Two in CNS Receive Dads’ Association Centennial Teaching Fellowships
The fellowships recognize faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and made significant contributions to undergraduate education at UT Austin.
Steven Finkelstein and Kristin Harvey of the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin have been awarded endowed Dads’ Association Centennial Teaching Fellowships for 2017-2018. The fellowships recognize faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and made significant contributions to undergraduate education at UT Austin.
Steven Finkelstein
“The strength of the university starts with outstanding faculty and the impact they have on the lives of our students. I am excited to honor these inspiring educators and scholars at UT Austin,” said Maurie McInnis, executive vice president and provost. “Their dedication and commitment to our students and teaching excellence makes me proud to have them as colleagues.”
Finkelstein, an assistant professor in the Department of Astronomy, came to UT Austin as a Hubble Fellow in 2011 before joining the faculty in 2012. He has received two previous awards for his teaching prowess: a College of Natural Sciences Teaching Excellence Award and a McDonald Observatory Board of Visitors Teaching Excellence Award.
Kristin Harvey
Harvey, a lecturer in the Department of Statistics and Data Sciences, joined the faculty in 2013 after finishing her PhD at UT Austin in Educational Psychology, specializing in Human Development, Culture, and Learning Sciences. Her dedication to education previously earned her a College of Natural Sciences Teaching Excellence Award.
Two other faculty members at UT Austin were also chosen to receive Centennial Teaching Fellowships, which come with a $5,000 honorarium. They are: Patrick McDonald from the Department of Government and Ramesh Yerraballi from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The Dads’ Association Centennial Teaching Fellowships were established in 1983 by The University of Texas System Board of Regents using funds raised by the UT Austin Dads’ Association and matching funds under the Centennial Teachers and Scholars Program. Appointees are nominated by the deans of their college or school and must be actively engaged in teaching freshman undergraduates.