Ten UGA faculty members who show passion and success in teaching have been inducted into the CTL Lilly Teaching Fellows Program. The newly selected Lilly Fellows are John Campbell, accounting; Kelsey Hart, large animal medicine; Karen Hilyard, health promotion and behavior; Casie LeGette, English; Laura Lu, educational psychology; Jayani Jayawardhana, health policy and management; Kate Myrna, veterinary ophthalmology; Neelam Poudyal, natural resources, recreation and tourism; Christopher Schulte, art education; and Nanette Spina, religion.
Each spring, up to 10 faculty members are selected to participate in the two-year program. At the time of nomination, applicants must be in their first, second or third year of a tenure-track position. A committee comprised of the program coordinators and Lilly Fellows from prior years interviews the finalists.
“All of the new fellows are very inquisitive, open-minded, accomplished and interested in interacting with professors in other disciplines,” said Jean Martin-Williams, director of the CTL Lilly Teaching Fellows Program. “It is an outstanding group who show real interest in how to make that connection with students.”
At its core, the CTL Lilly Teaching Fellows Program strives to improve the university’s instructional mission. Through its support of new, tenure-track faculty, the program seeks to provide Lilly Fellows with opportunities to strengthen their teaching skills and develop their ability to appropriately balance teaching with the research and service roles required by a research university.
“The university’s mission is to ensure that students get the best instruction and guidance as possible, and I think the Lilly Fellows Program feeds into that,” Martin-Williams said.
While building on the instructional skills and interests of new faculty, the program also builds a strong, unique network of instructors who show passionate support for the program even after their term has ended.
