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June 25, 2008
UW Educational Outreach Announces 2008 Teaching Excellence Awards
UW Educational Outreach has named six instructors as recipients of a 2008 Teaching Excellence Award. Janet Boguch, Janine Brodine, Kris Fulsaas, Kristie Dunkin, Barbara Endicott-Popovsky, and Lisa Coutu were honored at the UW Extension Certificate Awards Ceremony held on June 18.
Based on stellar evaluations (both numeric ratings and written comments) by students on course evaluations and program exit surveys, the Teaching Excellence Awards are presented annually to instructors who have taught for a minimum of one year in an Extension, evening degree, distance learning, or other program administered by Educational Outreach.
An award is presented in each of six categories: Business and Management; Education; Arts/Humanities; Science/Health Science/Engineering; Technology; and Distance Learning.
"We are proud of the high quality of our instructors, who are drawn from the ranks of experienced UW faculty, top industry professionals, and community experts," said Vice Provost Dave Szatmary. "With hundreds of instructors teaching in more than 120 programs administered by UW Educational Outreach, being selected for a Teaching Excellence Award is truly a mark of distinction. They represent the best of the best."
Janet Boguch, Business and Management category
Janine Brodine, Education category
Kris Fulsass, Arts and Humanities category
Kristie Dunkin, Science/Health Sciences/Engineering category
Barbara Endicott-Popovsky, Technology category
Lisa Coutu, Distance Learning category
About University of Washington (UW) Educational Outreach
Janet Boguch- Business and Management category
IA cornerstone of the UW Certificate Program in Fundraising Management since its launch in 1986, Janet Boguch has spurred the program to grow and flourish these past twenty years and more. Janet has also taught in the Nonprofit Management certificate program since its inception six years ago.
Some quarters, she's taught not only on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, but on Saturdays as well! As principal owner of the consulting firm Non-Profit Works, Janet's mission is to assist individuals and organizations to reach their highest potential and to ensure the health and stability of the nonprofit and social sectors.
Her dedicated service to UW Extension furthers that mission. She has shared her expertise and enthusiasm with hundreds of students, many of whom have gone on to begin or advance their careers in the nonprofit sector as a result.
Said her 2008 students:
Janet Boguch [is] dynamic and highly knowledgeable. She purposefully engaged each student…I gained so much from Janet's course.
Janet's genuine enthusiasm for her students and passion for her subject and field kept me challenged and stimulated.
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Janine Brodine, Education category
A senior lecturer in the UW English Department, Janine Brodine also works under the auspices of UW Educational Outreach to deliver high quality professional development programs to K-12 teachers across Washington. She is co-director of the Puget Sound Writing Project (PSWP), which is based on the National Writing Project Model, and an instructor of the PSWP Invitational Institute.
In 2006, Janine co-wrote a grant proposal to provide professional development in content-area reading to secondary teachers in eight districts in North Central Washington. That grant resulted in the formation of the North Central Washington Content-Area Reading Institute (NCWCARI).
Janine is tireless in her efforts to expand the reach of both programs. NCWCARI is already in place in Seattle's Shoreline School District and in the Sunnyside School District in eastern Washington. PSWP summer institutes have expanded to Tacoma and the Olympic Peninsula.
Janine's consistently high instructor evaluations speak to her success:
The enthusiasm of the instructor was extraordinary. Her encouragement of students to become writers was marvelous and I plan to carry her shared spirit to my students.
Can I clone you and take you home-be in our district and help inspire others-share your passion so students can all achieve more?
Kris Fulsass, Arts and Humanities category
Kris Fulsaas wasn't sure she wanted to teach when she was recommended in 2002 as an instructor for the "Fundamentals of Copyediting" course in the UW Certificate Program in Editing. A publishing professional with 25 years experience in the industry, she was already busy with her own flourishing editorial business.
Though she had mentored a few colleagues who went on to be successful editors, she felt she had minimal teaching experience. But an Extension program manager recognized her potential and urged her to think of teaching a class as mentoring 30 people at once.
Now Kris mentors more than 100 students a year, to great accolades:
This course is one of the best I have ever taken…. Kris is a phenomenal source of knowledge and an excellent instructor. You don't always find both these qualities in the same person.
Kris Fulsass is a very responsive and conscientious instructor who has a wealth of knowledge to share.
Kristie Dunkin, Science/Health Sciences/Engineering category
Dr. Kristie Dunkin, a Certified Professional Soil Scientist currently working for AMEC Earth and Environmental, has been a valued instructor in the UW Certificate Program in Wetland Science & Management since 2001.
She consistently receives excellent course evaluations, all the more impressive because she deals with a daunting challenge. As the one lone instructor for the spring course, "Wetland Identification and Delineation," she switches between lecturing in the classroom and in the field.
It takes special talent to corral and teach 30 students who have pulled on knee high rubber boots to explore the wetland areas of our region.
This certificate program draws many working professionals with focused interests; Kristie has consistently met their expectations and has been able to adapt the course she teaches to the interests of participants each year. Kristie also serves as an advisor and mentor for students working on practicum projects that benefit local organizations and the communities of Western Washington.
Barbara Endicott-Popovsky, Technology category
Director of the UW iSchool's Center for Information Assurance and Cybersecurity, Dr. Barbara Endicott-Popovsky harnessed the support of an exceptional advisory board of academic and industry professionals to launch the UW Certificate Program in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity in 2004.
She exhibits teaching excellence in many ways: an engaging speaker, a leader in curriculum development, accessible to her students, and prompt in following up on evaluation of student assignments and project.
Barbara achieves high marks from participants year after year on all of those criteria:
I learned something new and useful in every class meeting, even though I'm already experienced in this field.
Her presentations were always interesting and stimulating. The program really opened my eyes to the multiple threats that we face.
Lisa Coutu, Distance Learning category
A senior lecturer in the UW Department of Communication, Lisa Coutu teaches distance learning courses administered by UW Educational Outreach including "Introduction to Communication II" and "Cultural Codes in Communication."
Her service as an instructor is exceptional. She regularly receives outstanding feedback from students about her teaching expertise, the interactive nature of her online courses, and her responsiveness to her students:
Lisa is incredibly responsive - she always has helpful things to say about my assignments. Honestly, I think I probably had more interaction with Lisa than I have had in some of my 'traditional' [classroom based] UW courses.
About University of Washington Educational Outreach (UWEO)
UWEO is the continuing and professional education division of the University of Washington, the nationally recognized public research institution based in Seattle. Helping the schools, colleges and departments to administer evening master's degrees, certificate programs, distance and online learning, international outreach, English language programs and more, UWEO is one of the largest and most highly regarded continuing and professional education programs in the U.S. (more information at the UWEO Web site.)