An innovative and recognized educator, Western Michigan University’s Dr. David Rudge is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award and will be honored during the Fall Award Celebration Friday, Sept. 29. Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig, provost and vice president for academic affairs, says “His dedication to students is commendable and his scholarly research in biological science is exceptional.” Dr. John Spitsbergen, chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, calls Rudge a “truly outstanding instructor,” particularly noting his innovative approaches to teaching. One example is the “flipped classroom approach” Rudge used that required students to view online lectures, take online quizzes and do homework outside of class prior to class meeting. Most in-person classes were devoted to answering student questions about the online work with students being split into smaller groups.
