Faculty, Graduate Students Honored for Outstanding Teaching

Penn Arts & Sciences

These Penn Arts & Sciences faculty and graduate students were recognized for their outstanding teaching and commitment to students in 2023.

Four faculty were honored with University-wide awards. E. James Petersson, Professor of Chemistry, and Evelyn Thomson, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, received the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, the highest teaching award conferred by the University. The Provost’s Award for Distinguished Ph.D. Teaching and Mentoring was given to Marisa Kozłowski, Professor of Chemistry, and Paul K. Saint-Amour, Walter H. and Leonore C. Annenberg Professor in the Humanities and Professor of English.

These faculty members and students were recognized with awards from Penn Arts & Sciences:

Ira H. Abrams Memorial Award for Distinguished Teaching

Coren Apicella, Associate Professor of Psychology
Timothy Rommen, Davidson Kennedy Professor in the College and Professor of Music and Africana Studies

Dennis M. DeTurck Award for Innovation in Teaching

Tobias Baumgart, Professor of Chemistry  

Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching by Affiliated Faculty

Maria Alley, Language Program Coordinator, Russian and East European Studies
Anthony Cirri, Lecturer, Chemistry

Dean's Award for Mentorship of Undergraduate Research

Rebecca Waller, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching by an Assistant Professor

Sarah Gronningsater, Assistant Professor of History

Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching by Graduate Students

Connor Cassady, Mathematics
Lourdes Contreras, French and Francophone, Italian, and Germanic Studies
Cheryl Hagan, History and Sociology of Science
Jesse Hamilton, Philosophy
Oualid Merzouga, Mathematics
Clancy Murray, Political Science
Keith (KC) O’Hara, History
Peter Satterthwaite, Ancient History
Cassandra Vu, Chemistry
Jacqueline Wallis, Philosophy

Liberal and Professional Studies Award for Distinguished Teaching in Undergraduate and Post-Baccalaureate Programs

M. Ruth Elliott, Lecturer, Biochemistry, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences and Pre-Health Programs

Liberal and Professional Studies Award for Distinguished Teaching in Professional Graduate Programs

Martin Seligman, Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology

 

Arts & Sciences News

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Mark Trodden named Dean of Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences

A distinguished physicist and accomplished academic leader, Trodden will assume the role on June 1.

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2025 School of Arts & Sciences Teaching Awards Announced

Penn Arts & Sciences annually recognizes faculty, lecturers, and graduate students for their exemplary teaching. This year’s honorees come from 10 departments and two programs.

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2025 College of Arts & Sciences Graduation Speakers

Michael Platt, James S. Riepe University Professor, will speak at this year’s College of Arts & Sciences graduation ceremony, along with student speaker Anthony Wong, C’25, Sunday, May 18, at 6:30 p.m. on Franklin Field.

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Three from Penn Arts & Sciences Elected 2024 AAAS Fellows

They include Marlyse Baptista, President’s Distinguished Professor of Linguistics; M. Susan Lindee is the Janice and Julian Bers Professor of History and Sociology of Science; and Christopher Murray, Richard Perry University Professor.

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Penn Arts & Sciences Receives $8 Million Commitment from The Robert K. Johnson Foundation

The gift will name and endow the Integrated Studies Program, which offers an immersive, interdisciplinary learning experience for Benjamin Franklin Scholars students pursuing degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences.

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Kimberly Bowes Named BFC Presidential Professor of Classical Studies

Bowes' research interests include Roman archaeology and economic history, with a particular focus on the lived experiences of the ancient poor.

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