The Dr. Sandy Utt Excellence in Teaching Award 2024 Winners
Two outstanding teachers have won the 2024 Dr. Sandy Utt Excellence in Teaching Award. They will be recognized at the AEJMC conference in Philadelphia. This was a particularly competitive year with many strong entries.
Elizabeth Spencer, assistant professor at Kentucky, won the non-tenured category. Her work stood out because her entry included, among other things, strong student portfolios based on semester-long service-learning projects.
Seth Gitner, associate professor at Syracuse, won in the tenured category. Formerly a participant in Empire State Winter Games as an amateur sled hockey player (disabled hockey), his students now document the games annually and much of their work is published in professional publications.
Congratulations to both!
Entry details (now closed)
If you are passionate about your working with students, consider applying for The Dr. Sandy Utt Excellence in Teaching Award 2024. This competition celebrates not only your knowledge but also your teaching skills, your passion for the field, your engagement with students and colleagues and your innovative skills in the classroom.
Dr. Sandy Utt retired in 2019 after 34 years of teaching advertising. She donated a portion of her retirement funds to support the Visual Communication Division’s annual teaching competition.
Categories
- tenured
- non-tenured, including graduate students
Award
Winners in both categories will be recognized during the Innovation in Teaching panel at the 2024 AEJMC annual conference in Philadelphia.
Application requirements
- Membership in the VisCom Division of AEJMC in the year you’re applying.
- A cover letter (two pp max) that highlights accomplishments contained in the package.
Please indicate at the top if you’re submitting to the tenured or non-tenured category.
- Your CV emphasizing visual communication accomplishments.
- A one-page letter from a colleague or a student supporting the application.
- One syllabus highlighting excellence or innovative practices in visual communication.
The winner’s syllabus will be posted on the division website.
Examples of student work from an assignment in the syllabus.
Extended Deadline
April 15, 2024
Compile materials and submit at https://form.jotform.com/240097490349159
Questions?
Ask VisCom Division’s teaching chair Denise McGill at mcgilld@mailbox.sc.edu.
Notification
A committee consisting of the VisCom Division’s teaching chair, head, and vice-head will
review and rank the applications and contact the applicants approximately one month after the
application date.