Award

Albrecht Classen Wins 2009 Five Star Teaching Award

The Five Star Teaching Award, established in 1983, is the only university-wide teaching award bestowed by undergraduates. Students nominate faculty from across the university. This year 100 faculty members were nominated. The selection process is quite rigorous. Honors students on the Five Star committee collect comments from students, observe classroom teaching, and interview the finalists. This year’s Five Star Faculty Award Finalists were from varying departments - Steven Reff (Economics), Phillip Blanchard (Accounting), Katherine Morrissey (History), Michael Koerner (Chemistry) and Albrecht Classen (German Studies). All of our finalists this year, as every year, were phenomenal teachers, all willing to go the extra mile to ensure their students understood the material at hand in new and exciting ways.

The 2009 winner is Dr. Albrecht Classen, of German Studies. Dr. Classen has shown time and time again that he is committed not only to research, but committed even more to his students. Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Classen has developed a 6-credit medieval travel course to Europe, and is currently collaborating with undergraduate and graduate students on a book project, which will allow them to get published as co-authors. His open door policy and vivacious teaching style encourage students, even in classes of 300 people, to engage in lively discussion. The Honors College congratulates Dr. Classen and all the finalists for making the University of Arizona truly a World-Class University.