NSM Faculty/Staff Newsletter

From the Office of the Dean

2022 John C. Butler Excellence in Teaching Awards Announced

The John C. Butler Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes NSM faculty, who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in teaching and a track record of dedication to the teaching mission of the College.

Typically, two awards are made yearly: one to a tenured/tenure-track faculty member and one to an instructional faculty member. Selection of an awardee in either of the categories is contingent upon receipt of no less than three competitive applications in said category.

Mariam Manuel
Mariam Manuel with Dean Dan E. Wells.

The 2022 Butler Award winners are Mariam Manuel, Instructional Assistant Professor, teachHOUSTON / Mathematics, and Melissa Zastrow, Assistant Professor, Chemistry. Congratulations Mariam and Melissa for your outstanding teaching!

Melissa Zastrow
Melissa Zastrow with Dean Dan E. Wells.

In addition to formal classroom or lab teaching, tenured/tenure-track faculty members may also be evaluated on the basis of their graduate student training. Each award comes with a monetary award, a plaque, and a nameplate on a plaque in the Dean’s Office. The award recipients are also recognized as part of the NSM Commencement.

Applicants are judged on their teaching/training record via their CV, teaching statement, student evaluations of teaching including their comments, grade distributions, and letters from students and faculty. It is anticipated that peer evaluations of teaching will be a factor in future years.

Recommendations to the Dean for potential winners of the awards are made by an ad hoc college-wide committee consisting of one representative from each department comprised of a mix of tenured/tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty.

The applicant pools have historically been highly competitive, and this year was no exception. It is always a tough job to evaluate and rank the candidates. It is often the case that eventual winners have been in the applicant pool in prior years before finally prevailing.

If you have competed in the past, do not give up. APPLY next year! For information, visit the college website or contact Jim Briggs (jbriggs@uh.edu) or Donna Stokes (dstokes@uh.edu).

Our current winners join a long line of faculty who have been recognized by their students and peers for excellence in teaching. Prior winners are listed on the NSM Recognition and Awards webpage.