Teaching Excellence Awardees
2022 Laureates - Pictures and more information coming
Michael Dylan Foster, Ph.D., Dept. of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Professor and Chair, UC Davis
YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/N7jqioAyirI
He completed his studies at Stanford, Kanagawa (Japan), UCB, and Wesleyan. His book about Japanese folklore entitled “The Book of Yokai” is available on Amazon and as an audiobook on Audible. The student who nominated him described how Dr. Foster made Japanese folklore a relevant and powerful tool for understanding oneself and others in today’s western culture.
Laura D. Gutiérrez, Ph.D., Dept. of History, Assistant Professor, University of the Pacific is at the forefront of current debates over diversity, equity, and inclusion. Border studies is her primary focus, and her recent research centers on the history of Mexican deportations in the US. Dr. Gutiérrez completed her training at USC, Stanford, and UCSD. Her nominator described the many creative and innovative techniques used by Dr. Gutiérrez to foster personal connections between students and the history that they are learning.
Claire Waters, Ph.D., (Hasenkamp Award) Dept. of English, Affiliated Faculty - Program in Classics, Dept. of French and Italian, Professor and Chair, UC Davis, PBK Northwestern 1991. YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/9bC3A9IHa2s
Her primary research area is late medieval literature (Middle English and Latin). Aside from being a much-beloved professor, Dr. Waters has received many awards and accolades, and her publishing accomplishments are impressive. Her nominator described her as dedicated, devoted, and fun. Indeed, one of her current works is entitled “Mystics, Goddesses, Lovers, and Teachers.” Dr. Waters completed her studies at Harvard, Cambridge, and Northwestern and was inducted into PBK in 1991.
Clancy Wilmott, Ph.D., Dept. of Geography and Berkeley Center for New Media, Assistant Professor, UC Berkeley.
YouTube video: https://youtu.be/ylniX-u8uZA
Highly accomplished in her field, Dr. Clancy Wilmott is passionate about ensuring success and self-empowerment for all students, including those who have historically been deterred from pursuing math, technology, and data science owing to institutional barriers. Her student nominator characterized her as possessing “signature humor, warmth, and panache.” The following is an excerpt from Dr. Wilmott's nomination letter: "When Professor Wilmott comes up in conversation, I don’t have the time to exchange this story and communicate to people the incalculable ways she has impacted my life, especially with everyone else chiming in to praise her, so I’m nominating her for this award in the hope that she gets the recognition she deserves - not just for the way she has impacted my life, but the way I know she impacts the lives of every person who is lucky enough to find their way into her classroom."