University of Wisconsin Oshkosh geology professor William Mode has been named one of two recipients of the 24th-annual Regents Teaching Excellence Awards. He will be honored at the UW-System Board of Regents meeting at UW-Milwaukee on Friday, June 10.
Mode has been a faculty member at UW Oshkosh for 35 years and department chair since 1999. Under his leadership, the department has established a strong rapport with students and alumni. He dedicates time and energy to maintaining an open door policy to advise and mentor students.
Mode employs a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, hands-on learning experiences and group lab work. He involves students in research projects and field activities, planning field trips to other states and involving students in his own research, including a 12-year geologic mapping of the Fox River lowland.
Emphasizing research, writing and mathematics in his classes, he fine tunes the skills his students will need as graduate students and geologists. He has supervised more than 50 research students through independent studies, which is an especially formative type of teaching for the students. Mode spends a considerable amount of time training and inspiring science educators to lead the next generation of students.
Mode was instrumental in developing the Early Alert system at UWO to help students who are in jeopardy of failing. For 10 years, he has encouraged incoming first-generation students as part of the campus orientation program and frequently speaks to K-12 schools and community groups.
Susan Huss-Lederman, professor in the Department of Languages and Literatures at UW‑Whitewater, also will be honored.
Regents Teaching Excellence Award recipients are selected for their strong commitment to teaching and learning; use of effective teaching strategies to enhance student learning; and significant impact on students’ intellectual development. The monetary value of the award is $5,000 for each recipient.