Three members of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences faculty and staff were honored April 27 at Celebrate Colorado State! Dr. Erica Suchman, an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, was named a Colorado State University Distinguished Teaching Scholar; Dr. Thomas Johnson, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, received the N. Preston Davis Instructional Innovation Award; and Shirley Liu, an accounting technician with ERHS, received the Eddy Family Scholarship.
Dr. Suchman, who joined CSU in 1995, is known for being a tough and innovative teacher on campus and for her involvement in professional organizations and on-campus programs that enhance learning.
“The Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology has a long history of bringing undergraduate students into the research arena early on in their academic careers, and Dr. Suchman has been a champion of those efforts,” said Dr. Lance Perryman, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “Whether in the classroom or in the laboratory, Dr. Suchman puts an emphasis on experiential learning, and on giving her students the tools they need to understand often complex biological systems.”
Designation as a University Distinguished Teaching Scholar remains with the recipient until he or she leaves the University. Scholars are chosen in an open process that begins with the selection of nominees by departments throughout campus. Only 12 faculty members may hold the title of University Distinguished Teaching Scholar at any one time.
Dr. Johnson received the N. Preston Davis Instructional Innovation Award for his continuing efforts to make education engaging, interesting and effective to on-campus and off-campus learners. Dr. Johnson heads up the graduate program in health physics and creates for his students exciting experiential learning opportunities including field trips to regional industrial facilities and an annual trip to the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
“Dr. Johnson is perfecting the art of teaching and instruction, and creating techniques we could all use,” said Dr. Ken Blehm, CVMBS Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education.
Shirley Liu received the Eddy Family Scholarship in recognition of a staff member making significant progress toward completing an undergraduate degree at Colorado State University. Dr. Blehm noted that she is a good role model of lifelong learning not only for students, but for faculty and staff members as well.
