Professional News

'Behind the Blue': The 2021 Great Teachers, Part 2

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 16, 2021) — The University of Kentucky Alumni Association started the Great Teacher Award program in 1961 to honor excellent teaching at the university. There have been 307 teachers honored since that first year. Nominations may only be submitted by current students.

To receive the award, a candidate must:

  • Hold the rank of full-time lecturer or above and have been a member of the faculty for the past three years at UK.
  • Have superior knowledge of the subject matter.
  • Have original and innovative classroom presentations.
  • Demonstrate concern for students, both inside and outside the classroom setting.
  • Not have been a recipient of the award for the past 10 years.

A committee of the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors and a representative from the student organization Omicron Delta Kappa select the recipients based on objective rating and ranking of the eligible nominations submitted.

This episode of "Behind the Blue" features part two of interviews with the 2021 winners of the Great Teacher Awards. The show includes interviews with three of them: Christopher Crawford, from the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Physics and Astronomy; Chad Risko, representing the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry; and Kathleen Swan, representing the College of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of "Behind the Blue" can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

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As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.