Philosophy professor awarded for excellent teaching
Philosophy professor Stephen Daniel receives the 2019 University Professorship for Undergraduate Teaching Excellence.
Stephen Daniel
Stephen Daniel, a professor in the Department of Philosophy, is one of two faculty members to receive the honor of the 2019 University Professorship for Undergraduate Teaching Excellence (UPUTE), given to the university’s most distinguished teachers of undergraduates.
This award is given to educators that display uncommon excellence and devotion to the education of undergraduate students at Texas A&M. The selection process involves a nomination from their Dean, a recommendation from a committee and the Dean of Faculties, and a final endorsement from the Provost.
“Texas A&M University strives to meet our unique mission for Texas by supporting and recognizing our faculty’s outstanding efforts in teaching, research and service,” said Carol A. Fierke, provost and executive vice president. “These University Professorships acknowledge the particular expertise these faculty hold in working with our undergraduate students, as they become the future productive citizens of Texas and beyond.”
Daniel will receive the Thaman Professorship in Undergraduate Teaching Excellence for a period of three years and a salary stipend, and will continue with a commitment to contribute to colleagues’ ongoing professional development in teaching at Texas A&M. He also holds the title of Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence, awarded in 2007.
“Receiving this recognition validates my efforts over the past 36 years to engage every student in my courses at A&M,” Daniel said. “In one-on-one tutorials, small honors seminars, mid-sized survey classes, and mega-sized intro classes, I have tried to make students feel that philosophic issues matter, and that they can use the insights they get from our exchanges to improve their lives. The UPUTE award encourages me to keep exploring new topics, textbooks, and strategies, and to recommit myself to making the classroom experience memorable.”
The award was presented on May 2, 2019 at the Transformational Teaching and Learning Conference.