![\"2015CTLawards\"](\"http:\/\/sites.augsburg.edu\/ctl\/files\/2012\/09\/2015CTLawards.jpg\")
<\/a><\/h3>\n2015 Distinguished Contributors<\/strong> Joan Kunz is recognized for her commitment to Augsburg\u2019s students, embodying the College\u2019s mission to \u201ceducate students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders\u201d.\u00a0 Since 1987, Joan has worked toward creating and sustaining a vibrant learning community in the sciences, and helping students to gain mastery of fundamental chemical concepts (regardless of their major) and inspiring students to be hard workers and better people.\u00a0 To use the words of Bill Nye the Science Guy, Joan hopes to \u201cChange the World!\u201d through science education, one student at a time.<\/p>\n To quote student comments, Joan is known for \u201ccorrecting every test and assignment by the next class period so the students can get quick feedback of their work\u201d; and for \u201cbringing an educated, insightful and interactive personality to the classroom.\u00a0 She teaches course materials in a clear and organized fashion, and never fails to address a student\u2019s questions.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Susan O’Connor is passionate about changing the education experience for students who are labeled and creating citizen teachers who mentor their students with special needs to be active and engaged citizens.\u00a0 She believes that public achievement provides Augsburg students with such a tool. \u00a0According to Peg Finders, Education Dept. Chair, “…Donna and Susan deserve to be recognized for the ways in which they build relationships with potential partners, provide assistance to the local teachers and Augsburg students who are learning the processes of Public Achievement and most important for their passionate, active participation in the Public Achievement work with children, teachers, and Augsburg students.\u00a0 Their mentoring goes far above and beyond what some might think is required.\u00a0\u00a0This public achievement model changes lives for students in special education by giving them voice to act as citizens in a democratic society.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t be possible without the mentoring.”<\/p>\n Susan also helped develop the Naadamaadawin Tribal Cohort to increase the number of Native American special education teachers. According to Dr. Gretchen Irvine,\u00a0 “I have seen the way they have built relationships with students in the Tribal Cohort, faculty at UMD and support staff and community partners to make it possible for students to move forward and complete a challenging program.”<\/p>\n Susan said her many overseas experiences, particularly working in Arab countries and the Middle East have influenced her teaching and philosophy and has helped her learn to reach across cultures in her work..<\/p>\n She is also responsible for starting a Special Education Department and major at Augsburg.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Donna Patterson is recognized together with Susan O’Connor for their work in bringing Public Achievement (PA) into the special education teacher training program in the Department of Education.\u00a0Donna holds a passion for education professionals to not only be trained thoroughly in the technical skills needed to be a special education teacher, but also, and perhaps more importantly,\u00a0 to become leaders and change agents in education. \u00a0As a vehicle for this passion, PA was enacted in fall, 2013 as a licensure requirement for all special education teacher candidates. PA is a youth civic organizing model that allows coaches to work with k-12 students in teams to take action on a public problem that is important to them. Donna and Susan join them\u00a0 regularly \u00a0to problem-solve, challenge biases and assumptions, to think and act across boundaries, to gain the confidence to challenge the status quo, and to become “citizen teachers.”<\/p>\n A former PA coach states: “Personally, PA has changed the way I see myself as a future teacher.\u00a0 This PA project has challenged my assumptions. I now have a new understanding of civic engagement as a teaching tool and philosophy capable of bridging the divide between special education and the greater community. I am a better citizen, better community member, and better parent as result of being part of this project. I refuse to accept any less of myself than what I ask from my students, and I am finding my public voice and civic commitment as a result. In the end, the biggest change I\u2019ve seen is that we have transformed from being scared students to seeing ourselves as professionals.”<\/p>\n Nominator and Education Department chair Peg Finders writes that:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0“Donna and Susan have mentored Augsburg students across the metro area.\u00a0\u00a0Donna and Susan deserve to be recognized for the ways in which they build relationships with potential partners, provide assistance to the local teachers and Augsburg students who are learning the processes of Public Achievement and most important for their passionate, active participation in the Public Achievement work with children, teachers, and Augsburg students.\u00a0\u00a0Their mentoring goes far above and beyond what some might think is required.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 2015 Distinguished Contributors Donna Patterson, Susan O’Connor, and Joan Kunz Joan Kunz, Professor of Chemistry, Excellence in Teaching Joan Kunz is recognized for her commitment to Augsburg\u2019s students, embodying the College\u2019s mission to \u201ceducate students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders\u201d.\u00a0 Since 1987, Joan has worked toward creating and … Continue reading “2015 Distinguished Contributors”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":147,"featured_media":0,"parent":4182,"menu_order":9,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-184","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.augsburg.edu\/ctl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.augsburg.edu\/ctl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.augsburg.edu\/ctl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.augsburg.edu\/ctl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/147"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.augsburg.edu\/ctl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184"}],"version-history":[{"count":52,"href":"https:\/\/sites.augsburg.edu\/ctl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3170,"href":"https:\/\/sites.augsburg.edu\/ctl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/184\/revisions\/3170"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.augsburg.edu\/ctl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.augsburg.edu\/ctl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nDonna Patterson, Susan O’Connor, and Joan Kunz<\/strong><\/p>\nJoan Kunz, Professor of Chemistry, Excellence in Teaching<\/h4>\n
Susan O’Connor, Associate Professor of Education,\u00a0Excellence in Advising and Mentoring<\/h4>\n
Donna Patterson, Assistant Professor of Education,\u00a0Excellence in Advising and Mentoring<\/h4>\n