Two professors have won Cornell’s highest honor for teaching and academic advising in graduate degree programs.
Galina Hayesassociate professor of surgery at the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Sheri L. Johnsonlaw professors James and Mark Flanagan at Cornell Law School, each received the award Provost Award for Teaching Excellence in Graduate and Professional Programs.
“These faculty have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to educating graduate and professional students through creativity and innovation,” said Provost Michael I. Kotlikoff. “Their meaningful contributions enrich the academic lives of our students and reverberate long after students graduate from Cornell.” We are grateful for their exceptional efforts.
As part of the award, Hayes and Johnson will both receive a stipend of $7,000 per year for three years, which can be used for any college-related purpose.
Galina Hayes
Hayes was praised for leading a project giving students hands-on practice performing basic abdominal surgeries on dogs. The project includes a weekly lab where students can work on a synthetic cadaver; Narrated videos show each procedure, with close-ups detailing each step. Detailed program notes and other learning materials are available to students from the earliest years of their career. Students and recent graduates regularly comment that the lab is one of the most impactful learning experiences they have had at Cornell, the nominating committee wrote. Hayes won an innovative teaching award from his department for this work.
During the pandemic, Hayes created a virtual surgical clinical teaching opportunity for students sheltering at home, which garnered praise from faculty and students.
With a doctorate in epidemiology, Hayes also teaches faculty and is a sought-after collaborator for statistical consultations on manuscripts. And it contributes to the continuing education of practicing veterinarians – an essential component of the profession – through regional, national and international conferences and workshops.
Sheri L. Johnson
Johnson created and manages the law school’s academic orientation program for new students and helps them develop key legal analysis and advocacy skills in his constitutional law course.
As a practicing attorney on high-profile cases, Johnson teaches graduate-level clinical courses that involve students in death penalty litigation, giving them the opportunity to apply their skills to client cases – “a transformative experience,” the committee said of appointment. She was one of the first professors to integrate cultural competency into the curriculum, forcing students to confront the obstacles faced by the clinic’s clients, who are largely black and grew up in very different socio-economic backgrounds from those of students.
She presents controversial topics to challenge students in ways that will have a long-term positive effect on their learning. She also advocates for international, first-generation, and students of color. “Students are challenged by her but give her exceptional evaluations,” the committee wrote.
As a testament to Johnson’s positive influence, graduating law students repeatedly elected her to speak at their graduation ceremonies, the nominating committee noted.
The Provost Award for Teaching Excellence was established in 2021 to recognize teaching excellence among faculty who teach primarily at the professional school and/or graduate program level. They are analogous to Stephen H. Weiss Teaching Awardwhich recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching.