College Teaching Awards Announced
This year’s recipient of the Horace Edwin Harper Jr. and Evelyn Wright Harper Award for Teaching Excellence is Dr. Gregory Bruland (C’97), pictured above, professor in the Biology and Natural Resources Department, who joined the faculty in 2012. Previously, Bruland was awarded the 2012 Governor’s Award for Team of the Year along with the Natural Resources and Environmental Management Department at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
In presenting the award, College President John Williams noted that Bruland is “known for his productive scholarship and often brings students along on his journey.” “He fosters a scholarly ethic among his students,” President Williams added. “I know because I have tromped the wetlands as the students describe their research to professional groups.”
"One of the reasons I enjoy teaching is that I continue to learn along with the students,” Bruland said. “Teaching is similar to parenting in that it is one of the most challenging but also most rewarding activities."
This year’s Teacher of the Year, chosen by student vote, is Assistant Professor of Educational Studies Galen Benson (C’89), center in photo, who joined the faculty in 2017. Junior Alyssa Hudenburg, who has taken classes with Benson and helped present this year's award, said, “During class, Galen uses engaging conversation and reflection to inspire deep and meaningful thinking. . . . You can always tell that he is excited to learn something new, along with the students.”
Before coming to Principia, Benson spent nine years teaching in the Colorado prison system, helping inmates earn their General Equivalency Diplomas (GEDs). He’s also an FBI-trained and certified crisis negotiator and remains active in several adult-education associations.