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Chico among 10 honored with Academic Professional Track Teaching Award

The inaugural award honors exceptional classroom teaching that fosters meaningful learning experiences

The Texas A&M Center for Teaching Excellence will honor 10 outstanding Academic Professional Track faculty members this month with the inaugural Provost Academic Professional Track Teaching Excellence Awards. The new award encourages, recognizes and rewards faculty recipients for exceptional teaching practices that create meaningful learning experiences for students.

One of these 10 faculty members is Diane Chico, PhD, an instructional professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics at the Texas A&M College of Medicine.

“Her availability to me was never restricted; whether it was late evening review sessions in the anatomy lab or early mornings in her office going over histology slides, she always made time out of her busy schedule to help me succeed,” said a former student and current mentee. “She always communicated effectively in a nonjudgmental and empathetic manner, which created a comfortable atmosphere that was conducive to my learning.”

Another student praised Chico’s teaching style, saying, “Her dedication to student achievement is outstanding. She makes herself widely available, and I personally know peers that prefer to come to her due to her judgment-free approach and encouraging personality.”

The award illustrates both the impact of an effective teaching approach and the value of student-centered learning. Recipients of this award will receive a $5,000 cash stipend, generously gifted by the Marie M. and James H. Galloway Foundation, and will hold this award title for life.

Adapted from an article by Katie Seabolt

Media contact: Dee Dee Grays, grays@tamu.edu, 979.436.0611

Christina Sumners

Communications Coordinator

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