Excellence in Teaching, 2017
Classics, Humanities, and Italian Studies
Susan Curry never thought she’d be a teacher. Then, as an undergraduate, she went to Lesotho, Southern Africa, to work in the schools. When she arrived, the students rushed out of their classrooms singing and surrounded the jeep she was traveling in.
“I felt as close to a rock star as I will ever feel,” says Curry, a senior lecturer in the department of classics, humanities and Italian studies. “That is really hard to compete with, but I've had experiences with students at UNH that have given me a feeling that comes very, very close to that.” A lover of Latin and the classics, Curry is known for finding innovative ways to span the vast chasm between ancient times and present day. That happens in her “Sustaining Ancient Rome: Ecology and Empire” course where students look at how the Romans dealt with feeding people and then talk about today's food stamps and WIC programs and whether the government should support people who have food insecurity in their homes.
Making those connections sets the standard for a teaching style that has Curry trying to stir the passion of her students, wanting them to claim something of their own.
“It doesn't matter that it isn't my subject or of interest to me, but I hope that they see that I am passionate about what I research and teach and that the passion itself becomes a kind of contagion,” Curry says.
About this Award
Each year, the University selects a small number of its outstanding faculty for special recognition of their achievements in teaching, scholarship, and service. Awards for Excellence in Teaching are given in each college and school, and University-wide awards recognize public service, research, teaching, and engagement.
