Six GW Faculty Recognized with 2008 Bender Teaching Awards

Six GW faculty members were recognized for their excellence in teaching with the 2008 Bender Teaching Awards, endowed by friend of the University Morton Bender. Recipients receive a $500 prize to be used for travel to a professional meeting, the purchase of equipment, or some other activity related to faculty development. The recipients are selected by a committee of faculty each spring semester based on letters of support from students and faculty, student teaching evaluations, and examples of teaching materials and completed student work.

Michael King, chair of GW’s Department of Chemistry, and Maria De La Fuente, associate professor of Spanish, were recognized in the category of innovative use of technology; Steven Kelts, assistant professor of political science, and Alexander Dent, assistant professor of anthropology and international affairs, were recognized in the category of general teaching; Lauren Sallinger, adjunct instructor of writing, was recognized in the category of part-time teaching; and Derek Malone-France, assistant professor of writing, was recognized in the category of full-time, nontenured teaching.

A GW professor for 36 years, Dr. King has been chemistry department chair since 1996. He received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1966 and a master’s degree in 1967 and doctorate in 1970 in chemistry from Harvard University. His research focuses largely on the organic synthesis of molecules of biological interest and applications of stereo population control. Dr. King was a recipient of the Trachtenberg Prize for Service in 2003 and has served as a GW Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Marshal for more than 14 years.

A colleague called Dr. King an “inspiration” and a leader by example for his “top-notch commitment to teaching,” his students praised him for pushing them academically, and an alumnus lauded Dr. King’s devotion to his students and his teaching, saying “we still appreciate his interest and dedication toward the quality of education inside and outside of the classroom.”

Dr. Kelts has taught in GW’s political science department since 2003 and also serves as director of GW’s Residential Politics and Values Program. He specializes in theories of liberty, and his research spans historical and contemporary philosophies of self-government, especially nonliberal conceptions of liberty. Dr. Kelts is also active with the GW student body, and last year led a group of students to New Orleans during GW’s spring break to assist Hurricane Katrina victims. He received a bachelor’s degree in government in 1994 from Harvard University and a doctorate in political science from Stanford University in 2002.

Dr. Kelts’ colleagues described him as an “enthusiastic” teacher and a talented writer; one colleague wrote Dr. Kelt is “utterly in command of the material.” His expertise has not gone unnoticed by his students, with one calling him “mentor for students.”

Sallinger began teaching at GW as an adjunct instructor in writing in the University Writing Program in 2006. Her central research is on Middle East politics, particularly the intersection of religion and politics. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and American literature and language from Harvard University in 1995 and a master’s degree in nonfiction writing from The Johns Hopkins University in 2002.

Colleagues and students praised Sallinger’s patience and kindness and called her teaching “engaging and thoughtful.” One colleague wrote “the class atmosphere was trusting and amicable; [the students] all clearly have a good rapport with Lauren and with each other.” One student said Sallinger “has left a lasting impression on me that will positively influence my future.”

An associate professor of Spanish since 2006, Dr. de la Fuente is also the deputy director of the GW Language Center. Her research focuses on the field of second language acquisition (SLA), particularly classroom or instructed SLA, and instructional technology. Dr. de la Fuente also helped overhaul the department’s entire curriculum and teaches workshops on state-of-the-art pedagogy. She earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree at the University of Salamanca in Spain and a doctorate in Spanish and second language acquisition from Georgetown University in 1988.

Dr. de la Fuente was praised for her “innovative use of technology” in her teaching, which her students feel makes her classes more interesting and interactive. One colleague wrote that “I have never worked with a professor more dedicated, rigorous, generous, and passionate as Professor de la Fuente.”

Dr. Dent has been an associate professor of anthropology and international affairs at GW since 2006, specializing in popular culture, language and the media, ethnography of performance, and intellectual property. He has also done extensive fieldwork in Brazil, and comparative work in New Jersey, Oklahoma, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Dr. Dent received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology in 1993 from Princeton University, and both a master’s degree and doctorate in anthropology from the University of Chicago in 1998 and 2003, respectively.

Dr. Dent’s students called him “intelligent and insightful” while colleagues and alumni noted his dedication to his discipline and his classes. An alumnus wrote that Dr. Dent is “an excellent example of how professors should inspire their students and encourage them to meaningfully explore their interests.”

At GW since 2005 as an assistant professor of writing, Dr. Malone-France is also the deputy director of GW’s University Writing Program. He received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1995 from Wofford College and a doctorate in religion from the Claremont Graduate University in 2001.

Colleagues called Dr. Malone-France an “ideal professor” while his students praised him for respecting and motivating his classes. One student wrote of his “respect for Professor Malone-France not only as a professor, but also as a person.”

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