The Sociology department proudly recognizes three individuals, a faculty member, a student lecturer, and a teaching assistant, who have gone above and beyond to foster inclusive, challenging, and productive learning environments for our students.
Faculty Teaching Award: Professor Christine Schwartz
Christine Schwartz was honored with the department’s Faculty Teaching Award. In her long tenure at UW-Madison, Christine’s impact on undergraduate success has been significant; this is especially evident in her role with the Concentration in Analysis and Research (CAR) Program.
Renowned for her exceptional organization skills and well-balanced expectations, Christine’s ability to break down difficult topics into more digestible forms makes her a truly exceptional teacher. Whether instructing in the graduate class Demographic Techniques-II or teaching Statistics for Sociologists I, her talent in “assuaging any fear of math” is unsurpassed. One student remarked, “her love of stats made the atmosphere in the class exciting… and she created a positive, non-judgmental learning atmosphere.” Congrats to Christine on this year’s faculty teaching award!
Student Lecturer Award: Emily Burke
The recipient of this year’s Student Lecturer Award is Emily Burke. Although Emily has been a familiar face in our department for years, this is her first year as a lecturer.
Emily was rated “outstanding” in all assessed areas, especially her knack for creating an atmosphere where students felt welcome. Indeed, well over 95% of Emily’s students felt she created a safe space where they could take part. As one student put it, “Emily did a fantastic job in making the lecture feel welcoming and helped alleviate my fear of answering questions.” Congratulations, Emily, on your outstanding contribution to our undergraduate community.
Teaching Assistant Award: Yujin (Della) Tao
The Teaching Assistant Award has been conferred upon to Yujin (Della) Tao. After serving as a teaching assistant for five semesters for Soc 120: Marriage and the Family, Della is now an integral part of this course due to her expertise and organization.
Students appreciate how attentive she is and that she always goes the extra mile when preparing for exams. More importantly, her dedication and detailed comments on assignments, which she provides well before the deadline, have made a significant difference. As one student remarked: “I loved having Della as a TA. Della truly wants all of us to succeed and does a great job of giving specific and helpful feedback.” Congrats, Della!