Rescorla wins award as top teaching prof in SAS

Psychology Professor Robert Rescorla has been named this year's recipient of the Ira Abrams Award for Distinguished Teaching, the top teaching award given out by the School of Arts and Sciences. Rescorla, who served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from January 1994 to December 1997, is the third Psychology professor to win the award in its 15-year history, following Henry Gleitman in 1988 and Paul Rozin in 1995. Rescorla -- who is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences -- said that while he was "obviously thrilled" about receiving the award, he had not been expecting to win at all. "I was surprised. When I was dean, I only thought about giving [awards] to other people," Rescorla joked. "This one is for my teaching and it's at least as important as any for my research." Rescorla also explained that the award is particularly meaningful for the Psychology Department, serving as proof that it is strong and successful. "Our department is a department that really values good teaching," Rescorla noted. Psychology Department Chairperson Robert Seyfarth said the department nominated Rescorla last year for the award, adding that he is thrilled that his friend and colleague captured one of SAS' most prestigious academic awards. "We're delighted," Seyfarth said. "In many respects, it is long overdue." Seyfarth praised Rescorla as an "outstanding teacher" and a "pioneer" in encouraging undergraduate research. He noted that the award recognizes both the "extraordinary service" that the former College dean has paid to both the department and SAS in general. "This [award] is a clear indication that he has the ability to teach difficult material with great skill," Seyfarth added. In Rescorla's years at Penn, his work has focused on understanding the nature of simple associative learning, particularly Pavlovian conditioning. During his term as dean, Rescorla improved the advising system, increased the number of undergraduate research opportunities, instituted several interschool minors and achieved new levels of cooperation among undergraduate schools. SAS Dean Samuel Preston lauded Rescorla as a "magnificent teacher" and a "very distinguished scientist." "He has made it a top priority of his to ensure that undergraduates have attractive research experiences," Preston said. Rescorla was selected by a committee of two professors, one graduate student and one undergraduate student. Both faculty members -- Art History Professor Susan Sidlauskas and Rozin -- were previous winners. The Ira Abrams Award was first handed out in 1983. English Professor Vicki Mahaffey and Mathematics Professor Frank Warner -- both of whom are still members of the faculty -- were its first recipients. Last year, English Professor David DeLaura and Physics Professor Eugene Mele were co-winners of the award. The English Department has received seven Abrams awards, the most of any department. Elaine Scarry, Robert Lucid, Peter Conn, Alan Filreis and Peter Stallybrass have all been past winners from that department.

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