An Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) professor is the first recipient of the Suzanne Brown Excellence in Teaching Award presented by the Pennsylvania Society for Teaching Scholars (PASTS).
Dr.Mary Ann Cessna, director of the IUP Center for Teaching Excellence, won the award named for Suzanne Brown, a former associate vice chancellor of the State System of Higher Education.
Cessna, who joined the IUP faculty in 1967, also is co-director of the Bell Atlantic ADEPTT* Center being developed at Indiana to help train college faculty and K-12 teachers to use technology in their classrooms. That project is being funded through a $500,000 grant received earlier this year from the Bell Atlantic Foundation.
Cessna last year received the distinguished faculty award for teaching at IUP. She has been director of the university’s Center for Teaching Excellence for five years and is a member of the Reflective Practice Project, a group of 115 faculty members involved in studying the use of more active learning strategies in teaching.
She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in home economics education from IUP and a doctorate in the same field from Pennsylvania State University.
The Suzanne Brown Award was established to recognize the former System official for “her steadfast commitment to teaching and learning in higher education throughout the state of Pennsylvania.” It will be presented annually to a faculty member based on criteria that include demonstrated influence in interesting students in their field of study, development of effective teaching methods and “outstanding performance as a classroom teacher.” To be considered for the award, a teacher must be nominated by a member of PASTS, which includes graduates of the Summer Academy for the Advancement of College Teaching.
The State System of Higher Education comprises 14 universities throughout the Commonwealth, and is the largest provider of higher education in the state. One of every 29 Pennsylvanians is attending or is a graduate of a System university. The State System is the 17th largest employer in the state, with more than 11,700 employees.
The 14 state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The System also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Kittanning, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers.
*ADEPTT – Advancing the Development of Educators in Pennsylvania through Technology Training.