Thomas (Hugh) Crawford, Associate Professor, School of Literature, Communication, and Culture, is one of the three University System of Georgia (USG) faculty members and one academic department chosen as this year’s recipients of the Board of Regents’ Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Crawford’s nomination cited him as “being gifted in the way he designs his courses to adapt to the students at Georgia Tech.  When he and his students built a replica of Henry Thoreau’s house on campus, he had many students volunteering to work on the house who weren’t even enrolled in his course.  He has had a lifelong impact on his students, who have given a legacy title of their own to his courses: “a Crawford course.”  The review committee noted that he is a role model for literature and writing faculty everywhere.

The Teaching Excellence Awards honor exemplary teaching that significantly improves student success. Recipients are selected from nominations submitted by the presidents of USG institutions.  Each of the award winners receives $5,000 and a certificate of achievement.  Crawford and fellow honorees will be formally announced by BOR next spring and will be recognized at the USG Foundation’s Seventh Annual Excellence Awards Celebration in March 2011.