Department of English

Deborah Burnham, Lecturer and Associate Undergraduate Chair of English, and Andria Johnson, Senior Lecturer of History and Sociology of Science, are the recipients of this award, which recognizes the contributions to undergraduate education made by the School's non-standing faculty.

Burnham’s students and faculty colleagues laud her gifts as an advisor, her “genius” course design, and her use of the classroom as “a vital space of learning and discovery, with a core sense of the wonder of literary expression." According to the department chair, "[Burnham’s] courses form the backbone of our offerings in English, and the sheer number of ways in which she has served our undergraduate program is incalculable.”

Johnson's students and faculty colleagues praise her courses for their intellectual rigor, exceptional lucidity, and highly interactive nature. A faculty member declares, "She has strong and creative instincts about how undergraduates learn best. She is very pragmatic about engaging students in class discussions, tailoring and grading assignments, and shaping syllabi so that they are interesting and challenging ... quite simply, Johnson is a master teacher."

Read more here:

https://www.sas.upenn.edu/index.php/news/penn-arts-sciences-2020-teachin...