Terry-Fritsch honored for nurturing student’s passion for research

BOWLING GREEN, O. – Dr. Allie Terry-Fritsch, an associate professor in the Department of Art History at Bowling Green State University, received the Elliot L. Blinn Award for Faculty-Undergraduate Student Basic Research/Creative Work at the Faculty Recognition Awards April 10.

The award recognizes innovative, basic research/creative work conducted by faculty members in collaboration with undergraduate students. It is given in memory of Dr. Elliott Blinn, a professor of chemistry who devoted his career to sharing with his undergraduate students the excitement of the process of discovery by directly involving them in innovative, basic research.

Terry-Fritsch’s $2,500 award included $1,250 transferred to a department account for the continued collaborative research activities with BGSU undergraduate students, as well as a $1,250 cash prize.

Terry-Fritsch’s work with undergraduate student Shawn Lopez gained her recognition and respect from both Lopez and fellow faculty. Lopez, currently working on a bachelor’s degree in 3-Dimensional Studies, took on an independent research project with Terry-Fritsch as his mentor.

“Dr. Terry-Fritsch served as my mentor and guide during the process. Her knowledge and experience proved to be invaluable for the success of my paper and of my two resulting conference presentations,” wrote Lopez. “She inspired me to step outside my comfort zone and convinced me to continue working with concepts and words.”

BGSU’s president, Dr. Mary Ellen Mazey, noted that the Terry-Fritsch’s “work with Shawn Lopez on the mechanical monk housed at the Smithsonian and its creator, Juanelo Turriano, is an excellent example of how a faculty member can instill a passion for research in an undergraduate student.”

Terry-Fritsch believes the time and effort mentoring is well worth the effort. “I want to give back as a professor all of the special attention and mentoring that I myself received and which propelled me to excellence as a professor today.”  

That effort still has an impact on her students once they have left BGSU. Through correspondence with them, she often is thanked for pushing them “to new levels and for the opportunity to achieve what they did not think was possible.”

(Posted April 11, 2013 )