Barbara Tewksbury, Stephen Harper Kirner Professor of Geology at Hamilton College, was presented with the 2003 Neil Miner Award by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers at this year's Geological Society of America Annual Meeting. Established in 1952, the Neil Miner Award is presented annually by the NAGT to a college professor "for exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the earth sciences." Tewksbury was nominated for the award by Heather MacDonald, chair of Geology at the College of William and Mary. In her letter of nomination to the NAGT, MacDonald says of Tewksbury, "She is an extraordinary teacher, a widely recognized leader in the field of geoscience education, and someone whose service contributions are amazing."
Tewksbury has been a member of the Hamilton College faculty since 1978, specializing in structural and planetary geology and plate tectonics. During this time she has received numerous grants, awards, and other recognitions of her excellence in both teaching and research. In the past, she has been received the New York State Professor of the Year Award from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Her course on "The Geology and Development of Modern Africa" was recognized by The American Association of Colleges and Universities as a model course linking the teaching of science to human issues. She is well known for her workshops on "Innovative and Effective Teaching in the Geosciences," both at geoscience conferences and at colleges and universities around the country. MacDonald's nomination letter highlights Tewksbury's excellence in teaching: "Barb is not someone to sit on her laurels - she is continually revising and rethinking her courses to make them better for her students." MacDonald also points out that Tewksbury puts emphasis on teaching "what geoscientists do rather than learn about what geoscientists know," as well as moving away from lecture format and focusing on cooperative learning techniques.
Currently, Tewksbury is serving as president of the American Geological Institute, a nonprofit federation of 42 geoscientific and professional associations that represent more than 100,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Tewksbury's current research involves investigation of deformation in Proterozoic metamorphic rocks of the Grenville Province in northern New York State."
