Glidden Announces Presidential Teacher Awards

Contact: Jess Goode, (740) 593-1886 or goode@ohio.edu

Editor's Note: Photos of the honorees can be downloaded from the Web at www.ohiou.edu/news/pix/tice_carolyn.jpg and www.ohiou.edu/news/pix/burnier_delysa.jpg

ATHENS, Ohio (June 9, 2001) -- Ohio University President Robert Glidden today announced that Professor of Political Science DeLysa Burnier and Professor of Social Work Carolyn Tice are the recipients of the first Ohio University Presidential Teacher Awards, which include $15,000 and the title Presidential Teacher.

"Ohio University's mission is to nurture the innate creativity and curiosity of its students through effective teaching and scholarship," Glidden said. "Each school day, Burnier and Tice exemplify that mission through their innovative instruction. To them, teaching is an all-day job, not just something they do while in the classroom. They believe that the knowledge they hold matters -- that it can change lives, alleviate suffering, and make the world a better place. They are determined to help their students gain the insight and skill needed not just to fit into the world, but expand its possibilities."

The Presidential Teacher Award was established to recognize outstanding faculty for their excellence as teachers both inside and outside the classroom. The selection committee recommended Burnier and Tice because they excel in five main areas: teaching practices and innovations, influences on curriculum, mentoring and advising students in both academic and career matters, mentoring fellow instructors and scholarship with respect to teaching.

Burnier sees teaching as an essential element of community building. She even teaches a Tier 3 class called The Sense of Community. This commitment drives her deep involvement with both graduate and undergraduate students. She is a dedicated mentor and advisor and is recognized by colleagues as a major force for improving teaching in the Political Science Department.

Tice contributes greatly to her individual classes and to the continued excellence of the Social Work Department. She developed a master's program that impacts not only its graduate students, but also much of the Appalachian Ohio region by educating while delivering needed social services. She is determined to get her students involved with their local communities and with underserved regions in southeastern Ohio.