FIT has announced its 2017–18 Faculty Excellence Awards, presented for outstanding teaching and commitment to student learning, exemplary research, scholarship or creative activity, or exceptional service to students and the college.
Naomi Gross, Professor and Assistant Chair, Fashion Business Management, Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology
Gross is a strong proponent of innovative educational technology and teaching styles, such as the “flipped classroom technique,” to enhance and expand the Fashion Business Management curriculum and engage students. She is an advocate of interdisciplinary teaching. Gross also led and was integral to the development of the 2020 Strategic Plan–Goal I, among other involvement over the years, setting an example for strong citizenship for the FIT community.
Marianne Klimchuk, Professor and Chair, Communication Design Pathways, School of Art and Design
Klimchuk established the Packaging Design Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program, a nationally recognized program, and is currently leading Communication Design Pathways, one of the largest departments in Art and Design. Her recommendations from both students and colleagues were particularly strong, pointing to her mentorship and positive impact. Providing a strong pedagogical philosophy statement, Klimchuk emphasized that she recognizes the uniqueness of each student and their many different learning styles and paces, and works diligently to accommodate each.
Kyunghee Pyun, Assistant Professor, History of Art, School of Liberal Arts
Pyun advocates excellent innovative technology in her classroom pedagogy through extensive use of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) to internationalize her courses and Blackboard Collaboration Ultra. She has been very industrious in successfully writing grants, receiving the Frick-Levy Fellowship and a SUNY Innovative Technology grant, to name a few. She has curated several exhibitions and her web-based Bamboo Canvas is a resource for educators, students, and the public.
Jada Schumacher, Associate Professor, Communication Design Pathways, School of Art and Design
Schumacher evidenced an open-minded philosophy about teaching, which she approaches with “joy and realism,” and received inspirational recommendations from her students and peers. Her academic, industry, and volunteer activities are in balance and have yielded excellent work product. Schumacher has shown her creative work annually since 2005.