Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Keller Teaching Award

Well, this happened.  Pretty amazing.   It's a surprise every year, announced at graduation.  The Provost stands before the graduation crowd and describes the awardee as "Dr. X" to extend the suspense, sharing the student comments that were submitted with their nominations while preserving the anonymity of the awardee until the name is announced.  The winner is chosen based on student votes and comments, with the final decision made by a committee composed of previous awardees.  I know the recent ones (those awarded in the last ten years) and to be on the same list as them is an incredible honor.



Some of the comments that were shared:  “Dr. X is an angel.  A second comment  She always has time to meet or chat and if she doesn't, she'll make time. Her guidance and counseling has helped so many of us succeed in our education, leading to advancements in our career paths.”   Another comment: Dr. X serves students as if it were her calling from God. She leads with grace, dignity and the best intentions for their lives and academic success.  Her dedication is beyond measure and her heart - gold. She is invaluable to NDNU.  

Some that weren't shared in the interest of time:  Passionate for her work and cares for the success of her students; Dr. Madden works with students to fully develop their potential; Very helpful, knowledgeable, and driven. One of the best professors and best advisor I've had! Dr. Madden has definitely been a significant role of my journey at NDNU!; Kind, accepting, patient, loving, supportive, caring;  I want Professor Madden to be first choice because this woman represents diversity and inclusion  in its full color. First, Dr. Madden is a specialist in HR, in laws, and in human rights. This professor knows all the legal requirements and can break a situation down to accountability.  Second, she stresses that we must avoid bias of any kind, which is priceless because in real world work environments, people are dealing with bias daily, which motivates decisions based on all the wrong reasons. Professor Madden teaches HR with the awareness that you must keep an open mind to all people; that you'll never know how great someone can be if you don't treat each other fairly.  Lastly, she speaks with such compassion to all humankind and her class. You feel it in her voice with her fellow peers and colleagues; she is an outstanding example of a leader and teacher; 
And on a LinkedIn comment (thanks, Yvette). This honor was so well deserved! Dr. Madden is true mentor and great role model. She guided many students to success just by keeping in touch and caring about their journey. She made the unbelievable come true for so many! Late nights at the office she would bring her daughters with her just to help a student get on track. Amazing mom and individual. The Tracy campus is a success because of her inspiration and hard work!


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