2023 BINSWANGER NOMINATIONS

Juniors, seniors, graduate students, and alumni up to 10 years out are invited to nominate up to three faculty members for the Binswanger Prize. Nominations will be accepted in January and February 2023.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Gina Driscoll.

See more below on prize criteria, regulations, and previous recipients.

Professors Eligible for the 2023 Binswanger Awards

Expand each block below to see professors listed in alphabetical order by last name.

  • A–G

    Ilesanmi Adeboye, Associate Professor of Mathematics
    Abderrahman Aissa, Adjunct Assistant Professor in Arabic
    Nadja Aksamija, Associate Professor of Art History
    Jane Alden, Professor of Music
    Stephen Angle, Professor of Philosophy
    Michael Armstrong, Roche Associate Professor of Spanish
    B. Balasubrahmaniyan, Adjunct Associate Professor of Music
    Hilary Barth, Professor of Psychology
    Patricia Beaman, University Professor of Dance
    Kate Birney, Associate Professor of Classical Studies
    Amy Bloom, Professor of the Practice in Creative Writing
    Reinhold Blumel, Professor of Physics
    John Bonin, Professor of Economics
    Iris Bork-Goldfield, Adjunct Professor of German Studies
    Katie Brewer Ball, Assistant Professor of Theater
    Neely Bruce, Professor of Music
    Ron Cameron, Professor of Religion
    Sarah Carney, Associate Professor of the Practice in Psychology
    Eric Charry, Professor of Music
    Barry Chernoff, Professor of Biology and Earth & Environmental Science
    Lisa Cohen, Associate Professor of English
    Karen Collins, Professor of Mathematics
    Stephen Collins, Associate Professor Film Studies
    Robert Conn, Professor of Spanish
    David Constantine, Associate Professor of Mathematics
    Andrew Curran, Professor of French
    Jonathan Cutler, Associate Professor of Sociology
    Logan Dancey, Associate Professor of Government
    Norman Danner, Professor of Computer Science
    Stephen Devoto, Professor of Biology
    Lisa Dierker, Professor of Psychology
    Marc Eisner, Professor of Government
    Fred Ellis, Professor of Physics
    Ren Ellis Neyra, Associate Professor of English
    Paul Erickson, Associate Professor of History
    Adam Fieldsteel, Professor of Mathematics
    Octavio Flores-Cuadra, Adjunct Professor of Spanish
    Douglas Foyle, Associate Professor of Government
    Harris Friedberg, Associate Professor of English
    Courtney Fullilove, Associate Professor of History
    Susanne Fusso, Professor of Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies
    Giulio Gallarotti, Professor of Government
    Daniella Gandolfo, Associate Professor of Anthropology
    Matthew Garrett, Associate Professor of English
    Martha Gilmore, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences
    Megan Glick, Associate Professor of American Studies
    Greg Goldberg, Associate Professor of Sociology
    Antonio Gonzalez, Professor of Spanish
    Peter Gottschalk, Professor of Religion
    Laura Grappo, Assistant Professor of American Studies
    James Greenwood, Associate Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences
    Richard Grossman, Professor of Economics
    Lori Gruen, Professor of Philosophy

  • H–L

    Mary Alice Haddad, Professor of Government
    I. Harjito, University Professor of Music
    Cameron Hill, Associate Professor of Mathematics
    Christiaan Hogendorn, Professor of Economics
    Jay Hoggard, Professor of Music
    Oliver Holmes, Professor of History
    Scott Holmes, Professor of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
    Abigail Hornstein, Professor of Economics
    Steven Horst, Professor of Philosophy
    Mark Hovey, Professor of Mathematics
    Elijah Huge, Associate Professor of Art
    Meredith Hughes, Associate Professor Astronomy
    Lutz Hüwel, Professor of Physics
    Masami Imai, Professor of Economics
    Tushar Irani, Associate Professor of Letters and Philosophy
    Ronald Jenkins, Professor of Theater
    Ruth Johnson, Associate Professor of Biology
    William Johnston, Professor of History
    Barbara Juhasz, Professor of Psychology
    Indira Karamcheti, Associate Professor of American Studies
    Dalit Katz, Professor of the Practice of Religion
    Kehaulani Kauanui, Professor of American Studies
    Kerwin Kaye, Associate Professor of Sociology
    Anthony Keats, Associate Professor of Economics
    Melanie Khamis, Associate Professor of Economics
    Roy Kilgard, Associate Professor of the Practice in Astronomy
    Ethan Kleinberg, Professor of History and Letters
    Katja Kolcio, Associate Professor of Dance
    Natasha Korda, Professor of English
    Tsampikos Kottos, Professor of Physics
    Hari Krishnan, Professor of Dance
    Daniel Krizanc, Professor of Computer Science
    Timothy Ku, Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences
    Katherine Kuenzli, Professor of Art History
    Ronald Kuivila, Professor of Music
    Matthew Kurtz, Professor of Psychology
    Basak Kus, Associate Professor of Government
    Robert Lane, Professor of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
    Constance Leidy, Associate Professor of Mathematics
    Jeffers Lennox, Associate Professor of History
    Typhaine Leservot, Associate Professor of French
    Dan Licata, Associate of Professor Computer Science

