McDonald Wins Excellence and Commitment to Teaching Award

Dr. Courtney McDonald, assistant professor of sociology, received the Excellence and Commitment to Teaching Award at Georgia Southwestern this fall and was presented with the award by Dr. Brian Adler, vice president for Academic Affairs, at the Graduation and Honors Convocation.

“Dr. McDonald is extremely hardworking, dedicated, and committed to seeing her students succeed,” Adler said. “She is a wonderful colleague, and highly deserving of this award.”

A sample of student comments regarding McDonald’s instruction in the classroom indicates why she was selected for this award.

“I found this class very interesting,” one student wrote. “Dr. McDonald did an excellent job teaching. I loved the papers we wrote.”

“Best teacher I ever had,” said another student. “I learned so much from you.”

Initiated in 1998, the award is sponsored by the GSW National Alumni Association. It is presented during the fall commencement activities to a faculty member and is based on service during the previous academic year. The recipient is nominated and selected by peers, and criteria for selection include excellence in teaching and other categories used for consideration in granting promotion and tenure.

Since joining the faculty at Georgia Southwestern, McDonald has published three peer-reviewed articles and one encyclopedia article. And in addition to serving on numerous campus committees, she will be leading the new criminal justice program which begins in Fall 2015.

McDonald earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Ph.D. in sociology and a graduate certificate in women’s and gender studies from the University of Colorado-Boulder. She also completed a Master of Science in criminal justice from the University of North Georgia in December.