Beeson receives college's teacher award
by Dick Peterson
Public Relations
By his own admission, teaching keeps Craig Beeson, Ph.D., young.
And it was teaching that netted Beeson, a Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences associate professor, the College of Graduate Studies Teacher of the Year Award. The college’s 2004-2005 First-Year Curriculum students nominated 10 faculty and voted Beeson for the prize.
Dr. Perry Halushka,
right, presents Dr. Craig Beeson with the College of Graduate Studies
Teacher of the Year.“I’m surprised. They caught me off guard,” Beeson said. “But more important, it’s good that the College of Graduate Studies has this award. It shows the college values teaching and supports the first year curriculum. Most schools do nothing to recognize teaching.”
Beeson came to MUSC three years ago from the University of Washington, Seattle.
The Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award was initiated in 2002 by College of Graduate Studies Dean Perry Halushka, M.D., Ph.D., to encourage teaching excellence in the college. “That was the first year we could hold an event like this,” Halushka said. “It’s our common first-year curriculum that makes it possible.”
The college’s first-year curriculum brought together the common elements of the full array of disciplines in the College of Graduate Studies and gave students a chance to compare and choose where they wish to direct their graduate careers. Prior to 2002, the college’s courses were all department-based, which prevented a collegewide poll on teaching excellence.
“All 10 nominees were truly outstanding teachers,” Halushka said. “I am particularly pleased that the College of Graduate Studies is in a position to recognize our outstanding teachers. The teachers in the first-year curriculum play a pivotal role in providing our students with the core information and tools necessary to become outstanding scientists.”
Beeson bragged about the quality of students in the College of Graduate Studies. “They stack up with students from Stanford, Cal Tech, and UC Berkeley,” he said. “Ours are just as competitive.”
Also nominated for the award were Rosalie Crouch, Ph.D., Christopher Davies, Ph.D., Thomas Dix, Ph.D., Dhan Kuppuswamy, Ph.D., Kevin Schey, Ph.D., Lisa Cunningham, Ph.D., Debra Hazen-Martin, Ph.D., David Kurtz, Ph.D., and Don Menick, Ph.D.
The award winner receives a personal plaque, their name on a plaque outside of the College’s office, $250 and a free parking space for a year.
Friday, May 6, 2005
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