Students at the Harris School of Public Policy Studies have selected Paula Worthington and Kerwin Charles as their favorite teachers for the 2010-11 academic year.
In course evaluations for Worthington, a senior lecturer, and Charles, the Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor, students continuously praise their engaging and passionate teaching.
“There is nothing else to say about Paula, except that she is amazing and is by far one of the best teachers at Harris,” wrote one student. “She is so patient with students and is so welcoming of students who have questions during office hours. She will sit with you for however long it takes to get a concept. I cannot stress how valuable Paula is to Harris.”
Another student wrote: “Professor Worthington is a fantastic professor. She is clear, committed, engaged, thoughtful; she has a fantastic sense of humor.”
For Worthington, chosen as Best Teacher in a Non-Core Course for the sixth time in seven years, that feeling is mutual.
She credits her students as “intelligent, hard-working and passionate about getting the most from their Harris education” in her classes on cost-benefit analysis, state and local public finance, and her practicum project.
Charles, who received the award for Best Teacher in a Core Course for the third year in a row, said he was “quite pleased and humbled” by being honored this way.
His microeconomics course is a favorite among students at Chicago Harris.
“I went into this class having never seen econ,” wrote a student in a course evaluation earlier this year. “I left the first two classes totally bewildered. And then I started to see why Kerwin has been voted the students’ favorite teacher. His way of explaining things, keeping the class energized and pure passion for teaching allow students to really see and understand what he’s teaching, not just memorize it.”
Another enthusiastic student wrote: “His lectures have most students on the edge of their seats, and the classroom environment he creates is quite active, participatory, and also challenging. He requires students to think deeply about the subject matter and to truly grasp difficult concepts.”
To read more about Worthington and Charles, go here.
—Prof. Jacqueline Stewart