2024 Celebration of Teaching Awards
The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching would like to congratulate the recipients of the 2024 Celebration of Teaching Awards.
Matthew Reuter - Excellence in Teaching Innovation
Associate Professor of Practice, Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics and in the Institute for Advanced Computational Science (IACS)
Matt Reuter is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics and in the Institute for Advanced Computational Science (IACS). He received B.Sc. degrees in chemistry and mathematics from Michigan Technological University and a Ph.D. degree in chemistry from Northwestern University, where he was a U.S. DoE Computational Science Graduate Fellow. Matt is the lead author of more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and was awarded the SBU College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award in 2017.
Generative AI chatbots are simultaneously among the biggest impediments and biggest
opportunities for education in the early 21st century. I'm honored that my efforts
in (re)designing assignments to help students (1) explore applications of generative
AI, (2) demonstrate learning objectives with generative AI, and (3) mitigate chicanery
are being recognized.
Jason Rose - Excellence in Assessment
Lecturer, Department of Political Science
Jason has been a lecturer in the Department of Political Science since 2011. During
that time, he has been the recipient of multiple teaching awards including the SUNY
Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence and is a three-time recipient of the Frank
Myers Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award. An International Relations scholar
by training, his current research focuses on systemic discrimination in the public
defender system. Jason also serves as the co-coordinator of the Political Science’s
Research Assistant program and is the faculty advisor for Pi Sigma Alpha, the National
Political Science Honor Society’s SBU chapter where he has recently been awarded the
Best Chapter Advisor award for 2023 and SBU received the Best Chapter Award. Jason
is also the faculty advisor for College Republicans, College Democrats, the Pre-Law
Society and the SBU Sailing Team.
My approach to teaching is that each student has their own unique set of strengths
and weaknesses. I believe that it is an instructor’s responsibility to cultivate individual
assessment addressing these traits that builds a foundation for students to progress
to advanced study in the field, while emphasizing data and best-evidence over ideology
and partisan tribalism. Giving extensive, detailed feedback to students’ errors and
mistakes and providing them an opportunity to redraft and correct their work is the
crucial component to promoting a grasp of course material and cultivating rigorous
analysis.
Heejeong Sohn - Excellence in Experiential Education
Advanced Senior Lecturer, Asian and Asian American Studies; Assistant Director of the Center for Korean Studies.
Dr. Heejeong Sohn is an Advanced Senior Lecturer in Asian and Asian American Studies
and Assistant Director of the Center for Korean Studies. She teaches Korean history,
culture, and language. She has been a leading figure in the field of international
education and cultural exchange, particularly through her development and leadership
of unique study abroad programs to Korea since 2011, such as the internship-based
TaLK (Teach and Learn in Korea) program, the federal National Security Language Initiative
for Youth (NSLI-Y) program, and the Tri-University Faculty-Led Summer Program to Korea.
Dr. Sohn's innovative approach to experiential learning, curriculum integration, and
the use of new technologies has significantly enhanced the educational experience
and career readiness of her students and fostered a deeper understanding and appreciation
of Korean culture.
I am honored to receive this award for excellence in experiential education. Experiential
learning and global awareness are critical to helping students understand our complex
realities and prepare for the ever-changing challenges of today's world. By immersing
students in real-world experiences and diverse cultures, we equip them with the skills,
knowledge, and perspectives needed to navigate and contribute meaningfully to our
global society. Thank you for recognizing the importance of these educational approaches.
Rewa Thompson - The David L. Ferguson Award for Inclusive Teaching
Clinical Associate Professor, School of Nursing
Rewa Thompson, DNP, RN, WHNP-BC is a clinical associate professor at Stony Brook University’s
School of Nursing. In her current clinical practice she is a champion and advocate
for women’s health care and reproductive rights. As a nurse educator, she is charged
with leading students to strive for clinical excellence by providing the necessary
tools and resources to enhance their learning. Dr. Thompson’s teaching instruction
prepares students to become competent and caring future nurses and her scholarship
is deeply rooted in promoting health equity and mitigating bias and racism in nursing
instruction. She currently co-chairs the Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility,
and Social Justice (IDEAS) committee in Stony Brook’s school of nursing.
I am humbled by this award since it embraces recognizing diverse, equitable, and inclusive
perspectives in teaching. I have embodied this award category because my dedication
to promoting safe, caring, and compassionate nursing care through the lens of health
equity helps to mitigate bias and reduce racial disparities in healthcare.
