The 29th Annual Outstanding Faculty Award Ceremony, acknowledging excellence in teaching, research and public service, was held Thursday in Richmond. Gov. Terry McAuliffe presented awards to 13 Virginian educators, two of whom were University professors — English Prof. Stephen Cushman and Asst. Biology Prof. Sarah Kucenas.
University spokesperson Matt Charles said the award, Virginia’s highest honor for college professors, reflects highly on both professors.
“The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Outstanding Faculty Awards are the Commonwealth’s highest honor for faculty at Virginia’s public and private colleges and universities,” Charles said in an e-mail. “These awards recognize superior accomplishments in teaching, research and public service — all critical elements of the University of Virginia’s mission.”
English Department Chair Cynthia Wall agreed, saying the award shows how dedicated these University professors remain to teaching at what is a large research university.
“It is the highest teaching award in the state” Wall said. “Faculty from U.Va. have received internal and external teaching awards…this is a great honor.”
Cushman said he was thrilled and grateful and felt the award was not just for him but for everyone in the University community and in the state.
“[I’m] accepting it on behalf of all the people at the Commonwealth of Virginia and the faculty, of everyone,” Cushman said. “It’s not an award just about me.”
He said the award was inspiring and helped reaffirm his commitment to his students and his work.
“I am even more committed now to working hard for my students,” Cushman said. “It’s easy sometimes to be distracted by many demands that one has on one’s time, but this award makes me [want] to be a good teacher.”
Kucenas said she felt similarly honored and humbled, especially given the achievements and prestige of her peers.
“It’s definitely very humbling...there are so many great universities here,” Kucenas said.
Kucenas said the award was particularly special because of the importance students played in the nomination process.
“Students can nominate for this award — it all starts with the students,” Kucenas said. “They’re the reason we get the award. If not for their activity and contribution, we wouldn’t have received the award.”
Wall said Cushman was a fantastic teacher, one whom many at the University try to emulate.
“[Cushman] always gets raves, whatever he teaches — he’d probably get 5s [on his teaching evaluations] for ‘The Art of the Phonebook’,” Wall said in an e-mail. “[He’s] intellectually rigorous, philosophically challenging, deft in directing discussion, memorably effective in teaching writing, close reading, and argument and hilarious. He is what we all want to be.”
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