Teaching Excellence Awards go to Smolak and Gillen

The Trustee Teaching Excellence Awards for 2001 - 02 were presented by Thomas Sant '65 to Professor of Psychology Linda Smolak and Assistant Professor of Biology Christopher Gillen at Kenyon's recent Honors Day Convocation. Each received a check for $15,000 in recognition of and reward for "exemplary teaching informed by creative scholarship."

Established in 1999 by the Board of Trustees, the awards go each year to one tenured faculty member who has been teaching at the College for ten or more years and to one tenured or tenure-track faculty member who has been teaching at Kenyon for fewer than ten years.

Smolak was recognized for her "lucid, rigorous lectures" and "creative assignments" as well as her mentorship for independent studies and honors projects. Smolak's research on the psychology of body image and disordered eating has resulted in countless publications and earned her a national reputation as an expert not only in understanding the causes of eating disorders but in defining strategies for their prevention. She teaches courses in developmental psychology, women's and gender studies, and in neuroscience.

A member of the faculty since 1980, Smolak holds a bachelor's degree and a doctorate from Temple University.

Gillen, who teaches courses in animal physiology and biology, was cited for "superb teaching, characterized by a contagious enthusiasm for science."

Having received grants from the National Science Foundation and published articles in some of the top international journals in physiology, Gillen has been one of Kenyon's most productive scientists since joining the faculty in 1997. He holds a bachelor's degree from Lafayette college and a doctorate from Yale University.

Do you have feedback on this page?