Posted on March 27, 2002 at 1:07 p.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The 12th annual presentation of the University of Alabama at Birmingham President's Awards for Excellence in Teaching will be held at 11:30 a.m. April 4 in the Sirote Theatre of the Alys Stephens Center during the Faculty Honors Convocation.

The following are recipients of the 2002 President's Award for Excellence in Teaching: Assistant Professor Jeffrey Bellis, School of Public Health; Professor Peter D. Burrows, Joint Health Sciences; Assistant Professor Cheri L. Canon, School of Medicine; Assistant Professor Madelyn Coar, School of Dentistry; Associate Professor Kent Daum, School of Optometry; Associate Professor Alan W. Eberhardt, School of Engineering; Professor Joan S. Grant, School of Nursing; Associate Professor Wendy Gunther-Canada, School of Social & Behavioral Sciences; Associate Professor Patsy E. Greenup, School of Health Related Professions; Associate Professor Sheri Spaine Long, School of Arts & Humanities; Professor Donald Muccio, School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics; Assistant Professor Janice H. Patterson, School of Education; and Associate Professor Richard Turpen, School of Business.

Assistant Professor Jeffrey Bellis, School of Public Health

Bellis has been honored for his excellent teaching skills within the School of Public Health. Bellis teaches research methods in behavioral science and development of automated interventions. Bellis also is an associate scientist at the Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Center for Health Promotion, for which he co-directs health communications for the research unit. In addition, Bellis is a scientist for the Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education. He is working on projects combating the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and is working to facilitate patient-education and behavior-change counseling for arthritis patients. He has published several manuscripts and articles and has given numerous research presentations nationwide.

Professor Peter D. Burrows, Joint Health Sciences

Burrows, a professor in the department of microbiology, played a major role in the organization of the microbiology graduate program. Burrows works with graduate, medical and dental students, from their admission to their graduation. For more than 10 years, he has been co-coursemaster of Cellular and Molecular Biology V: Introduction to Immunology for first-year graduate students. He has assisted several second-year microbiology students in preparing research proposals for their qualifying examinations. This past year, he began coordinating the qualifying examination for the department. He has been a faculty participant in a methods and logic course and has directed the Cellular and Molecular Immunology Journal Club. He is a member of several student dissertation committees. Burrows received the Scholar Award from the Leukemia Society of America in 1988, a fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science in 1990, and he has been an associate editor of The Journal of Immunology since 1999.

Assistant Professor Cheri L. Canon, School of Medicine

Canon has been recognized for her influence as an educator, mentor and innovator. In addition to her teaching duties, Canon is associate director of the residency training program and is chief of gastrointestinal radiology. She is member-at-large of the Integrated Medical Sciences Committee and faculty mentor for the UASOM and for the UASOM Minority Education Program. She coordinated five Scholars Week courses, which take place twice a year, and was a main lecturer for two of them. She is faculty advisor for the UASOM AMWA Chapter, for which she created a mentoring program. She is faculty advisor of the Radiology Interest Group. Canon also is a member of the Residency Education Committee. Canon is working with members of the Association of University Radiologists and the Society of Gastrointestinal Radiology to draft a curriculum in gastrointestinal radiology for medical students. She is the first author of the GI Protocol Handbook for residents, currently under revision.

Assistant Professor Madelyn Coar, School of Dentistry

Coar is being honored for the work she has done to revamp the five formal predoctoral endodontics courses she teaches. Her students say she is a devoted, enthusiastic instructor. Coar began working at UAB as an instructor, while maintaining a part-time private practice. She was acting chair for the department 1982-1983. In addition to five predoctoral courses, Coar also teaches in the postdoctoral clinic. Coar is former president of Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the Dental National Honor Society. She is faculty advisor for the local chapter of the American Association of Women Dentists, is the Women's Liaison Officer to the American Dental Education Association and a member of the dental school's Committee on Diversity.

Associate Professor Kent Daum, School of Optometry

Daum's extensive knowledge in the field of optometry and his ability to provide his students with an encouraging, honest learning community has earned him recognition. Daum teaches three pre-clinical techniques courses in the School of Optometry, who has worked with his colleagues to develop a system that provides more than 800 objective, standardized clinical practical examinations to students enrolled in these courses to certify their competency in a wide variety of clinical techniques. Daum is the director of the University Optometric Group, the School of Optometry's faculty practice. Since 1994, he has served on the school's curriculum committee. He is a member of the academic affairs committee of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry and has served on committees for the American Academy of Optometry and the American Optometric Association. He has published 50 peer-reviewed papers and has consulted with the U.S. Secret Service on vision standards, as well as the U.S. Navy and Air Forces on vision problems.

Associate Professor Alan W. Eberhardt, School of Engineering

Eberhardt has been honored for being an excellent teacher and mentor to his students. His students say he "demonstrates a passion for teaching" that is unparalleled. Eberhardt helped to establish and now directs the biomedical engineering undergraduate program. Eberhardt coordinated the Redshirt Engineers Program in 1998 is a member of the Redshirt Engineering Committee. Eberhardt has taught numerous graduate courses and two undergraduate courses in biomedical engineering. His articles have been published in several well-known academic publications, including the ASME Journal of Biomedical Engineering. He has received numerous accolades, including a nomination in 2000 for the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Professor Joan S. Grant, School of Nursing

Grant has been honored for her sincere dedication to teaching nursing students and her use of clinical scenarios to help her students critically analyze patient situations and plan appropriate courses of care. In addition to teaching nursing courses, Grant is research consultant for the Center for Nursing Research in the School of Nursing and is a scientist for the Center for Aging at UAB. Grant is a clinical nurse specialist in medical-surgical nursing. She is on the editorial manuscript review board for the Journal of Advanced Nursing and Research in Nursing and Health. She is on the National Board of Directors for the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses. Grant has received several awards, including the 2000 Ellen Gregg Ingalls Award/UAB National Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching in the School of Nursing. She also received the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1997. Grant was nominated for the Carnegie Foundation's 2000 U.S. Professor of the Year, as well.

