Duncan Harris |
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Students describe Duncan Harris as a "caring, awesome, and gifted teacher," attributes that have earned him the John P. Ellbogen Meritorious Classroom Teaching Award.
Harris, associate professor of English and director of the UW Honors program, is described as a "wonderful teacher and a generous colleague, whose tireless commitment to his fellow faculty, his students, and the University of Wyoming is an inspiration, and sometimes an admonition to us all."
Another colleague writes, "He cares about Wyoming students past, present, and future, and at every level of development. His very life has been directed to making this a better university. No matter how many hours I pour into my own work, he makes me feel humble. He is a model of how much better a teacher I could be."
A student in one of Harris' Shakespeare courses says, "He didn't stop at giving us a vibrant image of what he already knew Shakespeare was and could be; he also engaged us to take active roles in learning, applying, and analyzing the material by challenging the entire class not only to learn about Shakespeare, but also to understand how the work is relative to issues, business, the arts, and other literature today."
Another student agreed, saying, "Professor Harris has dedicated his career to challenging University of Wyoming students in a myriad of ways that have led them to achievements that otherwise might not have occurred."
A former student relates the positive impact Harris had on his life, saying "some teachers allow us to become profound thinkers and scholars, Harris helped me become a better person. He is perhaps one of the finest human beings I have ever encountered. It a privilege to know him as an intelligent, dedicated, selfless person with an ability to resonate his compassion and thoughtfulness to everyone he encounters."
Harris received an A.B. degree (1965) from Stanford University, an M.A. degree (1966) from Boston University, and a Ph.D. degree (1973) from Brandeis University; all in English. He first came to UW in 1970 as an assistant professor of English and was the UW College of Arts and Sciences associate dean from 1988 1992. He has written two published books, seven refereed journal articles, has received numerous contracts and grants, presented at countless academic events, and is the recipient of many awards including the Golden Apple Award as an outstanding teacher of freshmen students in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Motor Board's Top Prof award. Posted on Friday, May 18, 2001
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