Chemistry of Life Processes Institute member Thomas J. Meade, PhD, is one of five faculty members being honored with the 2021 University Teaching Awards. The annual honor is given to professors who demonstrate excellence and innovation in undergraduate education.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made this academic year even more challenging. Faculty have had to enhance their courses while developing new ways to teach outside of the classroom.
“These five McCormick Teaching Award honorees are a testament to Northwestern’s commitment to our students, particularly during this period of adaptation in the ways we approach teaching and learning,” said Provost Kathleen Hagerty.
“Their creativity and dedication in the classroom — whether in person or remote — serve as a guiding light for the constant enhancement of our pedagogical practices.”
The recipients were nominated by the deans of the schools, or colleges, in which they have their principal appointments. Winners were selected by a committee chaired by the Provost and made up of senior faculty members, university administrators and a student representative.
The award includes a salary stipend for the next 3 years as well as funds for professional development. The term commences at the start of the 2021-2022 academic year.
The 2021 University Teaching Award Ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, May 19, 2021.
Thomas J. Meade
Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence;
The Eileen M. Foell Professor of Cancer Research
Thomas Meade adheres to a philosophy for teaching biochemistry in which learning occurs when students can apply their understanding of content to answer new questions.
He explains, “This process provides the student with something invaluable: it equips a student to self-derive an answer rather than to merely memorize an answer.” Students credit Meade’s engaging lectures and class discussion with helping them understand and apply course concepts. One student says, “Professor Meade has an extraordinary ability to distill complicated biochemical concepts into intuitive chunks, connecting his lessons to broader historical and scientific developments.” Another student echoes this sentiment asserting that, “I was challenged to think critically about science, to present and discuss my work confidently, and become independent in my research pursuits.”
Meade has a reputation as a caring instructor open to dialogue with students. His chair explains, “Students fill the empty front seats of the lecture hall and line up early for office hours.” His students agree, explaining that Meade frames his classroom “as a place of learning and improvement,” and that “He answered every question we had with patience and curiosity, even if we needed him to explain complicated topics covered in class several times.” His chair also emphasized Meade’s important role as a mentor to undergraduate students. As one student notes “Without a doubt, Dr. Meade transformed the way I valued science, education, and my own potential as a researcher.”
Meade is a Professor in the Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, Neurobiology and Radiology. He earned his Masters in Biochemistry and his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from The Ohio State University. He is also Director of the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute’s Center for Advanced Molecular Imaging (CAMI) and Quantitative Bio-Element Imaging Center (QBIC).
Above is an excerpt from the original story that appeared in Northwestern Now on April 29, 2021 by Stephen J. Lewis.