Congratulations to Dr. Kerri Coon on receiving the Emil H. Steiger Teaching Award!
Coon’s teaching philosophy is centered on the guiding principle that educators should serve not only as communicators of information but as facilitators of independent and active learning. She teaches her students that communication and collaboration are essential skills in scientific practice. Notably, she emphasizes that these skills are learned rather than innate. In so doing, she encourages students to embrace a growth mindset for themselves and each other.
“These 12 talented educators come from academic disciplines that are as different as can be — from forestry to literature to computer science — but they share a deep commitment to inspiring our students to be curious about both ideas and the vast world around them, and to preparing them to lead lives of purpose in the proud tradition of the Wisconsin Idea,” Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin says.