Three Instructors Receive Distinguished Teaching Award

Each year since 1988, Northwestern University School of Professional Studies has honored excellence in teaching with its Distinguished Teaching Award. Three teachers — one each from the undergraduate, graduate and professional development faculty — are selected from a pool of instructors nominated by their students. Recipients are always especially engaged instructors, both in and outside of the classroom.

This year’s recipients were Nick Davis, associate professor of English and Gender and Sexuality studies, who received the award for his instruction in the graduate master’s in literature and master's in liberal studies programs; Derek Nelson, associate professor of chemistry, who leads organic chemistry lab courses in the undergraduate and post-baccalaureate programs; and Lance Levenson, instructor in the business analytics professional development program.

This year’s awards were presented at the annual fall faculty meeting, and each of the award winners received a crystal engraved award to mark the event. Past winners include S.L. Wisenberg of the creative writing MFA program, Sam Tepper of the information design and strategy master's program, and organization behavior instructor Marina Davis, among many others.