Established in 1973, this award is presented to scholars who bring broad academic interests; rigorous and innovative teaching methodology; and current, far-reaching knowledge to their classes. Their concern for students is evidenced by the individual attention they accord each student and by their commitment to helping students to enhance their scholarly and creative abilities and attain academic excellence.
Department of Chemistry
Associate professor of chemistry, Timothy Cook, PhD, demonstrates noteworthy excellence in teaching, mentorship and scholarship. Instructing a broad range of courses in general and inorganic chemistry at the graduate and undergraduate levels, Dr. Cook has an enthusiasm for chemistry that resonates with students and positively influences their approach to the subject. Maintaining a high level of accessibility outside the classroom and an average course evaluation score exceeding 4.9 out of 5.0, Dr. Cook is dedicated to helping guide the next generation of chemists. To that end, he mentors numerous undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral researchers.
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Associate professor of chemical and biological engineering, Johannes Hachmann, PhD, is held in the highest regard for his teaching excellence and mentorship. A dedicated and innovative instructor, Dr. Hachmann develops modeling and data mining software that he incorporates into the classroom, challenging his students to tackle real-world application problems with contemporary tools. Active in advancing new curricula, Dr. Hachmann is a key contributor to the cross-disciplinary Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering program. In addition, he helped launch and advises UB’s Engineers Without Borders, which provides students valuable opportunities to positively impact the world through responsible engineering practices.
Department of Electrical Engineering
Professor of electrical engineering, Kwang Oh, PhD, inspires students to think critically about the broader implications of problems by framing them in the context of real-world situations. Dr. Oh developed the Wearable and Implantable Sensors course that has been extremely popular among students for years. An innovative educator, Dr. Oh has leveraged federal and industry grants and collaborated with on-campus organizations to develop structured undergraduate and graduate research experiences in his Sensors and Microactuators Learning Lab. In 2019, Dr. Oh received a Qualcomm Faculty Award for research that “inspires students and sparks new approaches in key technology areas.”
Department of Psychology
Clinical associate professor and Psychology Honors Program Director, Wendy Quinton, PhD, is widely respected as an engaging educator with rigorous standards and a strong commitment to mentorship. Recognized by her peers for her innovative approach to pedagogy, Dr. Quinton has taught a remarkable 54 undergraduate courses over the last nine years, ranging from large introductory courses to upper-level honors seminars. She adjusts her schedule to make herself consistently accessible to her students, and she exemplifies a belief in academic inclusiveness. For 10 consecutive years, she was awarded the Department of Psychology’s Excellence in Teaching Award, based on student votes.
