The Louis and Dorina Brutocao Award for Teaching Excellence
The Louis and Dorina Brutocao Award for Teaching Excellence recognizes outstanding faculty who:
- Promote intellectual curiosity and active learning;
- Model and foster intellectual rigor and honesty and a zest for learning;
- Develop connections between course material and life outside the classroom; and
- Are available to students, attentive to their needs, and enjoy the teacher-student relationship.
This award honors teachers who, over a period of years, have made a real difference by:
- Serving as exemplars in the Santa Clara, Jesuit tradition of service;
- Challenging their students in ways that have forced them to look at the world afresh;
- Exerting a major influence over the intellectual and moral development of their students; and
- Making an imprint that is still felt in some way years after graduation.
- 2023 WinnerSharmila Lodhia, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Student nomination letters highlighted Sharmila Lodhia’s compassionate, life- changing teaching, which fuels intellectual curiosity and professional aspirations. Students spoke of Professor Lodhia’s ability to connect with students, to understand their individually nuanced perspectives, and to respect their voices. She actively engages her students in research projects and aligns assignments with issues that students care deeply about. Alumni described her continued impact on their life post-SCU, with many noting that they take what they learned in her classes to their new professional lives. Professor Lodhia strives to build connections between her current and former students, helping them find mentors in their time at SCU and beyond.
- 2024 WinnerNancy Unger, History
Nancy Unger was noted again and again by students for being an advocate and an ally, especially for underrepresented populations at SCU. Students remarked that they knew Dr. Unger would have a powerful impact on their lives even from the first day of class with her--describing how she creates an engaging classroom environment that fosters intellectual curiosity. They are always excited to attend her classes as she seamlessly connects events of years past to current contexts. Students also described how they are held to a high standard by her as she works with each student to deepen their understanding of her course materials. More importantly, students felt encouraged to ask questions in her class to keep the conversations going both in and outside of class, and they felt the impact of the ideas and issues in her class long after the class ended.
- 2023 - Brian Thorstenson (Theatre & Dance)
- 2022 - Sarita Tamayo-Moraga (Religious Studies)
- 2022 - Korin Wheeler (Chemistry & Biochemistry)
- 2021 - Michelle Bezanson (Anthropology)
- 2021 - Dan Ostrov (Mathematics & Computer Science)
- 2020 - Tonya Nilsson (Civil, Environmental & Sustainable Engineering)
- 2019 - Diane Dreher (English)
- 2018 - Brian Buckley (Philosophy)
- 2018 - Lisa Whitfield (Psychology)
- 2017 - Simone Billings (English)
- 2016 - Silvia Figueira (Computer Engineering)
- 2015 - Shannon Vallor (Philosophy)
- 2014 - Patti Simone (Psychology)
- 2013 - Jeff Zorn (English)
- 2012 - Scott LaBarge (Philosophy & Classics)
- 2011 - Chuck Powers (Sociology)
- 2010 - Brian McNelis (Chemistry)
- 2009 - William J. Prior (Philosophy)
- 2008 - David Pinault (Religious Studies)
- 2007 - Eileen Elrod (English)
- 2006 - Phil Kesten (Physics)
- 2005 - Marilyn Fernandez (Anthropology & Sociology)
- 2004 - John Heath (Classics)
- 2003 - Linda Brunauer (Chemistry)
- 2002 - Rose Marie Beebe (Modern Languages & Literatures)
- 2001 - Bill Greenwalt (Classics)
- 2000 - Mario Belotti (Economics)
- 1999 - M. Ann Brady (English)
- 1998 - Robert Senkewicz, S.J. (History)
- 1997 - Fred D. White (English)
- 1996 - Steven C. Chiesa (Civil Engineering)
- 1995 - Robert J. Pfeiffer (Chemistry)
- 1994 - Frederick J. Parrella (Religious Studies)
- 1993 - George F. Giacomini, Jr. (History)
- 1992 - Eric O. Hanson (Political Science)
- 1991 - Eugene J. Fisher (Mechanical Engineering)
- 1990 - Carolyn A. Mitchell (English)
- 1989 - Timothy O'Keefe (History)
- 1988 - Gerald E. Markle (Applied Mathematics)
- 1987 - Theodore J. Mackin, S. J. (Religious Studies)