  • M–R

    Amy MacQueen, Associate Professor of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
    Paula Matthusen, Professor of Music
    Michael McAlear, Associate Professor of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
    Elizabeth McAlister, Professor of Religion
    Sean McCann, Professor of English
    James McGuire, Professor of Government
    Rashida McMahon, Associate Professor of English
    Cecilia Miller, Professor of History
    Edward Moran, Professor of Astronomy
    Jill Morawski, Professor of Psychology
    Ishita Mukerji, Professor of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
    Michelle Murolo, Professor of the Practice in Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
    Janice Naegele, Professor of Biology
    Louise Neary, Adjunct Professor of Spanish
    David Nelson, Adjunct Associate Professor of Music
    Ellen Nerenberg, Professor of Italian
    Marguerite Nguyen, Associate Professor of English
    Ruth Nisse, Professor of English
    Stewart Novick, Professor of Chemistry
    Suzanne O'Connell, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences
    Donald Oliver, Professor of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
    Rich Olson, Associate Professor of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
    Marcela Oteíza, Associate Professor of Dance
    Christopher Parslow, Professor of Classical Studies
    Andrea Patalano, Professor of Psychology
    Ana Perez-Girones, Adjunct Professor of Spanish
    Joel Pfister, Professor of American Studies and English
    William Pinch, Professor of History
    Ulrich Plass, Professor of German Studies
    Catherine Poisson, Associate Professor of French
    David Pollack, Associate Professor of Mathematics
    Stéphanie Ponsavady, Associate Professor of French
    Nadya Potemkina, Adjunct Associate Professor of Music
    Helen Poulos, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
    Joyce Powzyk, Associate Professor of the Practice in Biology
    Justine Quijada, Associate Professor of Religion
    Julia Randall, Associate Professor of Art
    Christopher Rasmussen, Associate Professor of Mathematics
    Wendy Rayack, Associate Professor of Economics
    Seth Redfield, Professor of Astronomy
    Phillip Resor, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences
    Jeff Rider, Professor of French
    Patricia Rodriguez Mosquera, Professor of Psychology
    Jennifer Rose, Professor of the Practice in the Center for Pedagogical Innovation
    Joseph Rouse, Professor of Philosophy and Science in Society
    Dana Royer, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences
    Sasha Rudensky, Associate Professor of Art
    Ashraf Rushdy, Professor of African American Studies and English
    Irina Russu, Professor of Chemistry
    Peter Rutland, Professor of Government

