Richard B. Russell Award

Linda Renzulli

Linda Renzulli is like an orchestra conductor.

When teaching in her sociology classes, she allows “a solo performance by one or two, and then encourages full class participation, then breaks the class down into subgroups, and finally comes to a grand crescendo when all the small group discussion is woven into a climatic conclusion,” wrote Dean G. Rojek, Meigs Professor, in his recommendation for the Richard B. Russell Undergraduate Teaching Award.

Regarding her Web site, which is a class-by-class commentary on discussions, “I have never seen such a teaching strategy, and it has made me rethink my own approach to teaching,” he added. “She is one of the very best teachers and mentors in a department that has five other award-­winning instructors.”

Renzulli received her bachelor’s degree in sociology and special education at Rutgers University in 1996, then earned her master’s and Ph.D in sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1998 and 2001, respectively. She came to UGA as an assistant professor in the department of sociology in 2001 and was promoted to associate professor last year. She teaches gender and work, sociology of education and an Honors introduction to sociology course.

In his nomination of Renzulli, William Finlay, head of the sociology department, noted that undergraduates’ work with Renzulli often results in conference papers or publications; her student ratings are consistently above the departmental averages; she has published several articles on teaching; and that students often note her personal impact on their lives. One student invited her to her sorority’s faculty dinner so she could get to know her better.

Ian Conlon, now a graduate student in sociology at UNC at Chapel Hill, traces his career path to the fall of 2002 when he took Renzulli’s gender and work course.

“Professor Renzulli does not merely teach sociology, she creates sociologists,” he said.

Jillian Carroll, a senior majoring in sociology and political science, also credits Renzulli for her career choice.

“Essentially, it was because of sociology of education and Dr. Renzulli herself that I made the decision to ultimately pursue a career in teaching,” she said.

According to Professor Emerita Sylvia M. Hutchinson, Renzulli is a “citizen of the campus,” collaborating across disciplines and departments.

“I believe Linda is precisely the scholar and teacher for whom this award was designated,” she said.

Jenna Stafford, who took one of Renzulli’s classes as a senior, said, “My father often told stories about his favorite teachers, and I wondered when I would come across mine. Dr. Renzulli always made sure that she had time to understand me as a student and as a friend.

“I will carry the lessons that she taught me throughout my life and remember her wisdom forever,” she added. “I was pleased to tell my father that I, too, had found
a favorite teacher to value forever.”

Jaroslav Tir

Jaroslav Tir’s students get at least two long-term benefits from taking his classes.

One, they can take one of several undergraduate classes in his specialties—introduction to international relations, international conflict, international political economy, international organizations, modern warfare, nationalism and ethnic conflict, and conflict management—thus deepening the student-teacher bond.

Two, Tir’s teaching approach sparks students’ curiosity about global experiences and viewpoints.

“Because this approach leads to a self-sustaining motivation to learn, it is a much more effective long-term strategy than simply feeding the students information about world affairs,” said Tir.

Tir’s Richard B. Russell Undergraduate Teaching Award is well-earned, according to Jerome S. Legge Jr., the associate dean of the School of Public and International Affairs where Tir teaches.

“His style is interactive and engaging,” Legge said. “Passive learning is simply not a part of his repertoire.”

“Professor Tir has impressive credentials,” said Howard J. Wiarda, Dean Rusk Professor of International Relations and head of the department of international affairs. “He is among the most and best published professors in the department.”

A native of Croatia, Tir said his desire to make interactions with students meaningful came from attending a small liberal arts school as an undergraduate: Bethel College in Kansas, where he received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and history in 1995.

At a larger school like UGA, students “often take large classes that do not facilitate much faculty-individual student or student-to-student interaction,” he said.“This can cause the students not only to feel lost in the crowd and judge their college education as quite impersonal, but can also undermine their willingness to partake in the learning process.”

After Bethel College, Tir received his master’s degree and Ph.D in political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in 1997 and 2001, respectively. He came to UGA in 2003 as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor last year.

Andrew Lavoie, a UGA law student, took five classes with Tir as an undergraduate.

“Rarely does one find a professor so dedicated to his students’ success and thorough understanding of topics studied,” he said. Despite large classes, Tir “still provided personalized, devoted attention to the class’ progression and overall knowledge.”

University Professor Gary Bertsch sees only success for Tir. “Here is a young academic star with complete modesty and commitment to help all Georgia students,” he said. “There is none of the arrogance that often comes with success. One can tell that Tir will be a humble, committed professor throughout his entire career.”