Dyer teaching awards presented to 3 TAs

Eugene Mueller (right), associate professor of biochemistry, with Dyer Excellence-in-Teaching Award recipients (from left) Shawn Sullivan, Sonia D'Souza and Federico Cruz

3:23 p.m., Nov. 24, 2003--UD’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry presented its Elizabeth Dyer Excellence-in-Teaching Awards for exemplary service as graduate teaching assistants for the past academic year to: Federico Cruz, Sonia D'Souza and Shawn Sullivan on Monday, Nov. 10, at a department colloquium.

The Dyer Award honors graduate students who have served as TAs in exemplary fashion during the past academic year. Cruz, D’Souza and Sullivan taught during the fall 2002 and spring 2003 semesters. Each recipient receives a certificate and $250.

Eugene Mueller, associate professor of biochemistry, who presented the awards, said, “The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry takes great pride in the high quality of all of our TAs. The selection of a few Dyer Award recipients is difficult, and Shawn, Sonia and Fred can take great pride in this accomplishment.”

Cruz taught chemistry 334 and 321 under Joseph Fox, assistant professor of organic chemistry, who said he was extremely impressed with Cruz’s dedication and enthusiasm. “Special attention shouldŠbe paid to how genuine Fred is in caring for the education of his students. This was reflected in the time he spent outside of classŠhelping them with Chem 331,” Fox said. “I was always impressed by the number of unsolicited comments that his students would make in praise of his teaching abilities. Fred has even volunteered to be a TA without pay!”

D’Souza worked with Mahendra Jain, professor of biochemistry, who said, “Of her own accord, she has implemented many changes in the lab and pre-lab to engage students. She also prepares a handout for most labs to supplement the lab manual.” Jain said her teaching stands out because of her “insightful innovations.”

“Shawn [Sullivan] showed great patience for the students’ questions and was very helpful in reinforcing the important philosophy of rigor that I was trying to achieve,” Thomas Beebe, professor of analytical chemistry, said. “Hearing it from me was not good enough, but, when Shawn told them how important it was to learn quant at this level, the students listened.”

The Dyer Award honors the memory of Prof. Elizabeth Dyer, a member of the chemistry/biochemistry faculty from 1933-71, and has been given to outstanding teaching assistants since 1981.

Prof. Dyer and Quaesita Drake were the first two women to hold faculty positions in the chemistry/biochemistry department after Delaware’s men's and women's colleges were joined in 1944.

Article by Barbara Garrison

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