Five UGA faculty members were honored with 2016 First-Year Odyssey Teaching Awards at an April 7 reception celebrating the continued success of the First-Year Odyssey Seminar Program.
Award recipients, their school or college and their seminar titles included:
• Stephen J. Hajduk, professor, biochemistry and molecular biology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, “Molecular Basis of Human Infectious Diseases”;
• Melissa A. Harshman, professor and chair, printmaking and book arts, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, “Printmaking: A Hands On Experience”;
• Michael T. Mengak, associate dean of service and outreach, professor and wildlife outreach specialist, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, “Conservation and Natural History of the Southern Appalachian Mountains”;
• Anneliese A. Singh, associate professor, counseling and human development services, College of Education, “Social Justice and Activism 101”; and
• Robert J. Warren, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, certified wildlife biologist, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, “Recent Advances in Understanding and Managing Deer Overabundance.”
This is the third annual awards reception recognizing outstanding instructors who have demonstrated innovation in instruction, connection of seminar content to the instructor’s research and how FYOS program goals are incorporated into the seminar. This year’s recipients have been fully engaged with their students, provided them with a strong connection to the university through their research and tied their curriculum directly to FYOS program goals.
UGA is a leading institution for providing a first-year student engagement experience that promotes student success from start to finish. The FYOS program, administrated by the Office of the Vice President for Instruction and taught by faculty who tie seminar content to their own scholarly research, is unique among other first-year programs in the nation.
Since its inception in 2011, more than 25,000 students have completed a First-Year Odyssey Seminar. Faculty from every school and college—and more than 85 departments—have participated in the program. FYO seminars provide students with an introduction to academic life at UGA by engaging them with faculty and other first-year students in a small class environment. Students learn about UGA’s unique academic culture through lectures, social events and learning opportunities outside the classroom.
