University Times

Fifteen proposals have been funded through Pitt's first Innovation in Teaching Awards, the provost's office announced.

The annual awards program funds faculty proposals for the development of innovative teaching techniques and materials, according to Andrew R. Blair, vice provost for faculty affairs.

Project proposals were reviewed by the Advisory Council on Instructional Excellence, a group of faculty appointed by the provost in 1998. Blair, who chairs the group, said the council advises the provost "on means of encouraging instructional development and teaching excellence in all of our academic units. These goals are realized through the sponsorship of special programs and the dispensing of grants to faculty on the basis of curricular- and technology-driven proposals."

The program is open to faculty members seeking funding for the development of innovative projects that will strengthen Pitt's teaching mission.

The award period covers projects to be undertaken between May 1, 2000, and April 30, 2001. Sixty-eight proposals were submitted in all, with the total amount funded of $207,662. The provost's office declined to provide a per project breakdown of the awarded money, although the largest number of projects (23) were awarded between $20,000 and $25,000.

Following are the project directors and co-directors for the funded projects: Christine L. Pistella, associate professor, health services administration, Graduate School of Public Health — "Social and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health Practice: Planning Implementation of Distance Learning."

Donald D. Harter, assistant professor, electrical engineering technology, Johnstown — "New Discrete-Time Systems Laboratory."

Linda Winkler, associate professor, anthropology and biological science, Titusville — "Primate Behavior and Biology: Developing a Field Ecology Course."

Karen T. Lee, associate professor, biology, Johnstown; co-director: John Wesley Traister, lab instructor, biology, Johnstown — "Computer Aided Instruction in Biology Laboratories at UPJ."

Audrey J. Murrell, associate professor, Katz Graduate School of Business — "Teaching Management and Leadership Through Classic and Contemporary Literature and Film."

Mark McColloch, professor, history, Greensburg; co-director: William Pamerleau, assistant professor, philosophy, Greensburg — "Humanities Common Text Project."

Maureen K. Porter, assistant professor, administrative and policy studies, School of Education; co-directors: Michael Sandy, assistant director for student activities student volunteer outreach, and Richard Webb, executive director, ProPeru, Inc — "L.I.N.C.S.: The International Service-Learning Course Sequence."

Kirk R. Pruhs, associate professor, computer science, FAS; co-director: John Ramirez, lecturer, computer science, FAS — "Animating Algorithms Using Java for Computer Science 1501."

Richard A. Steinman, associate professor, medicine, School of Medicine — "The Host Defense Trading Card Game."

Henry B. Cohen, associate professor, mathematics, FAS; co-director: Greg Constantine, professor, mathematics, FAS — "Introduction to Abstract Mathematics — Website."

Paul L. Rogers, associate professor, medicine/anesthesiology-critical care medicine, and director, Multidisciplinary Critical Care Training Program; co-directors: Randy S. Wax, senior fellow, critical care medicine, medicine/anesthesiology-critical care medicine, and Michael R. Pinsky, professor and director of research, critical care medicine, medicine/anesthesiology-critical care medicine — "Development of a Computer-Based Aid for Evaluation of Student Performance."

Project directors: Donald M. Chiarulli, professor, computer science, FAS, and Martha E. Pollack, professor, Computer Science-Intelligent Systems Program, FAS — "Mobile Robots for Teaching Undergraduate Computer Science."

Peter F.M. Koehler, professor, physics and astronomy, FAS; co-directors: J. Patrick Card, associate professor, neuroscience, FAS, and David W. Pratt, professor, chemistry, FAS — "Resource Center for Natural Sciences 1 and 2."

Paul Toth, linguistics lecturer and director, Language Learning Resource Center, linguistics, FAS — "Visuals for Developing Communication Skills in Foreign Language Classes."

Franklin Toker, professor, history of art and architecture, FAS — "Catalogue and Name 20,000+ Visual Scans for Digitized-Image Teaching."

–Peter Hart