Associate Professor Wendy Gunther-Canada, School of Social & Behavioral Sciences

Canada has been recognized for her devotion beyond the classroom. She has been nominated for teaching awards five of the eight years she has been at UAB. She is a representative on the Faculty Affairs Committee in the School of Social & Behavioral Sciences and is past chair of the Arts & Sciences Council. In addition to responsibilities at UAB, Gunther-Canada is a member of the American Political Science Association, the American Society for 18th Century Studies, the American Association of University Professors and the Southern Political Science Association. She holds leadership positions in the Southern Political Science Association and is a member of the nominating committee and the Committee on the Status of Women. She is past chair of the Political Theory Section and past president of the Women's Caucus for Political Science. She has had articles published in numerous journals and is book review editor of Women and Politics, a member of the editorial board for Women and Politics and a member of the editorial collective for Feminist Teacher.

Associate Professor Patsy E. Greenup, School of Health Related Professions

Greenup has been recognized for her high level of expertise, fairness, open-mindedness and inspiring methods of teaching. Greenup teaches in the department of diagnostic and therapeutic sciences within the School of Health Related Professions. She also coordinates undergraduate and graduate courses in clinical microbiology, as well as operations management courses for undergraduates and graduates and post-professional students at the graduate level. Greenup coordinates graduate student projects and is developing Web-based materials for several operations management courses. In 2000 Greenup received the Ellen Gregg Ingall's Award/UAB National Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Associate Professor Sheri Spaine Long, School of Arts & Humanities

Strong support and encouragement of her students has earned Long recognition from the president. Long teaches Spanish language, culture and literature in the department of foreign languages and literatures and also teaches foreign language methodology in the School of Education. She also has taught in the UAB Honors Program. Long received the Outstanding Foreign Language Teacher Award 2000: Post-Secondary, Alabama Association of Foreign Language Teachers and was a finalist for the Ellen Gregg Ingalls/UAB National Alumni Society Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching in 1999. Long received the Outstanding Foreign Language Teacher Award: Post-Secondary from the Southern Conference on Language Teaching. Long holds an associate appointment to the board of directors of The National Museum of Language and has been appointed to the national task force on professional development for the New Visions in Action Project for Foreign Languages. She was president of the Alabama Association of Spanish and Portuguese, the Alabama Association of Foreign Language Teachers and was Alabama's representative member to the Board of Reviewers for The Standards for Foreign Language Learning, K-12: Preparing for the 21st Century.

Professor Donald Muccio, School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics

Muccio has been honored for his high standards in teaching. His students say though he teaches chemistry, an extremely difficult course, in what some may call an "old-fashioned" manner, his high expectations make him more popular with those who take his course. Muccio has been a member of the UAB faculty since 1982. He teaches courses in biochemistry and physical techniques in biology. He is a member of the American Chemical Society and the Biophysical Society and is involved with the Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Cancer Chemoprevention Center, Vision Science Research Center, the Cystic Fibrosis Center and Biophysical Sciences & Biomedical Engineering. Muccio has been active in Birmingham City Schools' chemistry programs, has been a member of 35 graduate student committees, a member of the Research Advisory Group, Contrell Postdoctoral Fellowships and Graduate Education Committee.

Assistant Professor Janice H. Patterson, School of Education

Patterson has been chosen to receive the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching because her students say she exemplifies a true teacher with clear instruction and high expectations. Patterson teaches introduction to early childhood and elementary school curriculum, literature for the young child, literature for elementary and middle schools and supervision. She has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Patterson also has taught abroad in Haifa, Israel; Quito, Ecuador; and Mallorca, Spain. She has published numerous articles and two books: Bouncing Back: How School Leaders Triumph in the Face of Adversity and Putting Computer Power in Schools: A Step-By-Step Approach. She also is a member of the Birmingham City Schools' EPIC Elementary School strategic planning committee. At UAB, Patterson is a member of steering committees for the School of Education's Don't Laugh at Me program, the Alabama Reading and Writing Institute and the Young Author's Conference. She was nominated for the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2001.

Associate Professor Richard Turpen, School of Business

Turpen has been honored for his extensive knowledge in the field of accounting and information systems and his strong teaching skills. Turpen teaches financial accounting, auditing and applied research. He also works as a consultant locally and abroad. Turpen is an advisor to the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts of the State of Alabama and was instructor/author of electronic, multimedia Internet courses for the educational division of Pro2Net Corporation. He was volunteer consultant in international accounting, auditing, education and ethics to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and its Oryol Banking School and was a volunteer consultant in accounting, auditing and finance to the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and the Yekatit 25 Cooperative Institute in Ardaita, Ethiopia. Turpen was nominated in 1996 and 2001 for the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching for the School of Business. In 2000, he received the Loudell Ellis Robinson Teaching Award for the department of accounting and information systems.