The College of LAS has selected 14 professors, graduate students, lecturers, and an advisor as the recipients of the 2024 teaching and advising awards.

“We are proud to have such an impressive group of people advancing our vital teaching and advising goals,” said Venetria K. Patton, the Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of LAS. “We received exceptional feedback from students and alumni about them. They truly devote themselves to preparing others for the future.”  

Descriptions of the recipients follow:

LAS Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for Graduate Teaching Assistants

Lisa Louise Surber is a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior. She has taught a range of courses, from IB 104: Animal Biology to IB 302: Evolution and IB 329: Animal Behavior. Professor and department head Becky Fuller wrote that Surber possesses skills that make her an exceptional instructor. “Lisa has a strong work ethic and an amazingly positive outlook on all students,” Fuller wrote. “She believes to her core that all students can learn and achieve.”

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LAS Dean’s Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

Alex Harmon-Threatt is a professor in the Department of Entomology. She has become one of the most engaged and sought-after instructors and research mentors in the School of Integrative Biology and has become known for eliciting high levels of engagement and participation even in large lecture courses. “I reflect on my experiences with her often when … consulting with my own students and research assistants, hoping to capture the same excitement and dedication that she demonstrated regularly,” wrote a former student, Nicole Wonderlin.

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