Florida State University alumna is state's Professor of the Year

Sandra Schultz, an alumna of the Florida State University College of Education, has been named the 2009 U.S. Professor of the Year for the state of Florida by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

The award comes as no surprise to Marcy Driscoll, dean of the College of Education.

“Florida State provides our students a stellar education, and they go into their fields taking that experience with them,” Driscoll said. “This award is a concrete way to show how our alumni are committed to furthering education for all.”

Schultz received her doctorate in physical education/movement science from Florida State University in 1985 and is currently a professor at Miami-Dade College (MDC) in Miami, Fla. In addition to being named Professor of the Year, she has received four Endowed Teaching Chairs.

Established in 1981, the U.S. Professors of the Year program salutes the most outstanding undergraduate instructors in the country — those who excel in teaching and positively influence the lives and careers of students. Sponsored by CASE and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, it is the only national program to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring.

Schultz began her career at Miami-Dade College in 1977, coaching volleyball and softball. She later added instruction in physical education and activity courses to her responsibilities. Schultz also helped develop the college’s Fitness and Wellness for Life course, which provides instruction on how to improve health and nutrition as well as reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. She recently began teaching the course online to students located all over the world.

The author of several fitness textbooks, Schultz is chair of the Miami-Dade College North Campus’ Wellness Day Committee, co-chair of the college’s Learning Outcomes Coordinating Council, and a member of the college’s Strategic Plan Committee and Learning Outcomes Assessment Team.

Schultz and the other Professor of the Year honorees were recently honored at a reception in Washington, D.C.

All undergraduate instructors in the United States, of any academic rank and at any type of undergraduate institution, are eligible for the U.S. Professor of the Year award. Entries are judged by top U.S. educators and other active participants in education.

This year’s U.S. Professors of the Year award winners were selected from a pool of more than 300 nominees. Judges select national and state winners based on four criteria: impact on and involvement with undergraduate students; scholarly approach to teaching and learning; contributions to undergraduate education in the institution, community and profession; and support from colleagues and current and former undergraduate students.

For more information on the U.S. Professor of the Year award, or to see past winners, visit www.usprofessorsoftheyear.org.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (www.carnegiefoundation.org) is an independent policy and research center. Its mission is to support needed transformations in American education through tighter connections between teaching practice, evidence of student learning, the communication and use of this evidence, and structured opportunities to build knowledge.

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (www.case.org) is the largest international association of education institutions, serving nearly 3,400 universities, colleges, schools and related organizations. CASE is the leading resource for professional development, information and standards in the fields of educational fundraising, communications, marketing and alumni relations.

To learn more about the Florida State University College of Education, visit www.coe.fsu.edu.