Callis Awarded for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
June 16, 2009
Judy Callis, professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, was awarded an academic senate 2008-09 Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award
Professor Judy Callis is a Vice-Chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology in the College of Biological Sciences and the Paul K. and Ruth R. Stumpf Chair in Plant Biochemistry. In addition to being an internationally renowned scientist who has made seminal contributions to the study of protein stability, her students and peers have judged Professor Callis to be an excellent teacher.
Professor Judy Callis
Academic Senate: Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award
Each year, she teaches a large number of students about biochemistry, both in large lecture halls and small seminar rooms. Regardless of the format, she is praised for her knowledge and command of the subject matter, her ability to communicate knowledge effectively, the capacity to make the material relevant to her students, and her infectious enthusiasm for teaching. Professor Callis is also commended for her novel and entertaining teaching methods which include presenting videos and songs about metabolism.
One student states, “I was surprised how they made me laugh and learn at the same time”. A statement that summarizes the students’ comments is, “I mean, she didn’t cure cancer during my class, but she did make me passionate about glycolysis. Which is pretty darn amazing.”
In addition to her excellence in the classroom, Professor Callis has made several significant contributions to undergraduate education. She is an active and effective mentor. She has supervised undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral associates and high school students in her laboratory. Moreover, a co-instructor credits Professor Callis with serving as his mentor and role model who taught him how to teach. Professor Callis also worked with another instructor to develop a new one-quarter biochemistry course to fill a niche in the curriculum.
For her outstanding contributions to undergraduate teaching, the Committee is honored to present Professor Callis with the 2009 Distinguished Teaching Award in the Undergraduate Category. Congratulations to Judy Callis for receiving the award for undergraduate teaching!
- Contributed by the UC Davis Academic Senate