A University of California Santa Cruz professor has won the John Dizikes Teaching Award in Humanities for her commitment to excellence in teaching and her impact on undergraduate students, the university said in a release.
Gina Dent, a professor of feminist studies, was presented with the award at the Humanities Division’s 2019 Spring Awards celebration. The award, established in 2002 in honor of emeritus professor John Dizikes, recognizes outstanding teaching by humanities faculty each year.
Dent received a check for $3,000 and also had the opportunity to select an undergraduate student to receive a $3,000 scholarship. She chose to split the scholarship between two senior graduating students in feminist studies.
“Being a professor is a great privilege, for many reasons, but especially because we can allow ourselves a life of continuous recalibration,” Dent said in a statement. “For me, the classroom is a space to redress what I perceive as a primary political problem: the anti-intellectualism that pervades our social world.”
Dent, who joined the university in 2002, has been credited for creating an inclusive learning environment that both challenges and encourages students. Her teaching is often characterized as life-changing and rigorous.
