Jane R. Dickie and Barbara A. Mezeske of the Hope College faculty have been named recipients of the college's "Provost's Award for Excellence in Teaching."
Jane R. Dickie and Barbara A. Mezeske of the Hope College faculty have been named recipients of the college's "Provost's Award for Excellence in Teaching."
The awards were announced during the college's
annual Faculty Recognition Luncheon, held on Monday, Jan. 5.
Dickie is a professor of psychology and director of women's
studies; Mezeske is an adjunct assistant professor of
English and director of the college's "English 113"
introductory expository writing program.
It is the third year that Hope has presented the
awards. In recognizing this year's recipients, the
college's provost, Dr. Jacob E. Nyenhuis, cited the praise
of faculty colleagues who had nominated them.
Concerning Dickie, one nominator had written that
she "has been a pioneer in many realms. Before many of us
even knew what active learning pedagogy was, [she] was
already using it in her classroom." Another noted, "It is
[her] genuine passion for social justice, her commitment to
teaching the quest for justice, and the firm personal faith
in God that animates her work that so influences our
students."
A colleague described Mezeske as "one of Hope's
best examples of teaching excellence," saying that "her
approach in the classroom is methodical and creative and
highly interactive. It's idea-centered, with lots of
encouragement of independent thinking." She was also
praised for structuring small-group discussions that
required students to have read closely and to have reflected
on their texts.
Both Dickie and Mezeske have been active in the
college's "Teaching Enhancement Workshop." They have each
also served on a variety of committees and boards at Hope,
in addition to being involved in the community.
Dickie joined the Hope faculty as an assistant
professor in 1972, and was promoted to associate professor
in 1979 and full professor in 1988. She was appointed
director of women's studies in 1991. Her courses during the
1997-98 school year include "Developmental Psychology,"
"Psychology of Women" and supervising students engaged in
special studies.
She graduated from Alma College with a bachelor's
degree in 1968, and holds a master's and doctorate from
Michigan State University.
Mezeske joined the Hope faculty as an instructor
in 1978, and was promoted to adjunct assistant professor in
1986. Her courses during the 1997-98 school year include an
introductory expository writing course focused on "The
Environment," "Expository Writing II," and "Literature of
the Western World" I and II.
Prior to coming to Hope, she had been a teacher at
Jenison Public High School.
She graduated from Hope with a bachelor's degree
in 1970. She holds a master's degree from Michigan State
University.