Duncan Harris Receives Ellbogen Lifetime Teaching Award |
|
 |
April 26, 2007 -- Duncan Harris, who has positively influenced the lives of thousands of students during his 37 years as a teacher, mentor and administrator, has been awarded the University of Wyoming's Ellbogen Lifetime Teaching Award.
A Shakespearian scholar in the Department of English and director of the University Honors Program and Summer High School Institute, Harris is universally held in high regard by colleagues, administrators and students. When the word got out that he was a finalist for the Ellbogen Lifetime Teaching Award, every Department of English tenure-track professor and permanent lecturer on campus that day enthusiastically signed the letter of support.
"Duncan's colleagues recognize that he is superb, a teacher who has mentored us all and who never ceases to inspire," wrote Peter Parolin, associate professor in the English department. He noted that Harris excels in the classroom.
"His students see him as both comfortable and exacting, comfortable because he genuinely likes his students and exacting because he demands that they push themselves beyond their intellectual comfort zones to achieve their best," he said.
"When I got the call about the award, the first thing that came to mind was a Shakespeare quotation: ‘It is an honor that I dreamed not of,' Harris said. "I am glad that I work at an institution where people appreciate what you love to do."
His teaching philosophy has shaped the Honors Program, which he has directed since 1993 and which has doubled under his leadership to 600 students. The program's growth reflects Harris' belief that students who desire to become high academic achievers should have that opportunity.
"The university nurtures good teaching, and the students inspire it," Harris said. "I believe that good students make good teachers, not the other way round. I have been lucky to have had so many great students."
As designed, the Honors Program curriculum is challenging and stimulating: it exposes students to the best teachers on campus and it allows them to conduct and present independent research under the guidance of expert faculty members. In addition to his work on curriculum, Harris tries to assure that the students in the Honors Program are given every opportunity to expand their cultural and professional horizons. He sponsors speakers, organizes trips to plays, readings, and musical events in Denver, and takes several students each year to present their research at undergraduate conferences.
Susan Aronstein, a professor in the Department of English, summed up Harris' contributions by saying, "He is truly a model teacher, an example to us all."
Harris received an A.B., in English, with a minor in history (1965) at Stanford University, an M.A. in English (1966) at Boston University, and a Ph.D., (1972) at Brandeis University. He has guided Wyoming students to amazing successes over the years, including two Rhodes, six Truman, and 10 Goldwater scholarships winners.
"I have experienced a great deal, but have never come across the intelligent devotion, not just to teaching a subject but to the students themselves, that I had at UW with Duncan as my mentor," wrote Rhodes Scholar Jessica Mellinger, who attended Oxford University for three years and is now completing medical school at Northwestern University. "He cares about his students and their lives, both inside and outside of the classroom. He is a rare person and a great teacher."
For his efforts on behalf of UW students, Harris has won the national U.S. West Excellence in Education Award and the Outstanding First Year Advocate Award. At UW, he has won the John P. Ellbogen Meritorious Classroom Teaching Award and Golden Apple Award to recognize teaching excellence in freshman-level courses in the College of Arts and Sciences.
"Duncan's desire for the students' success is genuine," wrote Cliff Marks, associate professor in the English department. "He beams when his students succeed and, at those rare moments when his students experience difficulties, he takes those pressures personally as he attempts to help guide students through their quagmires. A further testament to Duncan's success is how his students remain in contact with him well after they have graduated. Many students count on his friendship and advice as they make their way through the ‘real world.'"
Former UW student Hamid Khan, now a practicing attorney, expressed the affection that so many students hold for Harris when he wrote, "In many areas, both professionally and personally, Dr. Harris has taught and encouraged me to meet challenges that I had never thought possible. Dr. Harris remains among the finest human beings I have ever encountered. He was not just my teacher in the classroom; he is my teacher in life and it is a debt I know I can never repay."
Photo
Professor of a Lifetime -- University of Wyoming English Professor Duncan Harris confers with Honors Program student Alex Kimmet of Powell. In recognition of his 37 years of contributions as a teacher, mentor and administrator, Harris received UW's Ellbogen Lifetime Teaching Award. (UW Photo)
Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2007
|
