Mercer Times

Four Princeton University faculty members received President’s Awards for Distinguished Teaching at the Commencement ceremonies on Tuesday, May 28. The recipients are Gary Bass, the William P. Boswell Professor of World Politics of Peace and War and a professor of politics and the School of Public and International Affairs; Laura Kalin, associate professor of linguistics in the Council of the Humanities; Seth A. Perry, associate professor of religion; and Clancy W. Rowley, the Sin-I Cheng Professor in Engineering Science and a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.

The awards were established in 1990 through a gift by Princeton alumni Lloyd Cotsen (Class of 1950) and John Sherrerd (Class of 1952) to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching by Princeton faculty members. Each winner receives a cash prize of $5,000, while their departments receive $3,000 for new books.

A committee comprising faculty, academic administrators, undergraduates, and graduate students selected the winners from nominations by students, faculty colleagues, and alumni.

Gary Bass has been teaching at Princeton since 1999 with a focus on international security, international law, and human rights. His colleagues commend his "moral seriousness but also his sense of humor," while students praise his popular undergraduate classes on human rights and causes of war as some of the best they have taken at Princeton. A former student noted that Bass's genuine care about their thesis was motivating: “The fact that someone so accomplished... genuinely cared that much about my thesis motivated... gave me confidence.”

Laura Kalin has taught at Princeton since 2016 with research focused on "the syntax and morphology of understudied and often endangered languages." Students describe her as “the most dedicated professor” due to her passion for her field and commitment to her students. She is praised for making complex subjects engaging: “Though it covered a notoriously prickly subject... Professor Kalin’s class breathed fresh air into what could have been a technical course,” said an alumnus.

Seth A. Perry has been part of Princeton's faculty since 2014 with scholarship centered on American religious history. He revised major elements within the Department of Religion's curriculum during his tenure as director of undergraduate studies. Students appreciate his thorough feedback which helps them become better writers: “His passion for intellectual inquiry... genuine care for students epitomize all... highest ideals,” said one former student.

Clancy W. Rowley has taught control theory almost every semester since joining Princeton in 2001. His lectures are lauded for balancing clarity with mathematical rigor: “Professor Rowley's class in controls is one... best classes I have had during my time at Princeton,” remarked one student. Colleagues also note improvements in their own teaching methods due to Rowley’s influence: “His ability to teach his colleagues how to be better teachers is yet another dimension to this exceptional educator.”