The Department of Psychology selected Nansook Park as the winner of the 2021 J. Frank Yates Award for Excellence in Seminar-Based Teaching. Chris Monk, associate chair of faculty development, provided the following statement:
“Nansook was nominated by multiple students who described her amazing kindness and the profound ways she impacted their lives through her teaching and one-on-one interactions. Moreover, they found your teaching and teaching methods deeply inspiring.
Let me quote from one of her nominees, a former undergrad [quote edited for brevity]: ‘Dr. Park brings science, practices, stories, and thought-provoking questions to every topic she teaches. She makes learning interesting, alive, and relevant to our lives...She inspired us to be better thinkers and even better people. ... she made each of us feel important...If she found out there were issues in our life, she reached out to us...As a first generation student, it was not easy to navigate academic life. I once thought about dropping out of school, but she persuaded me not to….When I graduated college, my family could not afford to attend graduation. Dr. Park offered herself to be my family and attended my graduation and lunch, and took photos for me. That meant a lot.’”
Congratulations, Nansook, and thank you for the exceptional work you do for our students!
