The awards, given annually since 2007, highlight exceptional faculty accomplishments. The honorees (listed below) receive a $4,000 stipend for Excellence in Teaching awards, the Excellence in Service award, and the Excellence in Professional Achievement award.
Nick Sousanis, sousanis@sfsu.edu
Excellence in Teaching (Tenured Faculty)
Professor Sousanis has a sustained impact on student learning through the creative use of comics and visual aids to transform complex concepts into fun and engaging learning experiences for students. Dr. Sousanis is an Elsner-awarded scholar whose doctoral work, Unflattening, was published by Harvard University Press, the first known dissertation published as a comic. His selective use of words and powerful combination of visuals successfully and effectively integrate his scholarship into pedagogic designs. Since coming to SFSU in 2016, in addition to teaching existing courses, he has developed and proposed an impressive fifteen new courses and spearheaded the creation of two programs, a Comic Studies minor and a Certificate in Non-fiction Comics. These courses and programs have not only expanded the academic offerings for our students but also enriched the intellectual diversity of our institution. His work in his co-founded Accessible Comics Collective and his contribution to SFSU's Inclusion College have impacted making visual mediums accessible and creating a learner-friendly environment for learners with disabilities.
Duc Ta, dta@sfsu.edu
Excellence in Teaching (Lecturer Faculty)
Mr. Ta has been a full-time lecturer faculty of the Department of Computer Science since 2017. He was the first recipient of a department teaching award. Also, he was honored with the 2023
CEETL Excellence in Teaching First-Year Students Award and the 2022 Petkovic Family Teaching
Excellence Award. He has consistently received top SETE scores and positive reviews from all the courses he taught. Duc's teaching styles facilitate a learning environment that encourages student learning and achievement by combining strict grading with ample opportunities for improvement. He also effectively uses various innovative teaching strategies to make complex subjects more accessible and engaging. Mr. Ta also plays an instrumental role in a Center for Inclusive Computing-funded project to improve majors' pathways and address the department's high DFW rates of entry-level core courses. Mr. Ta's deeply caring, selfless dedication and commitment to creating an inclusive learning environment and ensuring student success are truly commendable.
David Peña-Guzmán, davidmpena@sfsu.edu
Excellence in Professional Achievement (Tenured Faculty)
Professor David Peña-Guzmán received his Ph.D. in 2015 from Emory University, in Philosophy. Since joining SF State in 2017, Dr. Peña-Guzmán has made a far-reaching impact within his academic field(s) and the public with his work in animal studies and philosophy, with a body of scholarship work, currently comprising two books, over 30 publications, 46 conference presentations, 28 invited talks, cohost close to 80 podcasts, over 30 guest appearances in radio, TV, and podcast. His recent book, When Animals Dream: The Hidden Side of Animal Consciousness, published in 2022 by Princeton University Press, 2022 won the PROSE award for professional and scholarly excellence in Philosophy. This book synthesizes important research and theorizing of neuro-scientists, behavioral scientists, and philosophers, inviting readers to ponder the dream life of non-human animals and challenge our assumptions about animal consciousness and interiority. The book has been featured in several international newspapers and translated into Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. Dr. Peña-Guzmán also cohosts the podcast Overthink, where philosophical ideas and debates are brought to the public through social media, including various topics such as "Curiosity," "cancel culture," and "unconscious." The podcast is in the top 1% of international podcasts taught in college classes, and its companion YouTube channel has over 120,000 subscribers.
Falu Bakrania, bakrania@sfsu.edu
Excellence in Service (Tenured Faculty)
Professor Bakrania has been a faculty member at SF State for 19 years and a recognized leader in Asian American Studies and Ethnic Studies. Dr. Bakrania is a founding member of the Race and Resistance Studies department and has served as its chair since 2019. Her dedication has led the department toward significant growth in majors and minors, faculty professional development and scholarship, and creating a supporting department structure for faculty and student success, such as leading two initiatives, NCFCDD and writing circles, to support faculty work-life balance and mentorship on scholarship development. She is also an active scholar and advocate for gender, class, and race inclusiveness and equity. She has been a leading voice at the University and outside of the campus to best support South Asian students, faculty, and the broader community, a historically marginalized community. In addition, she has been a leading volunteer with Maitri, a non-profit Bay Area organization for survivors, and during the pandemic, was a part of Auntie Sewing Squad, a predominantly Asian American women's mutual aid organization, which sewed over 400 masks for marginalized communities.