  • S–Z

    Lily Saint, Associate Professor of English
    Charles Sanislow, Professor of Psychology
    Hirsh Sawhney, Associate Professor of English
    Jeffrey Schiff, Professor of Art
    Olga Sendra Ferrer, Associate Professor of Spanish
    Anu Sharma, Associate Professor of Anthropology
    Gary Shaw, Professor of History
    Damien Sheehan-Connor, Associate Professor of Economics
    Sanford Shieh, Professor of Philosophy
    Michael Singer, Professor of Biology
    Gilbert Skillman, Professor of Economics
    Courtney Smith, Associate Professor of English
    Elise Springer, Associate Professor of Philosophy
    Nicole Stanton, Professor of Dance
    Francis Starr, Professor of Physics
    Steven Stemler, Professor of Psychology
    Brian Stewart, Professor of Physics
    Sonia Sultan, Professor of Biology
    Prof. Sumarsam, Professor of Music
    Andrew Szegedy-Maszak, Professor of Classical Studies
    Amy Tang, Associate Professor of English
    Elizabeth Traube, Professor of Anthropology
    Jennifer Tucker, Associate Professor of History
    Laura Ann Twagira, Associate Professor of History
    Eirene Visvardi, Associate Professor of Classical Studies
    Greg Voth, Professor of Physics
    Ao Wang, Associate Professor of East Asian Studies
    Takeshi Watanabe, Associate Professor of East Asian Studies
    Kari Weil, University Professor of Letters
    Stephanie Weiner, Professor of English
    Michael Weir, Professor of Biology
    Margot Weiss, Associate Professorof American Studies and Anthropology
    David Westmoreland, Associate Professor of Chemistry
    Sarah Wiliarty, Associate Professor of Government
    Su Zheng, Associate Professor of Music

Previous Binswanger Recipients

  • Recipients
    • 2022: Frederick M. Cohan, Maria Ospina, Victoria Smolkin
    • 2021: Sonali Chakravarti, Douglas A. Martin, Anna Shusterman
    • 2020: Gloster Aaron, Robyn Autry, Keiji Shinohara
    • 2019: Erika Franklin Fowler, Brian Northrop, Joseph Siry
    • 2018: Lisa Dombrowski ’92, Iddrisu Saaka, Erika A. Taylor
    • 2017: John E. Finn, Andrea Roberts, Mary-Jane Rubenstein
    • 2016: Sally Bachner, Demetrius Eudell, James Lipton
    • 2015: Michael Calter, David Schorr, Gina Ulysse
    • 2014: Petra Bonfert-Taylor, Robert Steele, Xiaomiao Zhu
    • 2013: Phillip Wagoner, Erik Grimmer-Solem, Jeanine Basinger
    • 2012: Richard Adelstein, Nathanael Greene, Tula Telfair
    • 2011: Wai Kiu Chan, Scott Higgins, Scott Plous
    • 2010: Peter Rutland, Stephanie Kuduk Weiner, Jeremy Zwelling
    • 2009: Douglas C. Foyle, Irina Russu, John G. Seamon
    • 2008: Elizabeth McAlister, Howard I. Needler, Renee Christine Romano
    • 2007: Joyce Jacobsen, Richard Slotkin, T. David Westmoreland
    • 2006: Stephen Angle, Anthony Braxton, Anne Greene
    • 2005: Jonathan Cutler, Jelle De Boer, Karl Scheibe
    • 2004: Allan Berlind, Sean McCann, James McGuire
    • 2003: William Herbst, Joseph Rouse, Janice Willis
    • 2002: Susan Lourie, Cecilia Miller, Franklin Reeve
    • 2001: Richard Elphick, Gayle Pemberton, Gilbert Skillman
    • 2000: Jon Barlow, Ronald Cameron, Rob Rosenthal
    • 1999: Donald Moon, Kachig Toloyan, Hope Weissman
    • 1998: Indira Karamcheti, Scott Plous, Ashraf Rushdy
    • 1997: John Paoletti, Claire Potter, Richard Slotkin
    • 1996: Jeanine Basinger, Andrew Szegedy-Maszak, Ann Wightman
    • 1995: Henry Abelove, Ralph Baierlein, Martha Crenshaw
    • 1994: Christina Crosby, John E. Finn, Joseph Siry
    • 1993: Richard Adelstein, George Creeger, Cheryl Cutler 
     

    2020–21 Committee Members

    Vanessa Guida '04, Chair (New York, NY)

    Lisa Dombrowski '92 (New Haven, CT)

    Bobby Donaldson '93 (Columbia, SC)

    Demetrius Eudell (Middletown, CT)

    Marina Melendez '83, MALS '88 (Middlefield, CT)

    Andrea Roberts PhD '11 (Middletown, CT)

    Matt Winn '92 (Atlanta, GA)

Binswanger Prize Criteria and Regulations

The standards and criteria for the annual prizes shall be excellence in teaching, as exemplified by commitment to the classroom and student accomplishment, intellectual demands placed on students, lucidity, and passion. Recommendations may be based on any of the types of teaching that are done at the University including, but not limited to, teaching in lecture courses, seminars, laboratories, creative and performance-based courses, research tutorials and other individual and group tutorials at the undergraduate and graduate level.

  • Section I: Eligibility

    Current faculty who have taught at Wesleyan for at least 10 years are eligible. Previous recipients are excluded for a period of 12 years after which they become eligible once again.

  • Section II: Selection Critieria

    The criteria for selecting the recipients shall be excellence in teaching, as exemplified by commitment to the classroom and student accomplishment, intellectual demands placed on students, lucidity and passion. Recommendations may be based on any of the types of teaching that are done at the University including, but not limited to, teaching in lecture courses, seminars, laboratories, creative and performance-based courses, research tutorials and other individual and group tutorials at the undergraduate and graduate level.

  • Section III: Granting of Prizes

    One to three recipients shall be chosen each year in accordance with these Regulations. The names of the recipients shall be communicated to the University by a designated committee member, and the Prizes shall be awarded at Commencement by the Chair of the Alumni Association.

  • Section IV: Understanding Between the Alumni Association and the University

    Sections I, II, III, and IV of these regulations reflect the current understanding between the Alumni Association and the University with respect to the Prize. The University reserves the right to make changes to the Prize, including but not limited to the Terms of Eligibility; Selection Criteria; number, dollar value, and timing of the Prize. The University also reserves the right to reassign responsibility for administering the selection process and to notify the Chair of the Alumni Association of any changes at least two weeks prior to the fall meeting of the Executive Committee, during the school year for which such changes are to be applicable. The Alumni Association reserves the right not to maintain responsibility for administering the selection process. The Chair of the Association will notify the University of any change no later than one week following the fall meeting of the Executive Committee during the school year for which that decision is applicable.

  • Section V: Selection Committee

    There shall be a Selection Committee, consisting of 5-7 members (one of whom shall be its Chair), whose duty it shall be, among other duties, to canvass students and alumni for recommendations and to convene in the spring to consider these recommendations and choose the recipients of the Binswanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching.

    The Selection Committee will consist of the vice chair of the Alumni Association, three faculty members representing each of the three academic divisions, and up to three members at large, all to be selected by the Chair of the Alumni Association. Members of the Selection Committee shall serve a maximum of four years in any seven-year period. The Chair will appoint members of the Selection Committee such that, in any year, at least one faculty member and one other member of the Selection Committee shall have served on the Selection Committee the previous year. The chair of the Alumni Association will designate one member of the Selection Committee to serve as Chair of the Selection Committee.

  • Section VI: Selection Procedure

    Alumni eligible to submit recommendations shall consist of the members of each of the last ten graduating classes, (BA and graduate alumni), and current juniors, seniors, and graduate students. Alumni shall be contacted solely by email.

    At least ten weeks prior to the scheduled meeting of the Selection Committee, the Committee shall send to alumni with known email addresses in the appropriate classes, and current juniors, seniors, and graduate students an email requesting up to three recommendations, ranked in order of preference, with written comments optional. An alphabetical list of eligible faculty with departmental affiliations will be included. The Selection Committee shall contact the three academic deans requesting any information they consider relevant to awarding the Prize. Two weeks after the initial mailing a second email will be sent to eligible alumni with known email addresses, and current juniors, seniors, and graduate students. All recommendations received up to two weeks prior to the scheduled meeting of the Selection Committee will be accepted.

    The recommended faculty members will be ranked as follows: Three points are given for a first place showing, two points for a second place showing, and one point for a third place showing. Based upon these rankings, the Selection Committee will request from the Office of Academic Affairs the teaching evaluations of a group of faculty for review by the Committee.

    The Selection Committee shall make its determinations in accordance with the Selection Criteria. In making its determinations, the Committee may consider the number of recommendations and point total received by faculty members, the quality of their teaching evaluations, the quality of comments included with recommendations, whether a candidate has been recommended in previous years, whether a candidate has been awarded the Prize in previous years, and such other factors as the Selection Committee may deem relevant.

    The Chair of the Selection Committee shall notify the Chair of the Alumni Association of the Selection Committee's determinations.

  • Section VII: Amendments

    Any amendment to these Regulations shall be approved by the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association.

    As adopted by the Alumni Association Executive Committee on March 4, 2000 and amended on October 21, 2000, March 4, 2001, November 2, 2001, September 21, 2003, September 24, 2005, and November 1, 2008.