Kathleen McGoldrick - The Brooke Ellison Award for Accessible Teaching
Clinical Associate Professor, School of Health Professions; Vice Chair, Director of Interprofessional Education (IPE)
Kathleen McGoldrick, vice chair, director of interprofessional education (IPE), and
clinical associate professor, joined the Health Science faculty in 2006. She currently
teaches Research Methods in Health Science, Scholarly Writing in Health Science, and
two courses in the Disability Studies and Human Development concentration.
As director of IPE she coordinates schoolwide educational events for students in a number of programs to practice effectively working in teams to maximize their roles as providers of healthcare services. She has been a student coordinator in the East Islip Soccer Club Just for Kicks program since 2011. In this role she coordinates Stony Brook physical therapy, occupational therapy, and health science student volunteers in a weekly adaptive soccer program. Additionally, she co-designed and facilitates senior instructor trainings for peer mentors in adaptive leisure and sports programs. She is currently PI on a study to evaluate the effectiveness of this program as well as another study that is looking at the program’s influence from the perspective of the players’ parents. Her most recent scholarly work focuses on the phenomenon of sharenting and the experiences of parents of children with disability who use social media.
Kathleen has recently completed SUNY DLE courses focused on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and attended numerous CELT presentations on increasing student engagement in the classroom. She has used principles from these courses and CELT resources to improve the accessible delivery of written, visual, and verbal information in the HAN courses and increase student engagement and comfort level. Professor McGoldrick holds a Master of Library Science from St. John’s University in Queens, NY. and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Siena College.
Each year I spend a good amount of time reviewing all my courses and incorporating
changes that create a more open and inclusive learning environment where students
with varying learning styles are supported. Whether the change is brought on through
student feedback or something I learned through a CELT or SUNY course, I am always
excited to try out new ways to allow all students to connect and succeed. This year
I was able to build increased accessibility into all the HAN courses by migrating
all the syllabi into UDL format that can be more easily accessed using a screen reader
or voice commands. Whether it is through scholarship, curriculum development or the
incorporation of inclusive learning practices, I am committed to advocating for the
rights and inclusion of all people.
Benjamin Levine - Excellence in Teaching - Teaching Assistant Award
Teaching Assistant/PhD Student, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Ben Levine is a Ph.D. student in the Stony Brook University Department of Physics
and Astronomy. He received a bachelor’s degree in astronomy and astrophysics from
the University of Chicago. Levine researches observational cosmology, studying the
fundamental nature of dark matter and dark energy through large cosmic surveys of
billions of galaxies. He also teaches astronomy courses for local high schoolers as
part of Stony Brook’s High School Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program.
I have been lucky to TA a small, upper-level course that gives me the opportunity
to get to know my students well. Our long nights at the telescope together allowed
me to cultivate the trust and connection that is the foundation of effective mentorship.
Beyond making myself available for questions both in class and after hours, I also
try to be helpful for students as they navigate academia beyond class — discussing
research, for example, and helping with graduate school applications.
Ahmad Esmaili - Excellence in Teaching an Online Course
Lecturer and ISE Program Director, Department of Computer Science
Ahmad Esmaili is an alumnus of Stony Brook University and a Lecturer in the Computer
Science department. Over the years, he has taught a variety of undergraduate courses
including advanced topics such as Mobile Application Development in iOS and Android.
He has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Undergraduate
Teaching.
His contributions to the university extend beyond teaching. He was a Principal Investigator of a National Science Foundation grant for a collaborative project with two other universities to research Innovative Active Learning Using Tablets and develop code magnets, a form of active learning component. His research explored the use of computers to deliver highly interactive content for educational activities.
Ahmad is also serving as the Undergraduate Program Director for Information Systems, performing a leadership role in shaping the program's direction and development. He was awarded the Certificate of Recognition in Assessment in 2023 and Letter of Appreciation for Exceptional University Service in 2024 for his dedication, invaluable contributions, and unwavering commitment to academic excellence and cross-cultural engagement.
I believe that presentation and teaching style have a significant influence on student
ability and motivation to understand the content of course material. I provide logical
and easy to understand real-life examples to explain the course material and provide
additional resources in a way that benefits all students with different learning abilities.
I state the learning objectives in my syllabi clearly and design course components
to optimize for maximum learning outcomes.
