Congratulations to Ben Concepcion and Kevin Langhoff for receiving the Extraordinary Teaching in Extraordinary Times Award!
The Academic Senate's Committee on Teaching received almost 500 nominations for this award, signifying how our campus community embraced the instructional challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensured that our students remained engaged and supported.
The Extraordinary Teaching in Extraordinary Times Award will be featured at the Academic Senate’s Divisional Meeting on April 29, 2021. Descriptions of each awardee's contribution to teaching have been shared on the Research, Teaching, and Learning website. In addition, each awardee will receive in the coming week a certificate, a digital badge, and a monetary award.
Read statements from each awardee:
Benjamin Concepcion: Graduate Student Instructor
As a new GSI I have had the privilege of using my abilities to make the current, difficult academic setting bearable for students at UCB. I have worked hard to make an inclusive and safe environment, treating my students as people and considering their emotional, mental, and academic needs. I have labored to foster an environment that is comfortable for those who might otherwise be left behind. It's been my honor to receive myriad positive feedback and know that I have been an element of support towards wellbeing and success in one of the most trying times of our lives.
Kevin Langhoff: Graduate Student Instructor
All good educators recognize the academic impact they have on their students; however, the pandemic has painfully illustrated the immense importance of providing students with moral and emotional support. Specifically, an educator should endeavor to understand the diverse spectrum of challenges each student faces and create a positive and aspiring environment in which students can acquire the confidence to face and surmount those challenges. In the summary, I describe the details of how I have tried to accomplish this goal. I believe the ultimate voice on whether my attempts succeeded are the students whose anonymous evaluations are also attached.