November 13, 2003
BIRMINGHAM, AL — The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) have named Joe March, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), the 2003 State of Alabama Professor of the Year.
March, along with the 42 other state and national winners, is being honored today, Nov. 13, at a luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The honorees were selected from faculty nominated by colleges and universities throughout the country.
“Joe March is a distinguished professor who brings a unique energy to his classroom through his dedication to student learning, teaching and chemistry,” said David Graves, Ph.D., chairman of the UAB Department of Chemistry. “Joe’s passion for teaching drives him to continually find ways to enrich students’ learning experiences. UAB is fortunate to have such an extraordinary teacher shaping the lives of tomorrow’s leaders and scholars. His ability to nurture, encourage and challenge students is inspiring, and he is most deserving of this honor.”
March has garnered national attention for his research into improving students’ understanding of science. His has developed student-focused active learning strategies — including group work, communication skills and problem-solving skills development, and the use of technology in the classroom. He has incorporated these principles into the general chemistry I and II classes and the accompanying laboratories he teaches at UAB.
March also has co-authored a CD-ROM to accompany chemistry textbooks published by Addison Wesley Longman Publishers that helps students learn chemistry through interactive tutorials. In addition, March has authored a supplement to a general chemistry textbook for Thompson Learning that provides students with an outline of the chapters and sample problems help them learn chemistry.
“I am blessed to work with supportive and encouraging colleagues here at UAB,” March said. “The environment established within the chemistry department has allowed this to happen. We have worked to be the premier undergraduate education department in the sciences, and I think we have achieved that. University administration and the department leaders have provided the infrastructure for excellence, and this award recognizes what this department has done as much as it recognizes me. It is quite an honor for all of us.”
CASE established the professor of the year program in 1981 and the Carnegie Foundation became co-sponsor in 1982. CASE is the largest international association of educational institutions, with membership made up of more than 3,200 colleges, universities and independent elementary and secondary schools in nearly 50 countries.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching was founded in 1905 by Andrew Carnegie “to do all things necessary to encourage, uphold and dignify the profession of teaching.” It is the only advanced-study center for teachers in the world and is the third oldest foundation in the country.