Dear folks,
I have some wonderful news to share. We have just been notified that Dr. Kelsey Ellis will be a 2021 recipient of the Higher Education Distinguished Teaching Award from the National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE). She will be formally recognized by the NCGE community at a virtual awards ceremony at their annual conference in December 2021. (As an aside, please also note that our own MS student/colleague Bethany Craig will be delivering a featured talk at that same meeting—congrats, Bethany.)
Here is bit more background on Dr. Ellis’ recognition. The NCGE award honors those university educators who have made extraordinary contributions to the teaching and learning of geography at the postsecondary level. It is one of the highest national honors that our discipline can bestow in geography education. I am also very happy to note that this is the second year in a row that our UTK Geography team has secured one of these honors--Dr. Dr. Solange Muñoz received a Higher Education Distinguished Teaching Award from NCGE in 2020.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Ellis on this well-deserved, major honor. It brings not only distinction to her incredible work as teacher and mentor but also to our Geography Dept, the University of Tennessee, and the discipline of Geography. In closing, allow me to thank the current and former students who contributed letters of support of Dr. Ellis’ nomination.
Best wishes,
DA
Derek H. Alderman, PhD
He / Him / His
Department of Geography, University of Tennessee
Voice: (865) 974-0406
Founder, Tourism RESET
Past President, American Association of Geographers (2017-18)
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