Two Madison Faculty Receive Prestigious MSU Honors

Two JMC professors were among 26 MSU faculty honored at the Michigan State University Awards Convocation in February 2004. MSU conferred upon Bryan Ritchie its MSU Teacher-Scholar Award, given to faculty, who, early in their careers, demonstrate devotion and skill in teaching and scholarly promise. Gene Burns received the MSU Alumni Club of Mid-Michigan Quality in Undergraduate Teaching Award in recognition of outstanding undergraduate teaching.

The Teacher-Scholar Award referred to Ritchie, a leading scholar of Southeast Asia, as “one of Michigan State University’s most talented, sought-after teachers and mentors of undergraduate students.” It pointed to the flood of students seeking entrance to his classes and called him “a gem of a teacher, scholar, public servant, and colleague as well as a policy adviser and analyst of international renown.” Ritchie's web page:http://www.jmc.msu.edu/faculty/show.asp?id=26

The Quality in Undergraduate Teaching citation calls Burns a “tutor in complexity” and an “inspirational teacher in the classroom.” Burns, who does research in politics, religion, society, and the connections among them, “succeeds in the difficult work of using . . .controversial questions . . .as the foundation for his research and teaching. He shows what university teaching can contribute to society and issues that engage all citizens.” Burns' web page: http://www.jmc.msu.edu/faculty/show.asp?id=4