June 10, 2024
English department honors faculty with awards
The department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences recognizes three faculty members with awards.
Roger Friedmann, senior instructor in English, has received the department's annual Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Friedmann, who retired in May 2024 after 37 years of service, has taught courses in professional and technical writing, predominately ENGL 415 Written Communication for Engineers, and courses in American literature and literature of the Holocaust. As Friedmann explains in his statement of teaching philosophy, "I have been surprised so many times by students I underestimated that I constantly remind myself humility is the most important tool I have as a teacher."
Friedmann provides significant feedback to students on their writing, tailoring his comments to their particular needs so they can succeed. He is known for his extended office hours and his ethic of care. As an undergraduate student in engineering observed, "Dr. Friedmann was a fantastic teacher and really helped me learn about creating research proposals and writing proper reports. He made himself available every week, often adding more hours to his office hours to help students during weeks with heavier workloads, and gave very useful feedback on assignments," concluding, "I cannot stress enough what a pleasure it's been having Dr. Friedmann as a teacher. He turned a course that I was dreading into one that was very manageable and productive. He's without a doubt one of the best teachers I've ever had!"
Hunter Scott, instructor in English, has received the department's annual Excellence Award for Term Instructors.
A K-State bachelor's graduate in art and master's graduate in English with a graduate certificate in gender, women, and sexuality studies, Scott excels as an instructor in writing, literature and film. Scott's teaching philosophy explains his pedagogical strategy for this success: by "cultivating cultures of care and collectively establishing guidelines for respectful interactions" and "sharing in the production and embodiment of knowledge alongside my students," he can reach the goal of "making students more confident in their ability to produce knowledge and effect positive change."
Scott is particularly attentive to student experiences in the classroom and how that space can foster student engagement. Acclaim from Scott's students demonstrates his award-winning teaching. "When I started this class, I was really nervous and skeptical," explains one student; "I was new to college and was very unsure about this class. I am very happy to say, at the end of this semester, I wish this class kept going. Mr. Scott really challenged me to think and be creative. He always greets us with a smile and asks how we are doing. This class made me more comfortable sharing thoughts in college and being part of a discussion."
Philip Nel, university distinguished professor of English, has received the Donnelly Faculty Award in English for 2024-2026.
The award, created by donors Michelle Munson and Serban Simu, Berkeley, California, honors English professor emeritus Michael Donnelly and the impact he had on numerous students. Munson graduated from K-State in 1996 with degrees in physics and electrical engineering. An English class taught by Michael Donnelly greatly influenced her, leading to this gift.
The Donnelly award is given to an outstanding faculty member in the Department of English in recognition of their contributions to teaching, research/creative activity and service. Each recipient holds the award for two years. A new recipient is named each year, allowing the award to be held by two faculty members at a time. An interdisciplinary committee of faculty and alumni select each year's recipient.
Nel joins nine previous winners of the Donnelly Award: Greg Eiselein, 2015-2017; Don Hedrick, 2016-2018; Elizabeth Dodd, 2017-2019; Michele Janette, 2018-2020; Phillip Marzluf, 2019-2021; Anne Phillips, 2020-2022; Anne Longmuir, 2021-2023; Lisa Tatonetti, 2022-2024; and Traci Brimhall, 2023-2025.
In his letter of application for the award, Nel highlights how his teaching, his research and his service in children's and young adult literature and culture "strive to bring the project of the humanities to a broader public." Nel explains how his teaching can "help students to arrive at their own readings of texts, and, when possible, encourage creative approaches to learning," how his scholarship reaches a wide range of audiences, and how his service contributes to academic and civic life.
The 2024-2026 Donnelly Award follows on earlier recognitions for Nel, including the department's Student Association of Graduates of English Award for Distinguished Teaching, serving as commencement speaker for the College of Arts and Sciences, appointment as a university distinguished professor, and the College of Arts and Sciences Stamey Teaching Award, among other honors, fellowships and awards.
In addition to his excellence in teaching and in his service for the university and the profession, Nel has published 13 books and 57 articles, with two books forthcoming later this year and a third book under contract. In addition, since 2003, he has been an invited speaker at more than 70 venues in the U.S., U.K., Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Singapore. Public acclaim for Nel's scholarship further demonstrates his success. His book, "Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: The Hidden Racism of Children's Literature and the Need for Diverse Books," Oxford, 2017, was featured in Time magazine, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and the Chicago Tribune, and the "Talk at Google" version of the book has been viewed more than 13,000 times.
For more information about the department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, visit the department's website, social media feeds on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the department's blog.