Three lecturers from LSA and one from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business have been named 2019-20 Collegiate Lecturers in recognition of their outstanding contributions to instruction.
Provost Martin A. Philbert approved the recognition for Paula Caproni of the Ross School, and Kathleen Jodl, Ewa Malachowska-Pasek and Holly Peters-Golden of LSA. A reception to recognize their contributions took place Sept. 26.
Each year, up to four lecturers receive the title, which honors lecturers II and IV on the Ann Arbor campus who demonstrate a sustained record of excellence in teaching and learning, in service or other contributions to the university.
Paula Caproni, lecturer IV in management and organization at the Ross School, is recognized for her passion and commitment to serving students, especially women, underrepresented minorities and first-generation students. Caproni’s significant track record includes developing texts, and online and campus courses that make business leadership, management, coaching and team dynamics education more accessible and effective.
Textbooks written by Caproni, including “Management Skills for Everyday Life: The Practical Coach” and “The Science of Success,” were created to support a diverse and global student and managerial population and are used at universities across the country.
Caproni was recognized for her commitment to developing new ways to reach students and improve their learning experiences. She was among the earliest Ross faculty to develop a massive open online course, insisting it be offered free of charge to increase its accessibility to first-generation college students and people in all walks of life. Since 2017, the MOOC has enrolled more than 11,500 students.
She has worked to revamp the MBA multidisciplinary action program to improve the coaching and team dynamics components, and worked with two other faculty to create coaching development opportunities across MBA cohorts.
Kathleen Jodl, lecturer II in psychology, has been described as a phenomenal teacher who is thoughtful, hard-working, dedicated, passionate and creative, and as a star lecturer. Her primary focus has been described as designing and developing a positive learning experience for all of her students through actively promoting respect for cultural influences on development.
Jodl was commended for her expansive approach to educating her students to the process and theories of physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development throughout the lifespan, including developing a popular undergraduate course on Emerging Adulthood.
Colleagues note that her novel and creative approaches to incorporating new materials into her teaching have helped her students engage with the topics on a deeper level and succeed in the classroom.
Ewa Malachowska-Pasek, lecturer II in Slavic languages and literatures, has been described as universally admired and respected by her colleagues and students.
Students appreciate Malachowska-Pasek’s pedagogical approach, which combines close attention to each student’s needs and abilities with creative use of innovative techniques and methodologies. Student evaluations describe her as “absolutely fantastic” and “phenomenal.”
Malachowska-Pasek is credited with redesigning the Czech language program from the ground up, designing a thematic course on the Roma minority in central European history and contemporary culture, as well as serving as a member of the executive committee of the Copernicus Center for Polish Studies. Malachowska-Pasek has been a major force in creating and maintaining one of the top Polish programs in the country.
Malachowska-Pasek’s passion for teaching includes her role as co-founder of the North American Association of Teachers of Polish, where she served as its first president. She has remained actively engaged in research and development of best practices in the language classroom, regularly presenting new findings and curricular materials at professional conferences in North America and Europe.
Holly Peters-Golden, lecturer IV in anthropology, has been described as indispensable to every level of the anthropology curriculum, teaching several of the most important courses, mentoring undergraduates and equipping graduate students to teach in creative and inspirational ways.
Peters-Golden has made diverse, broad-based contributions to the university, including her involvement in the Science & Technology Studies program, her founding role in the Medical Anthropology program, and her commitment to the introductory anthropology course.
Peters-Golden has been described as dedicated to the craft of teaching, constantly improving her technique, updating her methods and finding new ways to connect with students through a captivating mix of readings, research projects, lecture materials and ideas.
She impresses students and faculty alike with her ability to teach challenging material in vivid, accessible ways, and students praise her effusively in teaching evaluations. Her undergraduate textbook “Culture Sketches: Case Studies in Anthropology” is in its sixth edition.
Collegiate Lecturer applicants are evaluated using one or more of the following criteria:
- A strong commitment to students, teaching and learning as demonstrated by undertaking activities to advance the quality and practice of teaching and learning at a variety of levels in the classroom, studio or lab.
- Using effective teaching strategies and methods to assess student learning.
- A demonstrable commitment to advising and mentoring students, if applicable.
- A demonstrable impact on students’ intellectual or artistic development.
- Other evidence of exceptional service or other contribution to the university.
For the first two years following the award, Collegiate Lecturers will receive an annual lump-sum payment of $2,000 to support teaching and professional development, and will also retain the Collegiate Lecturer title throughout their careers at the university.
