Thirty-five University of Wyoming instructors who inspire students intellectually in first-year courses are this year’s Promoting Intellectual Engagement (PIE) Award recipients, including three instructors from the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.

PIE Award recipients were nominated online by first- and second-year students, and then they were selected by a committee based on the number of nominations and students’ comments. The committee reviewed nearly 300 nominations this year.

“This year marks the 16th PIE Award celebration. This award is meant to recognize faculty and staff who are genuinely involved and passionate about their first-year courses,” April Heaney, UW LeaRN director, says. “Student nominators frequently praise their nominee’s ability to engage them in difficult course material, often making a lifelong impact on the student’s learning and understanding of the discipline. We are very proud of all of the nominees and thank them for their care, imagination, accessibility, and hearts for first-year students.”

Several programs within the Office of Academic Affairs and the Division of Student Affairs sponsor the PIE Award: Advising, Career and Exploratory Studies; the Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning; the LeaRN Program; and Residence Life and Dining Services.

Each PIE Award recipient will receive a pie from Residence Life and Dining Services, and five-time recipients each will receive a personalized pie plate. All recipients will be recognized at a reception from 4-5 p.m. Thursday, May 1, in the in the Wyoming Union Yellowstone Ballroom. The reception is open to faculty, staff, and students.

Some of the student nominees included these comments:

• “His passion for teaching and his ability to create engaging and supportive class activities motivated us to stay focused and put in our best effort.”
• “Anyone can see the love he has for his profession and discipline and he shares that love with all of his students.”
• “She showed extreme dedication to the personal development of her students. Her course gave me affirmation that I am pursuing the correct major.”

PIE Award recipients, listed by their programs, departments, schools, or colleges, are:

• Dana Govaerts, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.
• Mark Lyford, Department of Botany.
• Brian Sebade, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management.

A list of all recipients from previous years may be found at www.uwyo.edu/learn/fac_resources_recognition/pie/index.html.

For a complete list of all awardees from this year’s PIE awards, see the original version of this article published on UW News.