Three UHart educators are recipients of the Sustained Excellence in Teaching Award for Part-Time Faculty, which recognizes outstanding contributions to teaching and learning. They are Rachel Blair (Barney), Brian Jud (Barney), Birce Tanriguden (Hartt), and Shamila Zubairi (CETA).
The awards were presented at UHart’s spring semester kickoff in Millard Auditorium on February 4.
Meeting the recipients:
Rachael Blair leads several required courses for students pursuing a master’s degree in the Barney School’s business analytics program. The names of her courses may sound daunting—such as Python business data analytics and managerial statistics and analysis—but her teaching style is so engaging, and she’s so good at showing practical applications, that they’re anything but daunting if you’re in her class. Blair encourages curiosity, persistence, and confidence, and takes extra steps not just for her own courses, but for the department as a whole.
Brian Jud, an adjunct professor of marketing and entrepreneurship at the Barney School of Business, has the kind of experience from students truly benefit. An impressive career in publishing, sales, consulting, and marketing provided Jud with the knowledge that his students use to plan their own careers. He is an expert at creating a student-centered learning environment that bridges the gap between theory and practice, and he loves to immerse his students in real-world projects.
Birce Tanriguden is the ultimate Hartt School success story, having contributed as an alum, a staff member, and a faculty member. She manages the administrative complexities of the Theatre and Music Education Divisions with absolute perfection, while simultaneously leading graduate and undergraduate courses—from the Psychology of Music to Elementary Vocal Methods. Tanriguden leads with a rare blend of kindness and patience, creating an environment that students describe as both challenging and safe.
Shamila Zubairi, a part-time faculty member of the architecture department in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture, is in constant pursuit of ways to improve her courses, raise student expectations, and elevate their experiences. As an instructor of undergraduate courses in architectural design, architecture graphics, and digital tools, Zubairi goes beyond expectations of part-time faculty. She does not simply teach how to draw—she teaches how to think like a designer, compelling her students to go beyond assignments to pursue continual improvement.