Stanford launched its inaugural cohort of Lecturer’s Award for Teaching and Undergraduate Education on June 21, recognizing the contributions of four educators across departments from theater to biology.
The new accolade, which honors those who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to teaching and research, shaping the academic landscape and inspiring students, recognizes Cathy Haas, who teaches at the Language Center; Aleta Hayes, who teaches theater and performance studies; Jamie Imam, who teaches biology; and Elizabeth Kessler, who teaches American studies.
According to the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Lecturer’s Award is designed to acknowledge those who have gone above and beyond in their educational roles. Recipients are selected based on their teaching quality, curriculum design and commitment to student success. Nominations are submitted by Stanford administrators, advisors, faculty members or lecturers.
Interim vice provost for undergraduate education (VPUE) R. Lanier Anderson said the four awardees’ outstanding contributions and dedication have “made huge differences in the lives of their own students and to the programs that they serve,” earning them this recognition.
The impact of the awardees extends beyond the classroom. “They represent visibility for a whole category of our professional colleagues who do an enormous amount of one-on-one educational work with students,” Anderson said.
Hayes, senior lecturer and dance coordinator in the Department of Theater and Performance Studies, said that she was “beyond the moon honored” to receive the award.
“I have this phrase, ‘We are always already dancing,’ and I want people to leave feeling like they themselves are dancers,” Hayes said. “Not even just the way they move, but the way they think about inhabiting space with other people.”
According to Hayes, dance is not just a series of movements. In classes, she asks students to consider how they inhabit space and interact with others, in order to enhance their technical skills and enrich their personal and social awareness.
Clément Dieulesaint ’22 M.S. ’24 had never danced before, but Hayes helped them “see that I [could] do it,” they said.
“One of the things I really appreciate about Professor Hayes is how she really pushes her students to [be] the best that they can possibly be,” Dieulesaint said. “I really value that she takes the time to get to know her students so it makes her class one of the most inviting places to be.”
Advanced biology lecturer Jamie Imam Ph.D. ’12, who directs the Honors Program in Biology and serves as a Lecturer Consultant with the Center for Teaching and Learning, said she was “really honored and humbled” to receive the award.
“It’s exciting that this award exists, and it really means a lot to have the contributions of lecturers highlighted in this way,” Imam said. “And it’s such a lovely group of people to be a part of.”
Imam is recognized for building a classroom community where students learn from working with each other, according to former student Julia Johannsen ’24, who said that students in Imam’s classes “want to learn” because of the individualized attention they receive.
“Dr. Imam is a very attentive professor,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had anybody be so involved in her students’ learning but also their life. So I feel like she really reinvigorated my love for learning.”
Imam fosters an engaging learning environment by trying to have students sit around people they didn’t already know, said another former student Bryant Alexandre ’24. ”You feel like you’re welcomed in the class because everyone is looking forward to meeting everyone and making new friends,” he added.
Elizabeth Kessler, an advanced lecturer in American studies, is also the author of “Picturing the Cosmos: Hubble Space Telescope Images and the Astronomical Sublime.”
“It’s really a great honor to be recognized with a teaching award,” Kessler said. “The moments that are the most memorable are the ones that I don’t anticipate. Sometimes it’s a funny thing, and sometimes it’s a surprising thing and sometimes it’s a really challenging thing. Those are the most memorable parts of teaching.”
Kessler said that she began to find a deep sense of fulfillment in making complex ideas accessible and engaging to students when she started as a teaching assistant at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Her experience solidified her passion for teaching and taught her the importance of creating an environment that nurtures students’ curiosity.
Camryn Pak ’23 M.A. ’24, who was formerly a news editor at The Daily, praised Kessler’s ability to foster a supportive and inclusive atmosphere, even in a virtual setting.
“She was able to create an environment over Zoom where you’re not afraid to talk because you know that she’ll be supportive, no matter what you say,” Pak recalled. “It never really felt like I was alone at Stanford. She would always be there to guide me if I needed her.”
Each year, the Office of the VPUE celebrates excellence through its prestigious awards, such as The Walter J. Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award Distinctive Contributions to Undergraduate Education in addition to the Lecturer’s Award.
The latter was brought to fruition by the Lecturer Award Committee this year, and the University plans to make the award an annual tradition. Anderson said that the VPUE Office hopes to host an event to celebrate the first set of winners next year, introduce them to the community and better publicize the award to encourage future nominations.