outstanding Part Time Faculty Teaching awardee.

As I think about the longstanding contributions our award winners have made to achieve their special recognition, I appreciate a quote from Jonas Salk who said, “The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.” This will not be lost on our awardees—all of whom have shown and continue to show their commitment to high quality teaching whether full time or part time, engaging in meaningful research, and supporting the development of our students through advising.

Our award-winning teachers use writing, flipped classroom instruction, team-based activities, technology, humor, and humanity to motivate students to think, problem solve, and engage. Our award-winning scholars demonstrate a level of quality, productivity, and impact that inspires us. Their work ranges from the study of infectious diseases across the globe while serving underrepresented populations to tackling the complex issues fundamental to solving environmental problems to changing the lives of children and youth affected by emotional and behavioral health issues. Our outstanding part-time faculty teaching awardee coordinates with external agencies to include students in unique cybersecurity exercises. Our outstanding faculty advisor awardee is described as having a monumental influence on her students, consistently prioritizing student success, growth, and well-being over personal interests.

Please join me in congratulating these incredible teachers and scholars who are committed to the teaching and learning of our students, contributing to the creation of new knowledge and mentoring our next generation of future teachers, scholars and mentors!

Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Awardees

  • Holly P. Painter, Lecturer, Department of English, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Matthew J. Scarborough, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
  • Pablo Bose, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Wolfgang R. G. Dostmann, Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Larner College of Medicine

University Scholars

  • Beth D. Kirkpatrick, Professor and Chair, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Larner College of Medicine & College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Donna M. Rizzo, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
  • Kimberly J. Vannest, Professor and Chair, Department of Education, College of Education and Social Services

Outstanding Part Time Faculty Teaching Awardee

  • Jody Prescott, Lecturer II, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources and Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences

Outstanding Faculty Advisor Awardee

  • Eleanor (Ellie) M. Miller, Department of Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences

Additional faculty award announcements will be issued in the next digests.

As I do each week, I’m writing to share reminders and information that I hope is helpful to you.

  • As announced last month, Scott Thomas, Dean of the College of Education and Social Services, has been appointed Dean of the University of Wyoming’s College of Education effective July 1. We have planned a special virtual event to recognize Dean Thomas’s accomplishments and his many contributions to the University of Vermont. In addition to attending the event, please also take a moment to share a message, a memory, or your appreciation on the Kudoboard the College of Education and Social Services has created.

Celebrating Dean Scott Thomas
Wednesday, May 26 at 4:00 pm
https://zoom.us/j/98854260740?pwd=K3dROXZDb3JiUDd4Z2VGWU45MmNkZz09
Meeting ID: 988 5426 0740
Passcode: 930920

  • The final stages of the selection of the Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have begun. The campus open forum information for candidate three is listed below. Candidate information, a link to the event, and a link to a feedback form will be posted here. We appreciate your participation in this important event.

Candidate Three - Campus Open Forum
May 12, 2021
9:45 – 10:45 AM
https://go.uvm.edu/vpdeisearchc3campus

  • If you are advising students on their on-campus summer plans, or if you will be engaging with students on campus this summer, please remind them of their testing and health and safety obligations.
  • UVM welcomes Dr. Kamilah Majied, Professor of Social Work, California State University, Monterey Bay, contemplative practitioner and inclusivity/equity consultant to speak with faculty, student services, and academic support staff via MS Teams. During a session scheduled for May 20 (4:00-5:30 pm), Dr. Majjed will provide practices that will help us attend to our own healing so that we may support students when they return next fall. You can register for the event and learn more about Dr. Majied here.
  • With support from a Davis Foundation grant to develop course capacity in select areas of our Catamount Core Curriculum, WID will be offering a two-day mini-institute on Designing Assignments for Writing and Information Literacy for faculty wishing to develop a syllabus and proposal to submit as a writing and information literacy course in the Catamount Core gen ed curriculum. The two-day workshop on May 26-27 will be followed by a fall meeting. To register, or for more information on the mini-institute please see the workshop listing here. More information on other Catamount Core workshops coming in August will be available on the CTL website soon.
  • On May 24, CTL and WID will be sponsoring Exhale... Reflecting on 15 Months of Pandemic Teaching and Learning. Information and sign-up can be found here.
  • Join the Center for Cultural Pluralism on May 26-27 from 1:30-3:30 pm for a two-part workshop exploring the topic of psychological safety with presenter Tatyana Fertelmeyster. This highly interactive workshop will engage participants in exploring their own Diversity Hot Buttons and maximizing their interpersonal and intercultural effectiveness when DEI-related challenges are involved. Sessions will focus on identifying and examining stressors and triggers and offering practical steps and skills for growing through discomfort. Additional information will be forthcoming and posted here.
  • Reminders and recent communications:
    • Vice President Derr provided a spring and summer COVID-19 testing update on May 4.
    • Please double check the final exam schedule and remind your students about the timing of your final exam; please also review the Final Exam policy to ensure that you abide by its provisions.
    • Final grades are due 72 hours after your final exam date/time, and must be submitted by noon on Friday May 21.

You can find detailed information on COVID-19 tests administered and results on the Weekly Testing Report. Last week’s student test results included 22 off-campus positives and 18 on-campus positives out of 16,213 tests (percent of new student cases already in quarantine: 48.78%). Last week’s faculty and staff test results included 0 positives out of 781 tests. Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to participate in regular testing.

As we are closing in on the end of the semester, let’s take a moment to celebrate our colleagues mentioned above as they represent the best of what we do in teaching, research, and advising. Their accomplishments are a reminder of why we are in the academy and what a privilege it is to be contributing to students’ learning and mentorship, and advancing knowledge that is making a difference.

Warmly,
Patty