Chancellor's website utk.edu

 

2010 Excellence in Teaching

Casey LeBlanc
Casey LeBlanc, assistant professor of clinical pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, is a remarkably energetic teacher both in and out of the classroom. He works to get the entire class involved during his lectures by using skits to teach otherwise dry subject matter. The difficult concepts covered in his courses means that he also spends a great deal of time outside of class working with students to help them understand the material.

Ben Lee
Ben Lee, assistant professor of English, teaches courses in modern and contemporary poetry, literary theory, and African-American literature. An engaging teacher, he works to make sure all members of his class participate by creating a relaxed environment conducive to open dialogue. Even in courses with a mixture of graduate and undergraduate students, Lee is able to draw both sets into the discussion, making everyone feel comfortable sharing opinions.

Robert Sklenar
Robert Sklenar, associate professor of classics, has a love for Latin that many of his students find contagious. Sklenar’s teaching style works to encourage curiosity and participation. He gets students involved in lectures by asking them to write translations on the board and having the entire class engage in discussion. Though the translations may be difficult, he reassures students with logic and rationality. His nominator writes that he’s a warm teacher with a true respect for student opinions, never fearing to tell a student that he might like their translation better than his own.