The Louis and Dorina Brutocao Award for Teaching Excellence

Student nomination letters highlighted Sharmila Lodhia’s compassionate, life- changing teaching, which fuels intellectual curiosity and professional aspirations. Students spoke of Professor Lodhia’s ability to connect with students, to understand their individually nuanced perspectives, and to respect their voices. She actively engages her students in research projects and aligns assignments with issues that students care deeply about. Alumni described her continued impact on their life post-SCU, with many noting that they take what they learned in her classes to their new professional lives. Professor Lodhia strives to build connections between her current and former students, helping them find mentors in their time at SCU and beyond.

Nancy Unger was noted again and again by students for being an advocate and an ally, especially for underrepresented populations at SCU. Students remarked that they knew Dr. Unger would have a powerful impact on their lives even from the first day of class with her--describing how she creates an engaging classroom environment that fosters intellectual curiosity. They are always excited to attend her classes as she seamlessly connects events of years past to current contexts. Students also described how they are held to a high standard by her as she works with each student to deepen their understanding of her course materials. More importantly, students felt encouraged to ask questions in her class to keep the conversations going both in and outside of class, and they felt the impact of the ideas and issues in her class long after the class ended.