Beth Whitaker, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, was honored on September 18 as one of five finalists for the 2015 Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence. Her colleague, Stanley Schneider of Biological Sciences, was named the winner.
Whitaker said she seeks to demonstrate to her students that learning is fun and works to cultivate a passion for an academic subject that will translate into lifelong learning for her students. Beyond getting students excited about learning, Whitaker wants students to learn how political landscapes function in other countries so they appreciate diverse processes and perspectives.
“She is one of the most inspiring professors,” said Koffi Yao-Kouame, one of Whitaker’s students. “She knows how to infuse or awake your passion for the subject.” Yao-Kouame presented a paper he wrote for Whitaker’s African politics class on the Liberian roots of the war in Côte d’Ivoire and won a regional conference’s award for best graduate student paper.
Whitaker said that she hopes that her students will be inspired to stay informed about international affairs. Believing that students learn best when they are actively engaged, Whitaker begins each of her classes with a discussion of current international events, allowing students to make connections between course topics and real-world issues. She incorporates debates, simulations, literature, film, YouTube clips and written assignments into her courses. Colleagues commonly see a line of students snaking down the hallway waiting to talk to Whitaker during office hours.
Whitaker joined the faculty in 2002 and served as associate chair and undergraduate director in the department. During her time at UNC Charlotte, she has participated in numerous workshops offered by the Center for Teaching and Learning to refine her teaching strategies and to look for new ideas to improve student engagement and performance. She also has participated in the Center for Teaching and Learning’s Top 40 Academy, aimed at increasing the success of freshmen.
In addition, Whitaker has served as a mentor in the Charlotte Research Scholars program, which enables high-achieving undergraduates to conduct research with a faculty mentor during the summer. She has been the faculty advisor for several student organizations, including the College Democrats, STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition and Pi Sigma Alpha honor society.
For Whitaker, teaching extends beyond the traditional “walls” of the academy. She often shares her enthusiasm for an often-misunderstood African continent with the greater Charlotte community through public lectures. This year, Whitaker is leading a Charlotte Teachers Institute seminar “Africa: Moving beyond Popular Culture” for teachers from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Using books and films by African authors and directors that challenge existing stereotypes about Africa, Whitaker is working with teachers to develop K-12 curriculum units that present a broader and more representative image of that continent.
This article is reprinted from inside.uncc.edu.Photo: Wade Bruton.
