Six of Wayne State University's best faculty members received 1998 President's Awards for Excellence in Teaching at the fifth annual Academic Convocation, recently held in Community Arts Auditorium.

Recipients are J. Ross Eshleman of Southfield, sociology; Francisco Higuero of Troy, Romance languages and literatures; KY. Simon Ng of West Bloomfleld, chemical engineering; Donal O'Leary of Ferndale, physiology; Lisa Rapport of Detroit (and formerly of Marquette), psychology; and Michele Ronnick of Detroit (and formerly of Sarasota, Fla.), Classics, Greek and Latin.

Each received a framed calligraphic citation denoting the honor and a $2,500 honorarium.

Brief profiles of the award recipients follow.

J. Ross Eshleman has distinguished himself as a teacher of sociology at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has the ability to bring alive the study of his discipline and make it pertinent to both majors and non-majors alike.

In addition to teaching in his areas of specialization, which include sociology of the family, introduction to sociology and comparative sociology, Eshleman also is active in preparing secondary teachers of sociology and social science.

The currency of Eshleman's knowledge is evident in his preparation of textbooks in sociology; he is the sole author of one on the family that is now in its eighth edition. Students have called the book "very engaging" and say that he has made the study of the family accessible to them. They also say that the book, when combined with his lectures, offers a thorough introduction to family sociology. An introductory sociology text co-authored by Eshleman and two colleagues is now in its fourth edition.

Eshleman is seen as a challenging but supportive scholar and teacher who is accessible to his students and encourages their development. His career reflects his devotion to teaching and his commitment to integrating it with scholarship.

Francisco Higuero's expertise in 20th Century Spanish literature, civilization and culture has earned him a place of distinction in his department and in the hearts
of many students - one of whom predicted, "He should win the Best Teacher Award pretty soon!"

Described by another student as a "pillar" in the Romance languages and literatures department, he is committed to continuous improvement in education. That commitment is reflected in Higuero's professional society memberships; activities in research programs, fellowships and grants; and his articles, journal publications and books. One of the new courses he designed, "Technical and Literacy Translation," receives high marks from both graduate and undergraduate students.

Higuero himself is frequently praised by his students, who consistently give him high evaluation scores. He often is described as "exceptional," "always fair" and "very professional." In his undergraduate teaching, he believes in preparing students to gain access to the necessary tools for a future in teaching. At the graduate level he focuses more on personal reflection, attentive reading and in-class dialogue.

Within his department, Higuero is known for his "encyclopedic" knowledge, as well as familiarity with current events in Spain. Additionally, he has helped restructure the syllabi for lower-level Spanish courses and introduced new courses into the program.

KY. Simon Ng has established himself as an innovative, dedicated and effective teacher, a respected mentor and a leading researcher. His constant pursuit of improvement in teaching is central to his effectiveness as a teacher, although he considers himself more of a "coach."

Ng follows a philosophy that "students learn best when they enjoy to learn" and has incorporated active learning methods in his classes. Students there are encouraged to raise questions and often are challenged to work in small groups on impromptu assignments.

Ng consistently receives very high student evaluations in undergraduate and graduate-level courses. Students appreciate his "incredible" organization; his approachability and willingness to listen; and his attitude of genuine concern for them. Said one: "Professor Ng not only makes his students work hard, he makes them want to work hard."

Not afraid of hard work himself, Ng demonstrates his interest in improving teaching skills by chairing the College of Engineering Teaching and Learning Committee. In that position, he has worked to clarify and improve the college's core courses; he also organized two successful teaching workshops featuring nationally recognized experts in engineering education. Faculty members recognize his efforts as a colleague and mentor in helping to further develop their teaching skills.

Ng sets high standards for himself not only in teaching, but also in research. He has published more than 50 journal articles in the area of surface characterization and catalysis; he also has directed the doctoral dissertations of numerous graduate students who have gone on to successful careers after graduation.

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Donal O'Leary is known as an extraordinary, "hands-on" teacher and mentor. His lectures in cardiovascular physiology to medical and graduate students consistently are rated by students as outstanding. Students report that they are completely captivated by his vast knowledge of and enthusiasm for physiology.
Noting his reputation for being engaging and charismatic, they often seek him out for special tutoring and review sessions.

O'Leary describes his teaching philosophy as a concept-based approach to learning, focused on developing his students' logical thinking skills. Colleagues recognize him for his attention to pedagogy and credit him with experimenting with non-lecture teaching strategies and introducing laboratory experiences that "bring home" the material covered in lectures.

In research, O'Leary has sought funding for both undergraduate and graduate students in his lab. His undergraduates have made successful conference presentations, with one winning an Outstanding Science Award and three having manuscripts accepted for publication in the prestigioua American Journal of Physiology.

His mentoring work, particularly with underrepresented minority students, has led to O'Leary's being sought for advice on how to improve training and research in physiology departments at medical schools with predominantly minority enrollments.

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Lisa Rapport is a gifted and dedicated teacher whose creativity, charisma and commitment to excellence have contributed significantly to students' growth as professionals, scientists and ethical human beings. She approaches her craft with an unbridled enthusiasm for clinical psychology and for developing knowledge and the ability to learn.

Students say it is an honor and a privilege to be enrolled in her classes. Rapport's energetic, enthusiastic and often humorous presentation style engages and captivates students at all levels. She brings course materials alive in ways that enable students to understand, appreciate and master the scientific foundations of psychology. Rapport challenges students to think, debate, question and internalize her zest for learning.

She tells students she will demand the highest performance from them, and then shows them how to get this from themselves and works tirelessly with them to enable their success. Rapport combines extraordinary subject knowledge and an animated communication style with a willingness to give selflessly of her time doing whatever she can to help students learn.

Her dedication and effectiveness are further evidenced by her exquisitely prepared course materials and the unprecedented success of students she has taught, mentored, advised and supervised. In impressive numbers, graduate and undergraduate students under her tutelage have successfully competed for scholarships, presented at prestigious scientific meetings and published in leading field journals.

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Anyone who thinks Latin is a "dead language" hasn't experienced the energy and passion of Michele Ronnick. In her classes - spanning freshman to honors courses in Classics and graduate seminars in Latin - she endeavors to a "remove the temporal barriers" and invoke in students a response to the "commonality of human experience expressed creatively...from classical to modern times."

Her students thoroughly enjoy her teaching, calling her "superb," an "exception to the rule" and "delightful, personable and knowledgeable." One colleague terms her "simply the ne plus ultra of pedagogy."
Ronnick has a remarkable talent for supplying her students with multiple perspectives within which to examine the Classics. In this way, Latin becomes at once ancient and modern; and classical culture is grounded in the past but relevant to the present and future.

Ronnick's approach to learning comprises a cyclic process of reading, reflecting and writing. That approach provides her with the ability and resources to make the study of Classics immediate and relevant to students. Always looking for the "interested nod or the appreciative smile," the talent of her contextualization nonetheless includes sophisticated instructional materials that provoke and intrigue students. Her disarming enthusiasm is founded in careful planning and reflected in consistently high evaluations and many comments revealing a newfound interest in and understanding for the Classics.

In an effort to extend the passion for material outside WSU classrooms, Ronnick has devised some creative projects. These include "Detroit Latin," a map of the city in Latin; sketches of the first three African-American members of the American Philological Association (APA); and multicultural bookmarks featuring little-known facts about women, blacks and other minorities and their relationship to the study of Classics. Her creativity has been recognized with awards from the APA and the Classical Association for the Middle West and South.