CMU-Q recognizes two professors for exceptional teaching award

In a campus first, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) has selected two faculty members to receive the 2019-20 Meritorious Teaching Award. Lauren Burakowski and Nui Vatanasakdakul were recognized for going above and beyond expectations to contribute to the development and learning of students.

Each year, CMU-Q students are asked to nominate professors for the teaching award. Students submit a nomination letter that comments on the faculty member’s commitment to student learning, innovation in teaching strategies, and commitment to student learning outside of the classroom. The winners are selected by secret ballot by a committee of faculty members, including past winners of the award.

This year, the two top candidates were Burakowski and Vatanasakdakul, and the committee recommended that both should be recognized.

While in past years only one recipient was chosen, the committee recognized that the 2019-20 year was exceptional. In March, the CMU-Q faculty moved 125 courses to online delivery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In these challenging circumstances, the CMU-Q faculty members showed extraordinary dedication and innovation so they could continue delivering a high quality, CMU education in distance mode.

Burakowski joined the CMU-Q faculty in 2018 as an assistant teaching professor of psychology. She received very strong letters from students who praised her for the level of support and care she shows for their learning, and for serving as the women’s football coach. In her nomination package, a student noted that, “She genuinely cares about you if you need help outside of university, and within this pandemic, every class she checks if everyone is healthy and doing ok.”

Vatanasakdakul joined the CMU-Q faculty in 2017 as an associate teaching professor in information systems. She received very strong nomination letters that praised her for her commitment to student learning in and out of the classroom. The students appreciated her focus on bringing real-world scenarios into her teaching through guest speakers, judge panels and simulations, for mentoring students on issues beyond coursework. One student remarked that, “Her efforts in making the topics relevant to our generation are very heartwarming, and really useful in making us understand why studying these topics is useful.”

The Meritorious Teaching Award is a lifetime recognition.