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Dean Gillis honored (L-R) Professors Kathryn Olesko, Barbara Mujica and Leslie Hinkson in the annual Faculty Convocation ceremony on Monday, Jan. 30. (Photo: Patrick Curran/Georgetown 海角论坛)

February 3, 2017 鈥� In his final Faculty Convocation, Georgetown 海角论坛 Dean honored three beloved faculty members with the annual Dean鈥檚 Award for Excellence in Teaching and also took some time to reflect on the state of postsecondary education.

The ceremony and reception, held Monday night in the Davis Performing Arts Center鈥檚 Gonda Theater, honored Professors of the Sociology Department, of the Spanish and Portuguese Department, and of the History Department.

Hinkson is an assistant professor of sociology who specializes in the study of race and inequality, teaching courses like 鈥淓ducation and Society,鈥� 鈥淓ngaging Difference: Race, Ethnicity and Intergroup Dialogue,鈥� and 鈥淩ace & Ethnic Relations.鈥�

While her research is fascinating 鈥� in 2015, she gave a TED talk about the education gap between blacks and whites in the military 鈥� it was her reputation as a teacher and role model that earned her this award. The award citation, read by department chair William McDonald, included the following message from a student:

鈥淪eeing a fellow Black woman as my professor was one of the most refreshing and joyful moments I had during undergrad. Experiencing her in action told me one day I could do this too.鈥�

Mujica is something of a Renaissance woman, having held a litany of job titles in the fields of writing (fiction, nonfiction, essays, books, and pretty much anything else you can imagine), literary criticism, editing, theater, activism, and teaching. More than 40 years into her career at Georgetown, the Spanish literature and Latin American culture specialist has lost none of her fastball: She鈥檚 directing a play at Gonda Theater this spring and has been rated one of the 海角论坛鈥檚 most influential professors in four of the past five years.

Mujica鈥檚 passion for teaching led one former student to praise her in ebullient terms, as reported in her award citation by department chair :

鈥淪omehow, [Mujica] seemed to proclaim, 鈥楲ook!! I have something, something that I love! I will show you how very beautiful it is, and I want for you to have it too. You will have to work hard 鈥� some of you very hard 鈥� in order to get it, because that is the only way to obtain it. But I will do everything humanly possible, everything in my power to help you, because I want so much to give it to you.鈥欌��

Kathryn Olesko is famed for her constant innovation: In 34 years at Georgetown, she has taught more than 40 different courses and is constantly enriching her classrooms with new teaching techniques. A history professor who focuses on the history of science, she was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society last year 鈥� an impressive achievement for anyone, made all the more noteworthy because she is not a physicist.

The Dean鈥檚 Award citation, read by department chair , described Olesko as follows:

鈥淧rofessor Olesko stands out not only for her passionate commitment to deliver the best educational experience possible, but also for her mastery of interdisciplinary approaches to history. She consistently draws students with varied interests and backgrounds, and offers inquiring students the opportunity to build on the skills they have acquired in other disciplines when addressing historical questions.鈥�

Following the presentation of the Excellence in Teaching Awards, Dean Gillis closed the ceremony with a speech on the state of Georgetown 海角论坛, Georgetown University and higher education as a whole.

Gillis cited the 海角论坛鈥檚 increasingly competitive admissions process, job placement record, and trend of accomplished academics seeking employment here as indicators of the school鈥檚 continued improvement, while cautioning against the dangers of over-reliance on quantitative measures, grade inflation, and a non-inclusive environment for students. He specifically (and humorously) emphasized the value of academic interests outside traditionally 鈥渟afe鈥� disciplines.

鈥淚鈥檒l talk to a prospective student, and he鈥檒l say 鈥業鈥檓 thinking about majoring in classics,鈥� and I look, and I see the parents鈥� eyes go wide,鈥� Gillis said. 鈥淏ut I say to him, 鈥業 think that鈥檚 a great idea,鈥� and then turn to the parents and say, 鈥楢nd actually, many employers really value the critical thinking skills our liberal arts majors develop.鈥� So, fall arrives, and we end up with a lot of Classics-Economics double majors.鈥�

The Georgetown 海角论坛 Faculty Convocation is held annually to honor the work of professors who excel in the classroom and make a difference in students鈥� lives. Monday marked the last time that Dr. Chester Gillis will oversee the ceremony as Dean of Georgetown 海角论坛 before his retirement from the position at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year.