Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching Award

“The Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching Award seeks out and honors teachers whose way of life uniquely inspires the full potential of each student. This award is given to a Davidson College faculty member judged by his or her peers to display an exemplary love of teaching.” –— from the Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching Award plaque

We invite your letters of nomination, recommendation, and support of faculty members who have conveyed a love of teaching. Your sentiments provide compelling testimony for selecting whom to honor within our excellent faculty. The Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching Award is announced during the annual spring commencement exercises. Faculty members who have been honored have described the almost overwhelming admixture of joy and humility experienced on that day.

The Award consists of a $15,000 prize, half of which is awarded directly to the recipient and half to an academic department or program of the recipient’s choosing. Former winners of the award have been Charles Ratliff (1992), Jeremiah Putnam (1993), and Hernandez-Chiroldes (1994). Since 1995 the award has recognized two professors every year: Gill Holland and Malcolm Partin (1995), Tom Kazee and Felix Carroll (1996), Tony Abbott and Don Kimmel (1997), Cynthia Lewis and Bill Mahony (1998), Cole Barton and Lou Ortmayer (1999), Gail Gibson and Sally McMillen (2000), Peter Hess and Richie King (2001), Scott Denham and Randy Nelson (2002), Herb Jackson and Michael Toumazou (2003), Zoran Kuzmanovich and Ben Klein (2004), Bill Lawing and Jeanne Neumann (2005), Ralph Levering and Magdalena Maiz-Peña (2006), Randy Ingram and Kristi Multhaup (2007) and Malcolm Campbell and John Wertheimer (2008).

Those eligible for the award are full-time members of the Davidson faculty who have taught at Davidson for at least five years, including any sabbatical leave, and who also:

• have established a record of contagious enthusiasm for classroom teaching;
• are dedicated and patient with students, with service to them being the highest priority;
• are able to clarify complex matters for students;
• have the ability to stimulate extraordinary accomplishments of students, including those of average abilities, as well as those of exceptional capabilities;
• are able to build self-esteem and self-reliance, and instill in students a desire to learn;
• treat students with due dignity and respect as persons with individual hopes, fears, pains, and histories, making efforts to know them as individuals.

Carefully detailed letters of recommendation should address the above criteria. A brochure that describes the award more fully is available from Traci Russ-Wilson in the President’s office. The selection committee keeps all nominations and recommendations on file for reference for ten years.  Please address your recommendations to the Hunter-Hamilton Selection Committee and send them to Traci Russ-Wilson, Office of the President, Box 7145. You may also e-mail your letter to trruss@davidson.edu.