2014 Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence
Associate Professor Paul Mapp
Students in every class taught by Professor Mapp, from introductory survey to advanced lecture course to upper-level colloquium, rave about his knowledge, enthusiasm, and ability. His student course-evaluation scores have been exceptionally high at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, including introductory Freshman Seminar courses. Among the hallmarks of his success is his understanding that teaching does not mean pouring knowledge into empty student heads but rather teaching students how to think and how to do. Only by analyzing primary sources can History students acquire those skills, and he has co-edited a collection of primary sources to facilitate that process. The link between his research and his teaching is also evident in courses such as his "The Seven Years' War in Global Context," where he takes one of the pivotal events in colonial history and helps students see how it can only be properly understood through a wide-ranging perspective. In 2010 he received the Phi Beta Kappa Award for Excellence in Teaching. It is fitting that he now be recognized with the Arts and Sciences 2014 Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence.
