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For 60 years, the University of Massachusetts has presented the Distinguished Teaching Award (DTA) to instructors who demonstrate exemplary teaching at the highest institutional level. This campus-wide honor is the only student-initiated award on campus. Leah Wing, senior lecturer of legal studies, received this award from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Congratulations to Leah Wing!
Since 2002, Leah Wing has been teaching undergraduate courses in the department of political science. Her teaching has focused on environmental justice, the Irish peace process, and racial conflict, meditation, and social justice.
By asking students to apply critical race legal theory to the study of conflict, Wing seeks to help students examine how issues of injustice can be addressed or exacerbated by conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
Her students note how she fosters inclusive teaching through respectful debates and discussions on sensitive and complex topics and uses a healthy mix of open forum, personal reflection and mixed media in any given class period. As one student commented, “The manner in which she utilizes her unusual class schedule is still a marvel to me, and the time seems to fly by.” Students also acknowledge Wing’s unwavering commitment towards helping them succeed in class and building their overall confidence both inside and outside of the classroom. (UMass Amherst, SBS, April 21, 2020) [1]
News Type:
- Faculty News