Associate professor Dr. Lucien "Tres" Thompson received the 2014 Aage Møller Teaching Award, which is given annually to an outstanding teacher selected from nominations by faculty and students.
Associate professor Dr. Lucien "Tres" Thompson received the 2014 Aage Møller Teaching Award, which was given among a host of honors for faculty and students in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
“Tres Thompson has that rare ability to take complex material about the mechanisms of the brain and convey it in a way that excites students about the field,” said Dr. Bert Moore, dean of the School and Aage and Margareta Møller Distinguished Professor. “He also is a superb mentor and many of his students have gone on to prestigious programs and careers.”
The award was established by Dr. Møller, Founders Professor in neuroscience, to promote and recognize outstanding teaching, and is given based on nominations by the faculty’s peers and students.
“It’s not too often that you hear someone genuinely claim that learning is fun, but those fortunate enough to be around Dr. Thompson can attest to this,” one student wrote in a nomination form.
Another added, “He has the ability to approach topics from different angles, allowing even the most inexperienced of us to walk away with true understanding and confidence.”
Dr. Susan Jerger was selected as the 2014 Distinguished Lecturer and is pictured with Dr. Bert Moore, dean of the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Dr. Susan Jerger, Ashbel Smith Professor, was also honored as this year’s Distinguished Lecturer, a title that recognizes a faculty member’s international presence as a contributor to their field. Jerger is a renowned researcher on how child language development is affected by hearing loss and has received 25 years of continuous support from the National Institutes of Health. She is also the director for the BBS Undergraduate Honors Program.
“Susan is wonderful with students, provides a model of excellence and encourages them to dream big,” Moore said. “She provides support and tough love in appropriate and helpful doses. She certainly qualifies as a ‘distinguished colleague.’”