Faculty Fellows Honored for Enhancing the Student Experience

Faculty Fellows Honored for Enhancing the Student Experience

By Amanda BallardUniversity Relations - Communications
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Rick Bennett
Rick Bennett
Roger Dahlgran
Roger Dahlgran

Established in 1984, the UA Faculty Fellows program was created to help students network more effectively with their instructors and the University, as well as develop a greater sense of confidence when interacting with faculty.

Through meaningful interactions in non-classroom settings, like athletics facilities and specialized centers, faculty and students are able to enhance their learning and teaching experiences. Thirty-seven faculty members currently participate in the program, coordinated by Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, and Academic Initiatives and Student Success.

Faculty Fellows are assigned to a site on campus, such as a cultural center, resource center or other student-centered location. At their sites, Faculty Fellows spend an average of four hours each week hosting activities, networking with students and serving as a general resource. Many times, Faculty Fellows are encouraged to share their personal interests, like cooking or hiking, to show students that faculty members are regular people with real lives outside the classroom.

Last week, during an awards luncheon supported by Senior Vice President Melissa Vito and Provost Andrew Comrie, two UA Faculty Fellows were honored for their efforts and dedication to the program. A new award, the Richard Ruiz Outstanding Fellow in a Specialized Center Award, was created this year.

Ruiz, who died earlier this semester, was head of the Department of Mexican American Studies and a longtime member of the Faculty Fellows program at the UA. Over the course of his 14 years in the program, Ruiz provided mentorship and formed meaningful friendships with countless students in the Chicano/Hispano Student Affairs and Adalberto and Ana Guerrero Student Center.

The award named in his honor is given to a fellow serving in a specialized center. The inaugural award was presented to Rick Bennett, an associate professor in the Department of Geosciences and the Faculty Fellow for the UA's Disability Resource Center.

Beyond teaching both undergraduate and graduate students as an associate professor, Bennett works with the Disability Resource Center to help students connect with campus and address potential barriers for disabled students. A Faculty Fellow since 2014, he has organized various activities, including movie nights, networking events and trips to Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium. He also provides lab mentorship. This year, he designed and coordinated a three-day, fully accessible camping trip to the Grand Canyon for UA students, which he will lead next year.

"Dr. Bennett exemplifies the kind of innovation and forward thinking necessary to affect systemic and cultural change on campus," Amanda Kraus, associate director of the Disability Resource Center, wrote in Bennett's nomination letter.

"In his short time as our Faculty Fellow, we can absolutely identify how he is not only helping to build a strong community for students, but how these students are becoming connected to campus and to research in ways that otherwise would not have been possible," Kraus wrote. "Much like Dr. Richard Ruiz, who cultivated meaningful relationships with students and helped us all to work toward socially just communities and practices, Dr. Bennett takes very seriously his role as Faculty Fellow and values the individual connections he makes with students."

Alexandria Will-Cole, an undergraduate student majoring in geosciences and physics, said Bennett sparked her interest in science, motivating her to study geophysics.

"Thanks to Dr. Bennett, I have really grown as a student and a researcher," Will-Cole said. "He has made quite the impact on the Disability Resource Center, but most importantly on me."

Also during the luncheon, the Mikelle Smith Omari-Tunkara Oustanding Faculty Fellow in a Residence Hall Award was given to Roger Dahlgran, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

Dahlgran has been a Faculty Fellow since 2000, most recently serving in Yavapai residence hall. As a Faculty Fellow, he has hosted numerous outings with students, such as hiking excursions, skiing and snowboarding trips, visits to musical performances and "how to talk to your professors" chats.

"I had never interacted with a professor outside of the normal school-week, but Roger has provided me with that opportunity," said Christopher Dominguez, an undergraduate student studying psychology and sociology. Dominguez is also Yavapai Hall Council president. "I love when Roger visits because he makes Yavapai feel that much more like home ... He truly is a fatherly figure to the residence hall, and I can speak on behalf of the residents here when I say that we have greatly enjoyed having him as a Faculty Fellow."

To learn more about the Faculty Fellows program, click here.

If you are a faculty member interested in joining the Faculty Fellows program, contact Jessica Litvack by emailing jessicalitvack@email.arizona.edu​.

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