Dr. Amanda Tucker, associate professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was named one of three recipients across the UW System of the 2019 Alliant Energy Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award.
The $3,000 awards are funded by an endowment from the Alliant Energy Foundation and are intended to recognize “teaching of outstanding quality that leads to substantial intellectual growth in students” at UW System institutions within the company’s service area.
"I’m very honored to receive this award,” said Tucker. “My teaching practices interweave insights from research about teaching and learning with the development of broad-based societal and professional skills. I am grateful to my students, who have taught me so much not only about learning and instruction but also compassion, collaboration and empathy."
“Dr. Tucker has a long record of teaching excellence and is highly deserving of this award,” said Dr. Shane Drefcinski, professor of philosophy and chair of the Department of Humanities at UW-Platteville. “She has a very strong commitment to teaching and she uses innovative, high-impact practices in her instruction.”
He noted Tucker has co-operated with two colleagues to integrate their courses and to develop a cumulative service-learning component. She also supervises student research.
“Because of her commitment to equity and access, she has worked with at-risk students, such as first-generation students,” said Drefcinski. “She has a very good rapport with her students and her teaching evaluations consistently exceed department expectations.”
Drefcinski said another way Tucker stands out is that she does original research on general education literature courses and social intelligence. Some of her research was published in “Profession,” a journal published by the Modern Language Association, last fall. During her spring 2019 sabbatical, Tucker conducted further research on the topic.
Tucker’s colleagues recognize her excellence too. Because of her innovative and dedicated teaching, she was the College of Liberal Arts and Education Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 2014, and in 2017-18 she participated in the Wisconsin Teaching Fellows and Scholars program.
Tucker, originally from Irving, Texas, received a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, and a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. While at UW-Platteville, she has served on Faculty Senate, the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, Dean’s Fund Committee, the College of Liberal Arts and Education Awards Selection Committee, and chaired the Department Assessment Committee.
Tucker will be recognized the university’s convocation on Thursday, Aug. 29 and at an awards ceremony at UW-Madison on Oct. 25.