UH-Hilo honors excellence in teaching

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The University of Hawaii at Hilo honored members of its faculty with excellence in teaching awards during this year’s spring commencement in May.

The University of Hawaii at Hilo honored members of its faculty with excellence in teaching awards during this year’s spring commencement in May.

Dr. Adam Pack, professor of psychology, is the recipient of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Pack is regarded by students and colleagues as an outstanding, engaging and enthusiastic teacher at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Pack also serves as chairman of the Department of Psychology and co-director of the Listening Observatory for Hawaii Ecosystems Bioacoustics laboratory.

The Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching was presented to physics and astronomy instructor John Hamilton. Hamilton tirelessly excels at helping students gain real-life experiences through his work with various projects, including the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems and the UH-Hilo Robotics Team.

The Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching was awarded to Dr. Alexander Nagurney, instructor in psychology. Nagurney’s students say he communicates difficult concepts and key principles in challenging subjects such as statistical techniques and research methods.

His use of “gamification” techniques to enhance student engagement earned him recognition for teaching ingenuity by the Apereo Foundation in 2015 and 2016.