The Teaching Excellence Award is given by the Salt Lake Community College Foundation Board to recognize excellence in professional education at SLCC. Both full-time and adjunct faculty are eligble. The award reflect a cumulative body of teaching excellence rather than just a single year of exemplary work.
Craig Ferrin
Professor of Fine Arts
School of Arts, Communication and Media
After taking Craig Ferrin’s classes, students tell him they hear differently; they hear music differently. This is “music” to Craig’s ears, as the instructor teaches a variety of courses, including composition, song writing and the music business.
With a band teacher for a father, Craig grew up knowing he would be teach music in some form, as well. He takes note of the passion for music his students bring to class and helps them develop their creativity and improve their performance skills. Craig’s in-depth research around fostering creativity is always woven into his classes. In addition to well-researched creative principles, he encourages creative latitude, improvisation and the joy of learning from errors made in the classroom. “The immediate gain is learning from mistakes. I create a class environment where there is room for that.”
He also relishes interacting with students and witnessing their growth. Craig develops relationships with his students by offering direct video feedback rather than written critiques. He points out that body language, inflections and facial expressions are all key to communication and are absent in written evaluations. Craig’s students share that they appreciate the personalized nature of these videos.
Craig earned his master’s degree in music education from Northwestern University and his bachelor’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Utah. Outside of his work at SLCC, he conducts the Murray Concert Band and participates in many other Utah-based musical groups.
Hau Moy Kwan
Assistant Professor, Computer Science
School of Business
Hau Moy Kwan believes that learning happens best when it’s founded on a relationship. For this reason, she memorizes the names of all her students in the first few weeks of class and personally checks in with each of them, not just asking about their assignments but taking care to include a genuine, “How are you doing?” Her contagious smile and caring words let students know that she is approachable.
“I want to give them the confidence to come to me and talk to me, so I can support them,” says Hau, whose teaching career in engineering and computer science spans 20 plus years. Sometimes, her students don’t approach her but she sees they need help. This was the case a couple of years ago with one of her international students. Hau observed the student often seemed sad and frustrated. Privately, the student shared that she was overwhelmed by the language barrier and wanted to drop out. Hau, who was born in Venezuela to Chinese parents, told the student, “I didn’t know English either when I came to this country, and I am still learning it. I get frustrated many times, but this has not stopped me from moving forward. Don’t give up. If I can do it, so can you.” The student successfully finished her studies at SLCC and is now attending the University of Utah.
In her four years at the college, Hau has honed her hands-on teaching style to engage students and to motivate them to be enthusiastic learners. “SLCC is the best place ever. I work with a diverse community in which we can all learn from each other, and I love that.”
Hau earned all her degrees at Dr. Rafael Belloso Chacin University in Maracaibo, Venezuela, including her master’s in telematic sciences and her PhD in educational sciences. She also spent five years working in the technology industry prior to her arrival at SLCC.
Michael Young
Associate Dean of General Education, Honors, and Interdisciplinary Studies
Assistant Professor, Sociology
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
In his sociology classes, Michael Young takes his eyeglasses off and on, using the lenses of his glasses to represent different sociological theories and their unique approaches to explaining the world. His gesture brings abstract concepts to life and makes them more memorable for his students.
Learning in Michael’s classes is a collaborative experience, where students engage in discussion on topics such as inequality, race, culture, religion and belief systems. He strives for an inclusive class climate that accepts all viewpoints while establishing respectful “rules of discussion and debate.” Terminology and theories organically surface in the discussions, allowing students to connect them to their lives, a process which he calls, “meaning making.”
Michael strives to model the skills of critical thinking, recognizing bias, articulating arguments, thoughtful debate, self-reflection, accepting feedback, being challenged and learning from experience and examples. He also lets his students know that, like many of them, he was a first-generation college student and he benefited from teachers and mentors who had high standards but who were also flexible and compassionate.
For the last four years, Michael has served as SLCC’s Associate Dean of General Education, Honors and Interdisciplinary Studies. Throughout his career, he has taught and developed curricula for a wide range of sociology classes, based on his own interest in wanting to know why humans do what they do, and understanding that sociology helps answer that question.
Michael earned his associate’s degree in human services from South East Community School in Nebraska and his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Southern Utah University. He also holds a master’s degree in sociology from Minnesota State University, Mankato.
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