UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Lauraine Hawkins, professor of biology at Penn State Mont Alto, is the recipient of the 2016 Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching.
The award recognizes excellence in teaching and student support among tenured faculty who have been employed full time for at least five years with undergraduate teaching as a major portion of their duties. Milton S. Eisenhower, brother of former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, served as president of Penn State from 1950 to 1956.
Hawkins says young students start out curious, eager to learn and ask endless questions. But that enthusiasm declines in their teens.
“My goal is to reawaken that curiosity,” said Hawkins. “Asking questions is what scientists do.”
She relies on games, simulations, scenarios and hands-on activities to make abstract ideas and processes tangible.
“Students engage intellectually and rise to challenges when classes connect to their daily lives and aspirations. I encourage us to have fun, to work hard and to learn from one another,” said Hawkins.
A student who returned to the classroom after 30 years in the workforce praised Hawkins’ methods for preparing students for college learning. He feared that adapting to the learning process would be more difficult than the anatomy class he was taking, but he found Hawkins was helpful with both. Hawkins taught methods of study and time-management, which he said helped years beyond the entry level class.
A former student said Hawkins “exemplifies the passion, enthusiasm and wisdom that mark a great teacher. Her approach to teaching provides all the tools for a student to succeed not only in her classroom but also in life.” The former student, also an adult learner, praised Hawkins’ ability to teach students on different academic paths.
A colleague added “Hawkins is a savvy professor who has methodically and thoughtfully perfected her craft over a decade of facilitating teaching and learning. She has woven together and insightful teaching philosophy informed by many years of experimentation.”
