Seven recognized with Anya Bernstein Bassett Award 

Seven exceptional instructors have been named as the recipients of this year’s Anya Bernstein Bassett Award for Excellence in Teaching. Established last year, the award celebrates excellence in evidence-based teaching, pedagogical innovation, and fostering inclusive learning environments by non-ladder faculty members such as preceptors, lecturers, and senior lecturers. The recognition, which honors the former director of undergraduate studies for Social Studies who died last year, also provides a stipend to awardees. 

“Each of this year’s awardees is a great teacher in their own unique way,” said Dean of Undergraduate Education Amanada Claybaugh.

Recipients are: 

·         Janet Chen, Senior Preceptor in Mathematics  

·         Xingang Chen, Senior Lecturer in Astronomy 

·         Matt Reichert, Preceptor in Social Studies 

·         Elliot Turley, Preceptor in Expository Writing 

·         Raquel Vega Durán, Senior Lecturer in Romance Languages and Faculty Chair of Ethnicity, Migration, and Rights 

·         Sien Verschave, Preceptor in Life Sciences 

·         Alain Viel, Senior Lecturer in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Director of the Life Sciences Teaching Laboratories 

Though this year’s recipients teach across a range of disciplines, they are united in their dedication to teaching and bring deep thoughtfulness to their pedagogical approach.  

“[The award] has truly motivated me to keep working towards creating moments with students where learning feels like a shared adventure, not just another task,” said Verschave. “The best teachers are those who make a meaningful difference in their students’ lives, with an impact that lasts well beyond the classroom, so that’s what I try to do.” 

For Vega Durán, the award highlights her commitment to dynamic learning environments. “Educational excellence is about creating a space where teaching and learning go hand-in-hand, with teachers and students building knowledge together,” she said. 

Viel sees the award as an affirmation of his student-centered philosophy: “Excellence in teaching comes from ensuring all students learn and make meaningful progress in the subject you teach. If you’re teaching only targets the top 5 percent of your class and neglects the rest, you have failed as an educator.” 

“I’m glad that the contributions of non-tenure-track teachers are being recognized,” noted Turley. “In the writing classroom, teaching excellence is about cultivating … It’s the process of seeking out thorny questions and embracing confusion as a critical step to formulating ideas.” 

For Chen, the award represents a broader connection within the academic community. “It is deeply rewarding to see the joy of students who come to understand a subject that has long fascinated them but once felt out of reach, and to help open doors to further exploration, research, and discovery in their future careers and lives.”