Jane Horvath, associate professor of economics and director of the BA in Economics in the College of Arts and Sciences, is this year's recipient of the Roy E. Larsen Award. It honors a full-time faculty member for excellence in teaching and contributions to the campus community.
Horvath is widely recognized for her exemplary engagement, motivation, and mentorship of students, as well as her effective collaborations with faculty and staff members on numerous University initiatives.
In addition to overseeing the curriculum for the economics degree, she serves as the director for the minor in economics and political economy and as the academic advisor to majors and minors in each program. Horvath is also the founding director of the University's van Rooy Center for Complexity and Conflict Analysis. Working with faculty from across the University, she established the minor in complexity and directs the program. The University of Hartford is one of only a few universities in the country offering its students the opportunity to minor in this emerging and important interdisciplinary field of study.
"I have had the privilege of knowing Jane as a colleague, mentor, and friend for a long time, and I have witnessed many times her ability to bring out the best in students and lead programs that contribute to the curricular innovation and academic integrity of the University," says Melinda S. Miceli, associate professor of sociology and chair of the Social Science Department at Hillyer College. "She is a teacher whose impact extends beyond the classroom, building connections and communities of support, and equipping students with the analytical and critical thinking skills they need to navigate a complex world with confidence and creativity."
Horvath joined the UHart faculty in 1985, earned a PhD in economics from the University of Connecticut the following year, and developed specific research interests in economic development, the economics of teaching, and complexity economics. She also teaches Economic Development and Gender, Networks and Diversity in Complex Systems, and Exploring Complexity: Theory and Applications.
Horvath's colleagues note that she possesses an exceedingly well-rounded view of the school's broad constituency and the needs of its diverse community.