Maria Athanasopoulou - Excellence in Teaching an In-person Course
Adjunct Lecturer, Center for the Hellenic Studies, European Languages and Culture, and the School of Nursing.
Maria Athanasopoulou, PhD, MS, RN is an Adjunct Lecturer at Stony Brook University’s
Center for the Hellenic Studies, European Languages and Culture, Adjunct Lecturer
at the School of Nursing, and leads the Summer Abroad Program to Greece as Program
Director and Educator. She also serves as a Faculty Development Specialist at the
Office of Faculty Affairs of the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook. Dr.
Athanasopoulou completed her PhD in Transcultural Nursing, a Master of Community in
Nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Advanced Certification for Teaching
the Greek Language as a Second Language at the University of Athens inGreece. She
began her academic career at the University of Athens in 2004, she is the author of
the book Family Nursing (Greek edition) and has numerous professional publications,
including chapters in eight other nursing books. Dr. Athanasopoulou’s
focus of research encompasses Transcultural & Family Nursing, Women’s Health, Population Health, Health Care Disparities, and Health Equity Promotion. She continued her teaching career at Queens College in 2016 as Adj. Assistant Professor in Greek Studies and joined as Adj. Lecturer at Stony Brook in 2020. She served as Associate Director at the Center for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies at Queens College and completed a fellowship in Open Educational Resources (OER) for 2023 and 2024 at Queens College. She currently teaches at Stony Brook Undergraduate Studies several courses at the Center for Hellenic Studies, at Nursing School, and at the Global Health, Wellness, and Community First-Year Spring 102 Seminars.
I am incredibly grateful to CELT which has enabled me to excel in my role as an in-person course instructor and to colleagues and students who nominated me for this
distinction. This recognition is a significant milestone in my academic journey and
is a testament to the hard work and dedication I have put into my life. My students always
inspire me to innovate and improve my teaching methods continuously. Always, I try
to create a positive learning environment, which is supportive and based on mutual respect. I am genuinely appreciative of this accolade and am motivated to continue
enriching the learning environment for my students and contribute more significantly
to our Stony Brook academic community.
Sara Santos - Provost’s Outstanding Lecturer Award
Lecturer in the Program in Writing and Rhetoric and Assistant Director of the Writing Center
Sara is a lecturer in the Program in Writing and Rhetoric and Assistant Director of
the Writing Center. She earned her Ph.D. in English from Stony Brook in 2021. Her
research explores the trajectories of becoming posthuman in conversation with environmental
and neoliberal rhetorics. Most recently, her work has explored representations of
the Anthropocene in folk horror and of neoconservative nostalgia in the Hallmark Christmas
Movie Universe.
In my time as an instructor at Stony Brook, I've sought to develop an inclusive and
supportive classroom environment and improve my teaching in order to meet the specific
needs of each student. I use multi-modal and active learning techniques, frequent
formative assessment, and individualized attention in my courses. Further, I aim to
prepare students to think and act critically, creatively, and independently within
both our educational spaces and their social, political, and cultural communities
outside the university. My service to my program and the university similarly reflects
my commitment to fostering SBU's educational excellence: in my roles as Writing Center
Assistant Director, Chair of the PWR Program Assessment Committee, and a member of
the Arts & Sciences Curriculum Committee, I strive to promote access to effective
and inclusive education across our campus.
Kevin McDonnell - Provost’s Outstanding Lecturer Award
Professor of Practice and Undergraduate Program Director, Department of Computer Science
Kevin McDonnell is a Professor of Practice in the Department of Computer Science and
the Undergraduate Program Director for Stony Brook's Computer Science major. During
his 20-year teaching career, Dr. McDonnell has taught a wide variety of courses across
Computer Science, from elementary programming to advanced topics in CS applications.
He provides major service to his department by overseeing its undergraduate curriculum,
coordinating the CS major's accreditation with ABET, and serving as the primary faculty
adviser for CS majors. His research interests include data visualization and computer
science education.
Prof. McDonnell joined Stony Brook University in 2015 and since then has earned many accolades for his exemplary teaching and service. He maintains high expectations of himself and his students, creates innovative and unique homework assignments, employs inclusive teaching practices like peer instruction, and makes extensive use of educational technology to enhance his courses. In myriad ways he happily serves his department, the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the University at-large to support and promote their educational missions.
