Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award Recipients

The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) Excellence in Teaching & Learning Awards recognize regular (Maroon Award) and fixed-term (Gold Award) faculty members who go above and beyond what is expected in creating exceptional learning opportunities for our students. Our recipients are experts in their fields, effective and creative in promoting student learning, inspire students to high achievement and receive high praise from them in return, and are admired advisors and mentors to future educators.

2023 award recipients

Dr. Maria Chouza-Calo, Department of History, World Languages, and Cultures (Maroon Award)
Her impact is perhaps best summed up with these words one of her students wrote: “Dr. Chouza-Calo is a passionate, understanding, and self-driven professor at CMU. I am grateful for her ability to be critical and provide thought-provoking questions to expand upon my initial thoughts. Dr. Chouza-Calo’s passion can be seen in every class she teaches in any circumstance. She comes to class energetic, which motivates students to look more into what we are learning.”

Dr. Kyla Stepp, School of Politics, Society, Justice and Public Service (Maroon Award)
Her impact is perhaps best summed up with these words one of her students wrote: “Kyla’s methods within the classroom have stuck with me far beyond the halls of Anspach. I truly believe my writing, interpersonal communication, and critical thinking skills blossomed due to the expertly tailored and substantive feedback I received from her. She made me feel like could succeed and my dreams were not out of reach.”

Grace VanDeMark, School of Politics, Society, Justice and Public Service (Gold Award)
Your impact is perhaps best summed up with these words one of her colleagues wrote: “Professor VanDeMark loves to learn as much as she loves to teach, which is a key characteristic of an extraordinary educator. Her enthusiasm and passion for the subject were plain to see, and when your educator is excited about a topic, it is hard not to get excited about it yourself. This is the effect Professor VanDeMark has on her students: she goes beyond teaching and connects with her students, instilling a love of learning in them.”