UW Selects Top First-Year Course Instructors

Twenty-eight University of Wyoming instructors who inspire students intellectually in first-year courses are this year's Promoting Intellectual Engagement (PIE) Award recipients.

PIE Award recipients were nominated online by first- and second-year students, and then they were selected by a committee based on the number of nominations and students' comments. The committee reviewed nearly 200 nominations this year.

"The PIE Award recognizes faculty and staff from across disciplines who are genuinely involved and passionate about their first-year courses," says April Heaney, LeaRN director. "Each year, the nominations reveal the tremendous care and imagination UW instructors bring to their first-year students. So many students have had experiences in these courses that they consider transformational and even life changing."

Several programs within the Office of Academic Affairs and the Division of Student Affairs sponsor the PIE Award: Advising, Career and Exploratory Studies; the Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning; the LeaRN Program; and Residence Life and Dining Services.

Each PIE Award recipient will receive a pie from Residence Life and Dining Services, and five-time recipients each will receive a personalized pie plate. All recipients will be recognized at a reception from 4-5 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in the Wyoming Union Family Room. The reception is open to faculty, staff and students.

Some of the student nominators included these comments about recipients:

-- "I learned an incredible amount about different theories, theorists, ideas, practical applications and much more -- but I also feel that he helped me to settle into college well."

-- "She showed up to class enthusiastic and excited to see each of us. She always considered our workload and adjusted to our class's dynamic as we went through the semester."

-- "She was always funny and made my class time in calculus very enjoyable and something I looked forward to at 8 a.m."

-- "Although there was a lot of course work, it always felt purposeful, and we were given the tools to execute it well."

PIE Award recipients, listed by their programs, departments, schools or colleges, are:

-- Nikki Baldwin, School of Teacher Education.

-- Richard Barrans, Department of Physics and Astronomy.

-- Maggie Bourque, Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources.

-- Nathan Clements, Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

-- Nicholas Crane, School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies.

-- Laura Ann De Lozier, Department of Modern and Classical Languages.

-- Tim Etzkorn, LeaRN Programs.

-- Alecia Evans, Department of Economics.

-- Tyler Fall, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies and Honors College.

-- Todd Fantz, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

-- Irina Holmes Fay, Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

-- Scott Freng, Department of Psychology.

-- Janice Grover, UW Libraries Research and Outreach Services and Honors College.

-- Jiwon Han, Department of Music.

-- Catherine Hartmann, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.

-- Shelby Hutson, LeaRN Programs.

-- Francesca King, LeaRN Programs.

-- Hosanna Krienke, Honors College.

-- Sarah Lass, Department of Theatre and Dance and Honors College.

-- Peyton Lunzer, LeaRN Programs.

-- Tracey Patton, Department of English.

-- Jonathan Prather, Life Sciences Program.

-- Joseph Russo, School of Teacher Education.

-- Brian Sebade, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management.

-- Kasey Stanton, Department of Psychology.

-- Ryan Williamson, School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies.

-- Kassandra Willingham, Department of Molecular Biology.

-- Yan Zhang, Department of Modern and Classical Languages.

A list of all recipients from previous years may be found at https://www.uwyo.edu/learn/fac_resources_recognition/pie/index.html