Three University of Michigan lecturers have been honored for outstanding contributions to instruction as the 2020-21 Collegiate Lecturers, a title they will retain throughout their careers at the university.
Each year the university awards up to four Collegiate Lecturer titles to lecturer IIs and lecturer IVs who demonstrate a sustained record of excellence in teaching and learning, or in service or other contributions to the university.
This year’s recipients, approved by Susan M. Collins, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, were selected for exemplary and outstanding commitments to community engagement and student instruction. They are:
Dominique Butler-Borruat, lecturer IV in LSA’s Residential College — Throughout her 28 years as a lecturer in the Residential College, Butler-Borruat has moved from teaching as a lecturer in the French program, to coordinating different language course levels, to becoming the head of the program.
She has translated work for the Freedom House in Detroit and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center in Ypsilanti. For more than 10 years she has brought U-M students to the Detroit Freedom House to work with asylum seekers, primarily African French speakers from francophone countries.
She was awarded the 2019 Community Partner Award from Freedom House Detroit and was recognized as an LSA Housing Honored Instructor in the 2019 winter semester.
Pinderjeet Gill, lecturer II in LSA’s Department of Asian Languages and Cultures — Gill teaches two less-commonly taught languages at U-M, Punjabi and Hindi, at the beginning and intermediate level.
One of the hallmarks of Gill’s pedagogy is her skill in integrating standard language instruction with creative explorations of cultures and traditions. This immersion in original language materials enables her students to learn more quickly the subtleties of language.
She has developed a range of interactive formats for her students and developed a suite of curricular materials that she and her colleagues in the South Asian Language Program have adapted for the classroom at the university.
Rachael Schmedlen, lecturer IV in the College of Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering — Schmedlen began her career as a lecturer in the Department of Biomedical Engineering in 2005, and quickly took over the development and teaching of BME’s design courses.
She has designed and developed several courses within BME that incorporate design and applied practice into the educational experiences, at a much earlier time in the curriculum.
Schmedlen has also been active in the redesign and planned renovation of the BME Design spaces and played a key role as co-principal investigator for a grant titled “Clinical Immersion and Experiential Learning in Medical Product Development.” She leads the Clinical Peer Mentor program, which allows students to thoroughly investigate the technical and commercial potential of clinical programs identified in her needs-finding class.
The Provost’s Office and Academic Human Resources have received nominations for the 2021-22 Collegiate Lecturer Program. The 2021-22 recipients are expected to be announced in May. Direct any questions about the process to hr-acadhr@umich.edu.
