Teaching Awards Announced
Religious studies professor Dr. Gretchen Starr-LeBeau is the recipient of this year’s Horace Edwin Harper Jr. and Evelyn Wright Harper Award for Teaching Excellence. Starr-LeBeau joined the faculty in 2015 and was recently named the Jeanne and George Todd Professor of Religious Studies. Her scholarship, which is widely recognized among her peers, includes the forthcoming book Seven Myths about the Spanish Inquisition. In announcing the award, Interim College President John Williams (C’76) noted Starr-LeBeau’s “outstanding teaching, especially in morally and emotionally challenging courses.”
Reflecting on her experience at Principia, Starr-LeBeau commented, “I love the students—they’re a diverse group with a range of experiences and backgrounds, yet they share an interest in wrestling with big, meaningful questions. And I love my faculty colleagues, especially those in the Religion and Philosophy Department. It's an intellectually stimulating and spiritually supportive environment.”
This year’s Teacher of the Year, chosen by student vote, is Portia W. Benson, an assistant professor in the Business Administration Department. Students announced their selection during this year's virtual, videotaped Awards Ceremony, during which they praised Benson’s kindness, patience, and dedication, noting her ability to make hard classes fun. They also acknowledged and appreciated her rigor. As one student put it, “You always set the highest expectations for us but provide all the resources to make sure every student can meet those expectations.”
Asked earlier what attracted her to the classroom, Benson said, "I was drawn to teaching because I understand students' frustrations with new concepts and can show them different ways to learn if they don't understand the first time. Working in a classroom setting is the most enjoyable way to teach. I think the energy and questions the students develop in a group are essential to their learning."