Yaron, Brown and Winger Honored for Teaching Excellence in MCS
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Trustees Reappoint President Jared Cohon to Second Term

Cohon Named to Homeland Security Advisory Council

Berry, Cornuéjols and Jones Earn Top Faculty Distinction

H&SS Honors Philosophy's Robert Cavalier for "Striking Generosity" and "Innovation"

Students Help Nonprofits Enhance Productivity Through Technology

Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge Challenges Grads to "Invent a New and Brighter Future"

Yaron, Brown and Winger Honored for Teaching Excellence in MCS

Placeway and Reading Garner MCS Service and Rookie Awards

VP Jeff Bolton Named CFO of Mayo Foundation

University Forms Consortium to Lead Efforts in "Sustainable Computing"

News Briefs
Andy Award Nominations Due

Choset Chosen a Top 100 Innovator

Borg Urges Women to Enter Technology Fields

Nation's #1 Midshipman


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Teaching award winners and Graduate Student teaching award winner
Yaron, Brown and Winger Honored for Teaching Excellence in MCS
David Yaron, William Brown and Aris Winger received this year's Mellon College of Science (MCS) Teaching Awards. They were recognized at an awards ceremony in May.

Yaron, professor of chemistry, received the Julius Ashkin Teaching Award for devotion and effectiveness in teaching undergraduates. Brown, professor of biological sciences, received the Richard Moore Education Award for substantial contributions to the college's educational mission. Winger, a teaching assistant in mathematical sciences, received the Hugh Young Graduate Student Teaching Award, which recognizes excellent teaching ability.

David Yaron
Rea Freeland, associate head of the Department of Chemistry, said Yaron epitomizes devotion.

"There is no doubt that Dave Yaron views teaching as much more than a classroom activity and takes an active mentoring role in the department and college," Freeland said.

Yaron, who joined the department as an assistant professor in 1993, has displayed and achieved excellence inside and outside the classroom. In 2000, he was awarded the Henry Dreyfuss Teacher-Scholar Award.

"Beyond his excellent work in the classroom and with educational research, Dave Yaron has provided leadership in the chemistry curriculum and the college," Freeland said.

Yaron's contributions to the college include serving as the junior chemistry class advisor, leading college-wide funding to obtain resources for research and teaching, securing fellowships for computational science students' summer internships and mentoring his teaching assistants. He helped develop new tracks of coursework for undergraduate students, such as the computational chemistry track.

Yaron has been an advocate for using technology to enhance the teaching and learning process. Joel Smith, vice provost for computing services and director of the Office of Technology for Education, praised Yaron's creativity and sensitivity to students' needs in his software.

"Unlike many faculty who develop instructional software exclusively from their institutions, Yaron made the effort to seek input from experts in cognitive science and software design at Carnegie Mellon as part of his development process," Smith said.

Yaron's nomination packet also contained praise from students. "He's great at explaining things and a very fair grader. He does everything he can to help us," wrote a student in his evaluation of Yaron.

William Brown
Elizabeth Jones, head of the Department of Biological Sciences, said Brown's "innovative approaches and dedication to excellence in education are known across campus, throughout the country and around the world."

Brown joined the MCS faculty in 1973 and has served in a variety of positions, including department head for more than five years. Jones believes Brown's scientific knowledge and his pioneering spirit helped lay a strong foundation for the young department. He demonstrated his enthusiasm for the sciences through various programs and initiatives, and his commitment continues today.

Brown, who earned the Julius Ashkin Award in 1986, conceived the new Bachelor of Science and Arts degree program. He also assisted with the creation of the unified, interdisciplinary major in Biological Sciences and Psychology, and now serves as a faculty member on the executive board of the Science and Humanities Scholars program.

Brown is also active in university outreach. He has worked with area secondary school teachers and is an active supporter of the Science Education Partnership Award, a teacher training program for which he helped to raise more than $1 million in resources.

Brown helped to establish the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences and has served as an instructor in the program, which brings highly talented high school students to Carnegie Mellon's campus each year. He has judged science fairs, led discussions with high school students, served as a public school science and technology advisor, and invited students into his lab to conduct research projects.

"There seems to be no end to his imagination. His ability to assemble the people, resources and materials to make a program not only work, but grow, is phenomenal," Jones said.

Aris Winger
Winger, a fourth­year graduate student in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, has taught various calculus classes to both Carnegie Mellon and high school students throughout the year. He also is a supervisor of the Peer Tutoring program, run by the Office of Academic Development.

Students respond well to Winger's teaching. His recitations and office hours are well attended.

Lisa Campus, a sophomore chemical engineering and engineering and public policy major, said, "Aris was more patient than I deserved.... He had the wisdom to see what I did know and linked that to the concepts I thought I would never be able to understand. Above all, he made the process comfortable."

"During my 20 years of experience in higher education, I have met few teaching assistants as devoted to students as Aris Winger," said Linda Hooper, coordinator of Academic Development. "Through his passion for teaching, he conveys his genuine passion to others, and inspires them to perform to the best of their abilities."

Winger has represented the department at Mathfest, an annual meeting designed to encourage minorities to attend graduate school in mathematics. Last summer he was an instructor in Carnegie Mellon's Summer Academy for Minority Scholars.

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Kathleen A. Fischer
(06/21/02)


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