2019 Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence

Citation for Joshua Piker

Specializing in Early American and Native American history, Professor Piker is highly regarded by his graduate students for his broad and deep expertise and for his rigorous academic standards, providing extensive forays into the historiographies of these fields and a solid grounding in both established and more recent scholarly developments.

He is known as a highly demanding teacher, with students routinely noting the challenging and large volume of required reading. Students in his Early Native American History seminar describe the course as "cohesively organized" and Professor Piker as highly engaged. Students in his Colonial America seminar praise his regular and substantive feedback on their writing assignments, his "empathy and realism," his ability to "thoroughly dissect" their writing, and his availability outside of class time. A widely published expert in his field, and currently editor of the William and Mary Quarterly of the Omohundro Institute, Professor Piker’s careful and attentive mentorship provides crucial support as students transition into their careers.

It is fitting that he now be recognized with the Arts & Sciences 2019 Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence.