Teachers of Excellence
Boston University’s highest awards for teaching excellence are the Metcalf Cup and Prize and the Metcalf Awards. Presented annually at Commencement, they were created by an endowment gift from Arthur G. B. Metcalf (SED’35, HON.’74), a former faculty member and chairman emeritus of the Board of Trustees, who died in 1997.
ceived a number of teaching honors since joining the SDM faculty in 1976, including the Spencer N. Frankl Excellence in Teaching Award in 1997. McManama earned a B.S. in biology from Boston College and a D.D.S. from Loyola University and has a private dental practice. “As a student, I could not absorb enough of the information that he wanted to share, didactically and clinically. In the clinics, I would seek out Dr. McManama to guide me in treating patients, as his way of ‘teaching’ left such an impression on me. His explanations and chairside manner helped to mold and motivate me. . . . I owe my desire to teach to his inspiration.” — Dorothy Gurin (SDM’97), assistant clinical professor, School of Dental Medicine “When I became a program director about eight years ago and had to become more involved with issues pertaining to faculty calibration and curriculum, I learned that other faculty members enjoy his lectures and feel that they can become better teachers just watching him. His course evaluations are to be envied by anyone who teaches at this University. New graduates looking for teaching positions clamor to be assigned to his preclinical lab course because of his dynamic teaching style and his innovative methods in a profession which tends to make changes very slowly.” — Celeste V. Kong (SDM’84), associate professor and director of restorative dentistry, School of Dental Medicine
Carl McManama, SDM professor of dentistry, with Jonathan Tomlinson (SDM’05) and Elizabeth Walker (SDM’06). Photograph by Kalman Zabarsky
Metcalf Awards
AKIHIRO KANAMORI Professor of Mathematics College of Arts and Sciences Students describe Akihiro Kanamori as a devoted teacher who never tires of explaining difficult concepts. Kanamori makes “the simplest things sound profound and the most elaborate things seem crystalclear,” says Soren Johnson (CAS’05). “He somehow manages to explain relevant historical background and complex subtleties and even adds some humor without ever falling behind or needing to rush.” Kanamori earned a B.S. from the California Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from King’s College, University of Cambridge.
Metcalf Cup and Prize
CARL MCMANAMA Professor of Dentistry Goldman School of Dental Medicine Any teacher would envy the kinds of comments Carl McManama has received on course evaluation forms: “awesome teacher,” “he should be nominated for Lifetime Best Teacher award,” and “Dr. McManama should teach all our courses.” Known as a gifted clinician, an inspiration and role model to students and colleagues, and a dedicated professor, he has re42 bostonia summer 2005
triate from London — missed very much. “How did he know to slip a Mint Aero and Walnut Whip into his pocket to take back with him on the plane? Even in a large lecture course, he takes the time to talk to each student and listens to the freshman who misses a taste of home,” says Lipoff, who will begin working on a Ph.D. in chemistry at MIT in the fall. Straub has a B.S. from the University of Maryland and an M.A., an M.Phil., and a Ph.D. in chemical physics, all from Columbia University. “His ability to make chemistry exciting is particularly outstanding in a large introductory course where one might ordinarily expect to see one-third of the class asleep. . . . Although a highly respected research scientist, he works harder at his undergraduate courses than most full-time teaching professors do.” — Darren J. Lipomi (CAS’05) “Although John is attentive to his graduate students, he also allows them the space and freedom that is essential to learning. The freedom that I had as a graduate student taught me to work independently and to think critically. These are difficult skills to nurture and have turned out to be absolutely essential in my subsequent research at Columbia University.” — Francesca Massi (GRS’97,’02)
CAS Professor of Mathematics Akihiro Kanamori.
Photograph by Kalman Zabarsky
“Professor Kanamori was an amazing professor. . . . He was always incredibly prepared for his lectures, and he made every concept, regardless of how difficult, easy to understand. And if for some reason the class seemed confused, he would say, ‘Well, let’s look at it another way,’ and explain again. . . . Professor Kanamori is one of the most intelligent, remarkable professors I have had at BU.” — Lara Etchison (SED’07) “More so than any other professor I have had, Professor Kanamori understands that if people do not understand the material being covered, then it is essentially useless to them. Therefore, he is always willing to remain on a topic until the students are fully satisfied with their understanding. . . . [He] has without a doubt the greatest ability to explain a concept of all the professors I have had.” — Dan Kirshenbaum (CAS’07)
JOHN E. STRAUB Professor of Chemistry College of Arts and Sciences Samuel Lipoff, who took two of John Straub’s classes while he was a senior at Boston University Academy, remembers the small gesture. Straub returned from a conference in England with some of the candies one of his freshman students — an expa-
CAS Professor of Chemistry John E. Straub with Antoni Leja (ENG’07), who helps Straub with classroom demonstrations. Photograph by Vernon Doucette
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