2006 Carl F. Wittke Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
The 2006 Carl F. Wittke Award was presented to Robert Brown (Physics) and Laura Ymayo Tartakoff (Political Science). The awards were presented at the undergraduate diploma ceremony during University Commencement on May 21, 2006.
Robert Brown
Robert Brown's nominator described him as the "epitome of what professors should be." He commits his time just as much to his students as to his class, a student wrote, "making sure that he molds his schedule to fit the students' needs." Brown, who joined the Case faculty in 1970, won the John S. Diekhoff Award for Graduate Teaching in 2003, and the national American Association of Physics Teachers undergraduate teaching award in 2004. He was a finalist for the Robert Cherry Award from Baylor University in 2005.
Laura Ymayo Tartakoff
Tartakoff's nomination mentioned her ability to show other students "that learning never ends outside the classroom." With Tartakoff, "learning is always enjoyable," her nominator wrote. She often taught that a passion for learning is invaluable. Tartakoff was a Wittke Award nominee from 2002 through 2006, as well as a nominee for the Bruce Jackson Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, she received the Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Award.
2006 Nominees
For more information, view our list of 2006 Wittke nominees.