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Teaching is at the heart of Marquette

By Andrew Brodzeller, A&S ’05
Photos by: Ben Smidt

Marquette 2012 Teaching Excellence Award recipients from left to right: Dr. Rebecca Nowacek, Dr. John (Jack) Moyer, Dr. Sarah Bonewits Feldner and Dr. Mark Cotteleer.

For John (Jack) Moyer, having his younger sister sit in on one of his lectures and provide feedback changed the way he thought about teaching and his teaching methods. Moyer, a professor of mathematics, statistics and computer science, was one of four Teaching Excellence Award recipients recognized May 3, 2012, at Marquette's annual Père Marquette dinner.

During his remarks, President Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., commended the honorees — Mark Cotteleer, associate professor management; Sarah Bonewits Feldner, associate professor of communication studies; Rebecca Nowacek, associate professor of English; and Moyer — for their commitment to excellence in the work they do every day in the classroom and beyond.

He went on to acknowledge all faculty for their care for students and scholarly contributions to the university and their respective fields.

“Only through your work as dedicated teacher-scholars is this university able to succeed as the rarest sort of institution — one where we continuously push out the horizons of knowledge in a range of academic disciplines, while reaching each of our students in a way that leaves them prepared for their careers and transformed personally,” said Pilarz.

Like Moyer, receiving this honor caused all of the honorees to take a moment and reflect on those individuals and moments-in-life that helped them realize teaching, for them, is more than a profession.

Feldner spoke about how she could still remember her first Père Marquette dinner and how it created a lasting impression on what it means to be at teacher at Marquette.

She also quipped about what eventually inspired her remarks.

“While I am thrilled to be recognized for something I love to do, figuring out the next five minutes was so daunting,” said  Feldner. “A really pithy quotation, deep philosophical insight – but really, who am I kidding. If my students were here, or you know me well, you’d see right through that; it’s just not who I am. So, feeling stuck, I of course went to Facebook . . . and one of my friends had posted a picture of a Dove candy wrapper and it said simply ‘You are exactly where you are supposed to be.’ In the end, that captures most of what I believe to be true of me as a teacher and what I hope for my students.”

Teaching, she said, is a natural habitat. “When I really internalized that, I came into my own as a teacher. So ‘this place’ for me became a place to practice the craft of teaching to the very best of my ability.”

Cotteleer credited his success to the foundational leadership of his department chair, Cheryl Maranto, who, “herds the group of cats called the management department with poise and effectiveness.”

His gratitude continued extending to his colleagues.

“It is based on the example set by my predecessors in the business school who have won this award before me – Dr. Dennis Garrett, Dr. Joe Daniels, Dr. Gene Laczniak, Dr. Farrokh Nourzad, and especially Dr. Pete Toumanoff and my friend and mentor Dr. Ed Inderrieden, who were actually professors that I had when I was a student at Marquette 25 years ago,” said Cotteleer.

These four exemplify the expectations Marquette sets for its faculty. “We expect a lot of you,” said Pilarz, “and you deliver in spectacular fashion.”

Read more about this year's recipients on the Teaching Excellence Awards 2012 Web page.