Honoree hones students' critical thinking skills

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Dr. Donna Nelson-Beene, director of Bowling Green State University's General Studies Writing Program, is the first winner of the BGeX Distinguished Teaching Award.

Presented at the Faculty Recognition Dinner on Nov. 8, the new award recognizes a record of superlative teaching in a BGeXperience course, and the development or use of a major curriculum improvement involving the teaching of critical thinking about values in the BGeXperience Program. The award includes a $1,000 prize.

Nelson-Beene, who holds the rank of associate professor in the English department, has demonstrated “exemplary leadership in bringing values exploration and critical thinking about values into the General Studies Writing Program,” said BGeXperience Director Dr. George Agich. Because written communication is so important in the area of values exploration, Nelson-Beene's support of the efforts of BGeXperience has contributed to the enhancement of the core curriculum and the expansion of critical thinking skills throughout the undergraduate program.

A BGSU faculty member since 1983, Nelson-Beene became director of General Studies Writing in 1991.

Since 2004, she has redesigned General Studies Writing materials to reinforce the language and philosophies of BGeXperience, and this year collaborated with BGeXperience and UNIV 100 directors to pilot course linkages between BGeXperience, General Studies Writing and UNIV student-success courses.

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(Posted November 15, 2006)