2018 Teaching Excellence Awards Honoring Certificate Instructors for Their Contributions and Impact
2018 Teaching Excellence Awards Honoring Certificate Instructors for Their Contributions and Impact

Each year, UW Professional & Continuing Education has the honor of recognizing a few of our exceptional certificate instructors with Teaching Excellence Awards.

After poring over nominations, our awards committee selects recipients for their exceptional instruction, generous support of their students and outstanding contribution to UWPCE program offerings. Considering we have more than 500 talented instructors at the helm of our certificate programs, choosing just a few is always a challenge.

The names are in, though, and it’s our pleasure to introduce you to this year’s recipients.

Cheri Allen
Cheri Allen

Certificate in Front-End Development With HTML, CSS & JavaScript
Teaching Excellence Award

Cheri Allen is a software engineer at a local start up where she delivers accessible, responsive, well-tested front-end code that meets specs provided by UX designers, as well as back-end features written in Go. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Florida Atlantic University and a Certificate in Computer Programming from Seattle Central College. She is an active educator in the community known for bringing technology training to underrepresented groups via partnerships with Girl Develop It!, Seattle Railsbridge, Ada Developers Academy and the King County Library System.

Cheri was an original advisory board member and has been an instructor in the Certificate in Front-End Development Wtih HTML, CSS & Javascript since it launched in 2014. Ensuring that students complete the program with the most up-to-date skills needed to land a job as a front-end developer, she regularly revises the curriculum of all courses in the program. Cheri consistently receives excellent evaluations from students on the effectiveness of her teaching, but feedback often emphasizes how much fun she makes the learning process. We are pleased to celebrate Cheri for her teaching excellence, whether in the classroom or online, a distinction buttressed by comments we continue to receive from program alumni.


Jason Kolter
Jason Kolter

Certificate in Big Data Technologies
Teaching Excellence Award

Jason Kolter is an experienced software engineer and architect dedicated to helping people get the most out of their data. He's currently working with Foster America, a nonprofit group focused on transforming the foster care system, where he's responsible for leading innovative reform projects using data to improve the lives of our most vulnerable children. Kolter has previously worked in a wide range of technology companies, large and small, and gained extensive experience leading teams building production large-scale distributed analytics systems. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Michigan.

Among the reasons for honoring Jason with a Teaching Excellence Award this year is his ongoing commitment to providing the best possible learning experience as an instructor in the Certificate in Big Data Technologies. He not only redesigned the courses while teaching them, but also goes above and beyond the standard expectation of student engagement, both during and after their time in class.


Gregory Weber
Gregory Weber

Certificate in Data Analytics
Teaching Excellence Award

Greg Weber has more than two decades of experience in the tech industry, most recently working in a number of data-related roles at Microsoft. He’s currently a data scientist in the company’s Learning and Readiness group, which includes online learning, classroom learning and skills validation for internal and external customers. He has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Oakland University.

Greg is the anchor of the first course of the Certificate in Data Analytics. He spends enormous time in crafting assignments that will provide a hands-on experience using real-life examples. Greg is able to relate to the needs of the student and is prompt in responding to their queries. Greg has been a critical part of the program serving in multiple roles: developer, instructor and instructional assistant. Greg was the trailblazer for launching a new platform and has never shied away from a challenge. It is clear that he thrives on it and makes it seem so easy!


Summer Elasady
SUMMER ELASADY

Certificates in Data Science and Python Programming
Excellence in Development Award

Summer Elasady is a bioinformatic scientist who’s been working in the software industry for more than a decade. She’s currently a data scientist and computational biologist at the Altius Institute in Seattle, where she uses Python and R to improve pipelines and analysis algorithms for drug-targeting research.

Summer is passionate about teaching in both the Certificate in Data Science and the Certificate in Python Programming, and she strives to make the STEM fields more accessible — a passion she pursues both in and out of the classroom. Her students describe her as a “wonderful, patient, funny and enthusiastic teacher.” Summer creates engaging content with an understanding of student learning in mind.


Mary-Colleen Jenkins
Mary-Colleen Jenkins

Certificate in Editing
New Instructor Teaching Excellence Award

Mary-Colleen Jenkins is a lecturer with the University of Washington’s College of Engineering and a freelance editor and writing coach. In addition to the Grammar for Editors course, Mary-Colleen teaches Introduction to Technical Communications to undergraduate engineering students. In her 20+ years as an educator, she has taught composition, research writing, style and grammar, and technical editing courses to both professional adult and undergraduate students. She has a master’s degree in literature and is sometimes surprised to find herself immersed in the engineering and the technical world.

As an instructor in our Certificate in Editing, Mary-Colleen is known for her eagerness to make learning grammar fun and blending lecture and group activities for an engaging student experience. We’re happy to recognize the work Mary-Colleen has contributed in her first year. We value the enthusiasm and expertise she brings to the classroom every time she enters it.


Karl Croswhite
Karl Croswhite

Certificate in Project Management
Distinguished Teaching Legacy Award

Karl Croswhite is a certified Project Management Professional with more than 20 years of experience. His career in the field of portfolio, program and project management includes work in a variety of industries, including aerospace, information technology, telecommunications and mortgage banking.

For more than a decade, Karl has been an integral part of the Certificate in Project Management — garnering stellar reviews from students all along the way and staying in touch with his former students from multiple years. Karl is consistently cited by current students as one of their most transformative instructors during the program. We’re pleased to celebrate his continuing dedication to teaching excellence.


Team Teaching Excellence Awards

The talented team of instructors for these two certificates bring an abundance of industry know-how and a shared commitment to the success of the program and its participants. 

Students have called out the contributions of these groups of instructors and lauded their commitment to the certificates. Beyond adding value in the classroom, these instructors are also active behind the scenes, continually going above and beyond to improve the program and broaden its impact.

Certificate in Project Management

  • Peggy Summerhays
  • Bill Budo
  • Jennifer Diamond
  • Deborah Hildebrand

Certificate in Paralegal Studies

  • Judi Maier
  • Bruce Wiener
  • Brenda Williams
  • Hina Arai
  • Steven Zwerin
  • James Yand

Congrats again to this year’s winners! And many thanks to all of our dedicated instructors for sharing your time and talents. You help thousands of students, every year, take a big step toward what’s next in their careers.


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