Heather Walker Wins the Ro Di Brezzo Service to Teaching Award

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Heather Walker, a teaching assistant professor and associate department head of the Ralph Martin Department of Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering, is chosen as the recipient of the Ro Di Brezzo Service to Teaching Award. This annual award recognizes faculty who have provided exceptional service to teaching improvement through programs sponsored by the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center.

According to Lynn Meade, former co-director, "Heather Walker is committed to serving other faculty. She continually seeks out faculty development opportunities and uses things she has learned to build up others. She was one of the earliest faculty to get trained to be a peer observer, and she continued to recruit and to train newcomers to the program. She has not only elevated our institution, but empowered others to refine their teaching so they can create a lasting impact on the academic journey of our students."

Kathryn Zawisza, director of academic technology who presented with Walker on numerous occasions, wrote, "Dr. Walker cares about her students, and it shows. She is one of the most engaged faculty members I have worked with on campus. Her impact is felt not only among the students she teaches and mentors, but in the advice and counsel she provides for her colleagues."

Walker has made impressive contributions to the Teaching and Faculty Support Center. She presented "Understanding Emerging Adulthood to Increase Engagement and Meaningful Connections" at Teaching Camp 2023 and spoke on "Fundamentals of Peer Observation" at Teaching Camp 2022. In 2021, she presented "Blackboard Tips and Techniques" at Teaching Camp as well as presenting on "Blackboard Tips and Hacks" at the 2022 Winter Teaching Symposium. In 2020, she was a table discussion leader at the Winter Teaching Symposium. Her student-centered classroom approach earned her the October 2022 Cordes Chair where she gave a talk on "Reflections from Teaching through a Pandemic - The Silver Lining." In addition, she was one of the first teachers to become a peer observer and was instrumental in recruiting and training other peer observers.

Heather Walker, right, with guest speaker Jose Bowen.

Walker continues to be recognized as an outstanding teacher. She received the Outstanding Teaching Award through the American Society for Engineering Education in 2022 and won the 2022 Imhoff Award for Outstanding Teaching and Mentorship. She has also been awarded the Nontenure Track Teaching Award for the College of Engineering and has been recognized by the Associated Student Government and the Student Alumni Board as an Outstanding Professor.

Walker continues to grow as a teacher and has completed the Association of Colleges and University Educator's (ACUE) micro-credentials toward a certificate in Effective College Instruction: Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Learning Environment, Designing Learner Centered and Equitable Courses, Promoting Active Learning, and Inspiring Inquiry and Preparing Lifelong Learners micro-credentials. She has earned the New, the Not so New Faculty and the Remote Teaching Commendation for her participation in TFSC events.

Meade said, "Walker is an exceptional educator who inspires teachers to embrace the ever-unfolding art of teaching with passion and dedication."

The Di Brezzo Award, named in honor of former Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Ro Di Brezzo, recognizes an individual who has provided outstanding service to campus teaching through programs conducted by the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center. Walker will be recognized at the fall teaching awards reception on Sept. 26 at the Alumni House and will receive a recognition plaque and a $500 teaching enhancement grant.