2002 Recipients
Marcia B. Gealy
Charles Deering McCormick University Distinguished Lecturer
Marcia B. Gealy is a graduate of Howard College (A.B. 1961), Columbia University (M.A. 1965), and the Ohio State University (Ph.D. 1976). She joined Northwestern's faculty in 1980 where she is currently College Lecturer in the Writing Program. Her students praise her as a dynamic teacher whose ability to draw them into a deepened appreciation of literature is equaled by her skill in molding them into better writers. Students who have taken her Modern Jewish Literature course call her an effective leader of classroom discussion who genuinely respects them and their points of view. Those who have taken her composition courses appreciate the care and attention she devotes to their writing, applauding her willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty to help them improve their rhetorical skills. A fellow in Northwestern's Residential College since 1993, Gealy is a trusted mentor and treasured friend to the women of Hobart House who has received the Women's Residential College Faculty Award seven times. She has been named to the Northwestern ASG Faculty Honor Roll six times, and in 1986 was recognized on the Mortar Board Faculty Honor Roll. She has presented her scholarly work at numerous conferences and written articles on Bernard Malamud and pedagogy. Her teaching and research have been funded by B'nai B'rith and the Illinois Humanities Council.
Edward Gibson
Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence
Edward Gibson is a graduate of Clark University (B.A. 1977) and Columbia University (M.A. 1981, M.A. 1988, and Ph.D. 1992). He joined Northwestern's faculty in 1994 where he is currently Associate Professor of Political Science. Students invariably praise him as an engaging, charismatic, and extremely knowledgeable teacher who presents complicated and potentially dry material in a comprehensible and compelling fashion. Those who have taken his Latin American Politics class remark again and again on the way in which he uses his expertise, wit, and inimitable sense of humor to bring the subject matter to life. As a Faculty Associate of the Public Affairs Residential College, he regularly engages students outside the classroom, where he is always willing to discuss international politics or to involve them in on-campus activities. He received in 1997 the Barry Farrell Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Political Science department and in 2000 the E. Leroy Hall Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. In 1997, Gibson was the first Political Scientist to win the National Science Foundation's prestigious "Faculty Early Career Development Program" award, which he uses to fund student travel to, and research on, Latin America. A regular guest on Chicago Public Radio's "Worldview," he has authored numerous articles on democracy and economic reform as well as a book on class and conservative parties in Argentina.
Richard A. Schwarzlose
Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence
Richard A. Schwarzlose is a graduate of the University of Illinois (B.S.J. 1959, M.A. 1960, Ph.D. 1965). He joined the Northwestern faculty in 1968 where he is now Professor of Journalism. His students describe him as a dedicated, enthusiastic, and inspiring teacher. Those who have taken his popular History and Issues of Journalism course frequently call him the best teacher they have ever had. All of his students appreciate the way he deftly uses the Socratic method to guide class discussion and to force them to think critically about the ethical issues they must confront as journalists and citizens. His influence upon his students extends well beyond the classroom, where he is a valued advisor and mentor who is always ready and willing to discuss the profession of journalism, current events, or life in general. Schwarzlose received the Northwestern University Alumni Association's Excellence in Teaching Award in 1991 and the Amoco Foundation Faculty Award in 1992. An expert on the history of the American wire services, he is the author of five books and numerous articles on such diverse topics as freedom of the press and the impact of technological innovation on communication. He has served as the chair of the History Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication as well as the chair of the National Historic Sites Committee of the Society of Professional Journalists.
William "Billy" Siegenfeld
Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence
William "Billy" Siegenfeld is a graduate of Brown University (B.A. 1970) and New York University (M.A. 1990). He joined the Northwestern faculty in 1993 where he is currently a Professor of Dance in the Theater Department. Students call him a vibrant, demanding, and committed teacher who has helped them grow not only as performers, but also as people. They praise the way his courses physically, intellectually, and emotionally challenge them to connect with previously unknown aspects of themselves. Those who have taken his Jazz Dance Study class commend his ability to explain clearly and simply the complex components of his "rhythm first" technique. Students from numerous majors take courses with him every quarter for four years because he offers them a profoundly enriching level of instructional excellence and personal support. Also a critically acclaimed performer, he is the Artistic Director, choreographer and principal dancer-singer-actor of the Jump Rhythm Jazz Project. This national and international touring group, which includes some of his former students, performs the arts of classic jazz dance and tap, jazz music and music theatre. Siegenfeld received in 1997 the Ruth Page Dance Achievement Award for Outstanding Choreography and in 1994 the Jazz Dance World Congress Gold Leo Award for Outstanding Choreography. He has served as an adjudicator for the American College Dance Festival Association and has received three grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.