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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – With exceptional track records for providing unique experiential learning opportunities to students, two University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) faculty have earned teaching honors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The UF/IFAS faculty members received Excellence in Teaching awards.
Eric McLamore, a UF/IFAS associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering, earned one of two national awards in the New Teacher category. Nicole Stedman, a UF/IFAS professor of agricultural education and communication, received one of six regional awards across the nation. McLamore and Stedman received $2,000 each to put toward strengthening the instructional programs of their choice within CALS.
“CALS is proud of the work Dr. McLamore and Dr. Stedman have done to prepare students to address our world’s critical challenges related to agriculture, food systems, human wellbeing, natural resources and sustainable communities,” said CALS Dean Elaine Turner. “They provide a wonderful example of the kind of teaching excellence UF/IFAS educators promote around our state and across the nation.”
McLamore advocates for learner-centered teaching and learner-teacher rapport as core principles of the learning environment. He employs hands-on learning activities in his classroom that focus on incorporating life experiences and humanitarian issues into engineering problem solving.
Stedman’s teaching philosophy embraces opportunities for students to experiment with concepts while developing abilities and confidence when it comes to asking difficult questions, evaluating arguments and examining personal judgements. Graduate students described Stedman’s teaching style as one that includes a little bit of something for everyone, ensuring each student leaves the classroom challenged.
“I am absolutely honored to receive this recognition,” said Stedman. “It is truly a humbling experience to be recognized for something that you love doing. Teaching and the impact that we have on students holds such a special place in my heart, and it is a privilege to be recognized alongside so many other excellent educators.”
McLamore and Stedman join 12 other UF/IFAS faculty members who have received this prestigious award since 2004. This makes UF one of the educational institutions with the most recipients of the USDA Excellence in Teaching awards. The awards presentation was made on Nov. 13 at the annual meeting of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) in Austin, Texas.
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By: Dana Edwards www.cals.ufl.edu
352-392-1963
dana.edwards@ufl.edu
Source: Elaine Turner, 352-392-1963, returner@ufl.edu
Caption: Two University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) faculty have earned teaching honors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Eric McLamore, left, a UF/IFAS associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering, earned one of two national awards in the New Teacher category. Nicole Stedman, right, a UF/IFAS professor of agricultural education and communication, received one of six regional awards across the nation.
Credit: Courtesy, UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) administers the degree programs of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). The mission of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is to deliver unsurpassed educational programs that prepare students to address the world’s critical challenges related to agriculture, food systems, human wellbeing, natural resources and sustainable communities. Visit the CALS website at cals.ufl.edu, and follow CALS on social media platforms at @ufcals.
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