Western University of Health Sciences

More documents

Recommendations

Info

NEWS &VIEWSCOLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE PROFESSORHONORED FOR EXCELLENCEBy Jill Dolan“When you look atthe fact you’re upagainst professorsfrom all theveterinary collegesin the country andthat some of myfavorite teachershave won in thepast, it’s nice tobe in that groupof people.”— Dr. S. Dru Forrester22 Spring 2004 www.westernu.edu
NEWS&VIEWSDr. S. Dru Forrester of the College of VeterinaryMedicine has been chosen as the 2003 recipient ofthe National Carl Norden/Pfizer DistinguishedTeacher Award. This selection, made by a committeeof her peers, designates her as the outstandingveterinary medical educator of the year in theUnited States.Forrester, who had been honored as teacher ofthe year several times while at Virginia Tech’sVirginia-Maryland Regional College of VeterinaryMedicine, says she was surprised, shocked, andthrilled all at once to receive the national honor.“It’s very exciting,” says Forrester, who joinedthe college in April 2003 as a professor of smallanimal medicine. “When you look at the factyou’re up against professors from all the veterinarycolleges in the country and that some of myfavorite teachers have won in the past, it’s nice tobe in that group of people.”Dr. Forrester will receive her prize at theAssociation of American Veterinary Medical Colleges’annual meeting in Washington, D.C., this month.A committee based its selection of Dr. Forresteron her teaching philosophy, the roster of classesshe teaches, and endorsements from students andadministrators.Dr. Forrester says she tries to put herself in thestudents' position when thinking about teaching,drawing on her own experience as a student. Shestrives to pass on information and skills she knowsher students will need once they are practicing.“I like to present students with a minimum ofextraneous information and instead focus onshowing them how to apply the information theyhave already learned or are continuing to learn,”she says. “I believe that students are more likely tolearn from using the information they havelearned rather than trying to remember facts forexaminations. “Many of Dr. Forrester’s students say theyappreciate her teaching style as well as herapproachability and sense of humor. And they arenot at all surprised she earned such a prestigiousprofessional honor.“Dr. Forrester has a tremendous ability toprovide enough guidance to students to directtheir learning but does not provide ‘the answer’per se, and this keeps the studentsmotivated to explore and discover theideas on their own,” says MeganTempleton, DVM ’07.Avery Woodworth, DVM ’07, says she has hadthe opportunity to work with Dr. Forrester in asmall group setting and is looking forward toworking with her in the future.“She has a remarkable ability to engagestudents in a discussion in which they are bothenlightened by her immense knowledge andconfident about sharing their own knowledge.Never does she give the student a sense ofinadequacy or incompetence,” Woodworth says.“Her sense of humor livens up conversation andhelps portray the sense of enjoyment and easeshe feels in teaching.“WesternU VIEW23
Page 1 and 2: The discipline of learning. The art
Page 5 and 6: A DAY IN THE LIFEStudents’ own ex
Page 7: the ultimate high of my life,” he
Page 12 and 13: STUDENTS& ALUMNIALUMNI NOTES1994Con
Page 14 and 15: GIVINGCOMP RECEIVES $1.2 MILLION GI
Page 16 and 17: CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIE
Page 18 and 19: GIVINGHONOR ROLLOF DONORS.WITHOUT T
Page 20 and 21: GIVINGPatrick J. Stuart, DO '83, FA
Page 22 and 23: GIVINGJULY 1, 2003-DEC. 31, 2003$50
Page 26 and 27: NEWS &VIEWSSENIOR ADMINISTRATOR ANN
Page 28 and 29: NEWS &VIEWSBy Jill DolanCOMP DEAN P
Page 30 and 31: GIVINGUNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENTPhilant
Page 32: WESTERN UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENC

Western University of Health Sciences

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?