Three in College of Science earn Carroll B. Shannon Excellence in Teaching Award

2 Oct 2013

Dana Hawley, Marlow Lemons, and Madeline Schreiber

Three faculty members in the College of Science at Virginia Tech have received the 2013 Dr. Carroll B. Shannon Excellence in Teaching Award.

The awards were presented to: Madeline Schreiber, associate professor of geosciences; Dana Hawley, assistant professor of biological sciences; and Marlow Lemons, advanced statistics instructor.

The award, made possible by an endowment established by Peter and Carroll Shannon of Wilmington, Del., is given annually to faculty members in the College of Science who demonstrate outstanding teaching skills and methods, and dedication to learning.

Schreiber has focused her efforts on enhancing the experience of undergraduate students studying geosciences by developing laboratory exercises to complement courses; writing a lab manual; and creating a new course, Careers in Geo-sciences. One of Schreiber’s strengths is her ability to bring her research enthusiasm for groundwater hydrology into the classroom and to share real-world examples with her students.

A member of the Virginia Tech faculty since 1999, Schreiber received her bachelor's degree from Yale University and a master's degree and doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin.

Hawley is an advocate and practitioner of student-centered learning and has mentored more than 40 undergraduates who have designed educational activities about birds for children who visit the Price House Nature Center and Claytor Lake State Park. She has also developed a new course on Infectious Disease Ecology and received the Department of Biological Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award in 2012.

Hawley, who came to Virginia Tech in 2006, received her bachelor's degree from the College of William & Mary and a Ph.D. from Cornell University.

Lemons is noted for the wide range of courses he teaches in statistics. Among the 13 he has taught at Virginia Tech, he developed a new course now required for the major. His energetic and enthusiastic teaching style earned him a “Best Professor” in the department recognition from undergraduate majors in 2010.

A member of the Virginia Tech community since 2006, Lemons received his bachelor's degree from Georgia Southern University and a master's degree from the University of Georgia.