Alex Briesacher (Sociology) and Kimberly Silver-Dunker (Nursing) received Worcester State University’s 2018 George I. Alden Excellence in Teaching Awards at undergraduate commencement on May 19.
Briesacher “is motivated to create a better and more supportive learning environment for students, both inside and outside the classroom, and is an accomplished researcher,” Provost Lois Wims, Ph.D., said when presenting the award.
“He is known for working tirelessly for students, and for treating all students with respect and a willingness to meet them where they are, creating a safe, inclusive, and productive learning environment,” she said.
Briesacher worked on a study related to stereotype threat in the classroom that involved 32 colleges and universities in the United States. At WSU, he has applied multicultural organizational development theory in his service on the Campus Climate Committee—“helping us to create a more inclusive environment on campus.”
Wims highlighted Silver Dunker’s passion for advancing nursing education. “At Worcester State University, she synthesizes both experiences for the benefit of her students and her fellow faculty in the Dr. Lillian R. Goodman Department of Nursing,” Wims said.
She also “uses a research-based approach to help nurses move from the clinical world to academia, and she is committed to helping nurse educators use best practices,” Wims added.
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