Coppola named state Professor of the Year

After years of earning some of the University's top honors, Brian P. Coppola, professor of chemistry, on Nov. 18 was named 2004 Professor of the Year for the State of Michigan.

Coppola (Photo by Paul Jaronski, U-M Photo Services)

The award is given for outstanding teaching commitment to undergraduate students and influence on teaching by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Coppola has won many teaching awards, including the 1994 Golden Apple Award, which is voted on by undergraduates and given to teachers who "consistently present each lecture as if it were their last, and strive not only to disseminate knowledge but to inspire and engage students in its pursuit."

He was appointed an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in 2001, which also recognizes outstanding undergraduate teaching, and received the LSA Dean's Excellence in Teaching Award from 1991-97. Coppola joined the faculty in 1986.

Provost Paul N. Courant nominated Coppola for the award. "Professor Coppola is richly deserving of this honor," Courant said. "He is an inspiring teacher, challenging his students and faculty colleagues to reach for excellence. The way in which he has engaged his department in undergraduate teaching is a model for all of us. We are extremely proud that he is part of the University of Michigan."

Coppola said he is particularly honored to be selected in this competition because it is juried by a diverse group of individuals on a national scale, ranging from members of the press corps to senior scholars at the Carnegie Foundation.

"The award is also extremely affirming of the work I have been doing over the past decade, namely, to help advance and improve undergraduate education through a program that identifies and provides opportunities for students—from undergraduates through post-doctorals—who are thinking of one day pursuing academic careers," he said.

"I would also like to acknowledge the incredible environment of support that my departmental and University colleagues have provided over the years. The University of Michigan is a terrific place for moving ideas into practice, even when the ideas are sometimes pretty far outside the box."

The Carnegie Foundation, an independent policy and research center, was founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an act of Congress. Its primary mission is "to do and perform all things necessary to encourage, uphold, and dignify the profession of the teacher and the cause of higher education." For more information, go to http://www.carnegiefoundation.org.

CASE, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2004, is the largest international association of education institutions, serving more than 3,000 universities, colleges, schools and related organizations in 46 countries. It is the leading resource for professional development, information and standards in the fields of education fund-raising, communications and alumni relations. For more information, go to http://www.case.org.

For information about the Professor of the Year awards contact Joye Mercer Barksdale at (202) 478-5680 or barksdale@case.org.