Five professors were recognized on Monday as some of the most popular teachers at UB, and awarded for their efforts in the classroom, at the annual presentation of the Milton Plesur Excellence in Teaching Awards.
The winners this year include Associate Professor Timothy Boyd, Department of Classics; Professor Jessie Carter, African-American Studies; Adjunct Professor Larry Davis, Marketing; Assistant Professor Lynne Formato, Theater and Dance; and Albert Michaels, Department of History.
The Student Association, which gives out the awards, hosted a ceremony for the winners Monday in the Student Union Flag Room where friends, colleagues and students turned out to honor the five professors.
Shirley Yiu, a business major who participated in a panel of students who chose the recipients, said 60 students nominated 20 teachers for the award. The panel sat through each of the nominated professors' classes and then asked the students in the class various questions about the professor.
Formato said the nature of the award makes receiving it extra meaningful.
"I am especially honored because it came from the students," she said. "My focus has always been on the students to go out and to find their dreams."
Students in Formato's class said they are thrilled with their professor's recognition.
"She is quite possibly the most inspirational teacher that I have ever taken class with," said Rashaan James, a senior musical theater major. "Dancing with her is constant motivation."
Carter said she is especially honored to win the award because she knew Plesur personally. Carter said she recalls conversations with Plesur that would last two or three hours that still have an impact on her life and her teaching.
"He asked, 'How are you going to deal with the world,' and he also looked at the world differently," Carter said.
The Student Association established the teaching award in 1984, and one of its first recipients was Plesur, then a popular history professor. After Plesur passed away in 1987, SA renamed the award in his memory.
Carter called Plesur a truly an excellent teacher who saw students as people being prepared for the world, not just pupils tied to the university.
Students in Carter's classes said they feel Plesur's influence may have rubbed off on her teaching style, which often incorporates laughter along with seriousness to provoke thought.
"She is a great teacher and speaks about real world experiences and teachers through a lot of stories about her childhood as well as today," said Jihan Bentley, a senior psychology and African-American studies major.
Boyd, who is currently away from UB on a research project, also caught the eyes of his students this year to win the award.
"He is very animated, very personal and wants students to do well," said Lauryn Ballesteros, freshman Spanish and political science major. "He is one of the most outgoing professors I have had thus far."
Adam Hyatt, Boyd's teaching assistant and a graduate student in the classics department, said Boyd's personality draws students to his class.
"Seeing how he is able to connect with students, he is able to have them enjoy coming to lectures and hearing him speak," Hyatt said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
