Six Distinguished Teaching Awards have been given to four faculty members and two graduate students at the University of Massachusetts, recognizing their excellence in the classroom.

The winners this year include professor of history Richard H. Minear, professor of plant, soil and insect sciences John M. Gerber, assistant professor of microbiology Wilmore C. Webley, lecturer in biology J. Zane Barlow and teaching assistants Vincent Cee in the music and dance department and Shabnam Beheshti in the department of mathematics and statistics.

“The Distinguished Teaching Award is indeed an honor, especially for anyone committed to undergraduate education,” said Gerber. “For me personally, it is also recognition of the emerging academic field of sustainability science. I feel privileged to be part of a revolution driven by students. They are the ones who are creating the demand. My work has largely been in response to their desire to re-create the world.”

Since 1962, this prestigious and competitive award honors the individual achievements of faculty and graduate students campus-wide. Both current students and alumni are allowed to nominate faculty, and their opinions contribute to the final selection process. There are over 100 nominations each year that are considered in a two-step process of data collection and analysis by faculty, graduate and undergraduate student committees, who then make the award selections.

“I am deeply grateful to all of my students who have seen it fit to nominate me for this most prestigious teaching award,” said Webley. “I also thank the committee for choosing me from among a distinguished list of hard working colleagues, all of whom are certainly worthy of this award.”

The four faculty members were acknowledged at the Celebration of Teaching dinner on April 15, and the two teaching assistants will be recognized at a graduate school luncheon. All six of this year’s winners will be recognized during both the undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies.

In addition, the winners receive a plaque and an award of $3,500 for faculty members and $2,000 for teaching assistants. The winners’ names are also permanently inscribed on a display wall in the Campus Center.

“I’m delighted and honored,” said Minear. “I’m grateful to the students who nominated me and the students, current and former, who wrote letters on my behalf. There are a lot of excellent teachers in the history department and the college. I accept the award with them in mind.”

In past years, only three faculty members and two teaching assistants are selected to receive the award. This year a fourth faculty member was added to the list by Provost Charlena Seymour in order to make note of the efforts of non-tenure track instructors, according to a press release.

“We are privileged as faculty members to be in a position to assist in the process of directing and molding these inquisitive minds as they search for their niche in a world that eagerly awaits their contribution,” added Webley. “To be recognized in this fashion by my students who both challenge and inspire me each day to strive for educational excellence is the greatest validation and honor that a teacher could ever receive, and I will continue to work hard to be worthy of it.”

Kristen Healy can be reached at [email protected].