Faek Jamali and Zaher Dawi Receive the 2008 Teaching Excellence Award

Left to right: Jamali, Waterbury, and Heath

The University's Center for Teaching and Learning recently announced Assistant Professor of Surgery Faek Jamali and Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Zaher Dawy as the recipients of AUB's 2008 Teaching Excellence Award. The awards were made in a ceremony held on June 12 at the faculty lounge in the presence of President John Waterbury and Provost Peter Heath, along with friends, colleagues, family, and students of the awardees.

A highlight of this year's ceremony was that past awardees were invited to attend the event and the names of all past previous and present recipients were posted on a "recognition wall" at the hallway of the faculty lounge.

In referring to Faek Jamali during the ceremony, Provost Heath said: "Dr. Jamali has a proven record of teaching excellence. His professional development is outstanding and he uses innovative technologies such as Moodle and online resident evaluation in his teaching….His fresh spirit radiates a love for teaching and constantly leaves an inspirational mark on his students."

Jamali is the second member of his family to receive an AUB teaching award-his sister, Dima Jamali, who is an assistant professor of marketing and management, received a teaching award in 2006.

As for Zaher Dawy, Provost Heath referred to him as an educator who demonstrates excellence at the many levels demanded of his profession. "That Dr. Dawy has managed to do so while introducing new courses, as well as an entirely new graduate program and supervising final year projects in the past five years, testifies to his great energy and love for the profession."

Expressing pride upon receiving the award, Dawy said: " It is this kind of positive reinforcement and awarding system at AUB that motivates us...Also, it is thanks to the students, whose originality triggers us to teach better and to find more ingenious ways to do it."

The Teaching Excellence Award consists of a $5,000 grant to be spent on academic research. The recipients are expected to volunteer in teaching and learning activities on campus.