IU faculty members join teaching council

While preparing a course, faculty member Henry Kerre Wakhungu said he asked himself, “How do I make a statistics class more interesting for my students?” Now, he has been awarded for his innovative teaching methods.

Seventeen IU faculty members have been selected as members of the class of 2011 Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching, FACET. Three of those 17 are from IU-Bloomington., bringing the total to 554 members.

Membership is awarded to those who have demonstrated their exceptional commitment to teaching and learning through areas of self-evaluation, course preparation, research, instructional skills and student impact, according to a press release issued by IU.

The three Bloomington faculty joining FACET are Vicky Meretsky, associate professor, School of Public and Environmental Affairs; Lisa Thommeson, senior lecturer in psychological and brain science; and Wakhungu, senior lecturer, SPEA.  

Faculty are first nominated and then go through a rigorous application process in order to be selected as a member, Wakhungu said.

“It takes time,” he said. “It is a rigorous nomination process because you have to ask yourself why you think you deserve the nomination and what about your teaching style stands out.”

Wakhungu said he tries to teach his SPEA statistics class so his students will be more interested.

“I split the class up and had them start working in groups,” he said. “That way the students get to know each other and trust each other.”

Wakhungu said he wants his students to apply what they learn to real-life
examples.

“I don’t want them to just memorize formulas. I want them to be able to take the data they learned to answer the question.”

Meretsky takes a hands-on approach when teaching her students.

“I take my conservation biology class on field trips as often as I can,” she said.
Meretsky said the class will go and help other organizations around the community.

“I want the students to learn about conservation,” she said. “That way they understand the goals and priorities of the organization. It makes conservation more real.”