2000 Distinguished Teacher Award
Sponsored by
Purina Mills, Inc.
Thomas R. Famula was
born and raised in Livingston, New Jersey. He earned his B.S. degree in Animal
Science, with Distinction and Honors, from the University of Delaware, and his
M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Animal Breeding from Cornell University. He currently
holds the position of Professor of Animal Science and Geneticist in the
Agricultural Experiment Station. Professor Famula's teaching covers the full
range from a high-enrollment, lower-division introductory animal science course
to specialty graduate courses in genetics. At all levels students praise his
innovative teaching style, his ability to present complex concepts in an
understandable fashion, and his genuine concern for his students' learning and
welfare. Professor Famula's introductory animal science course annually
attracts as many as 300 students, who learn about the role animals play in
providing food, fiber, and companionship. His mean rating by students in the
course has been 4.9 on a 1-to-5 scale, reflecting both his innate ability to
teach and his willingness to work hard at providing an optimal environment for
learning. His teaching excellence is reflected also in the large number of
graduate teaching assistants who have developed both their value for
high-quality teaching and their didactic skills under Professor Famula's
tutelage. His contributions to teaching excellence extend beyond the classroom
to include service as both an undergraduate and graduate advisor and on
numerous committees that develop and oversee campus teaching programs. In 1999
he was recognized by the faculty of the University of California, Davis as
recipient of their prestigious Distinguished Teaching Award.