Professor Anita Oberbauer was selected as recipient of the Academic Senate's 2002 Distinguished Teaching Award. Her award, presented in June at a meeting of the Representative Assembly of the Senate, recognizes her strong contributions to undergraduate and graduate teaching. Several years ago, at the department's request, Anita redirected her teaching to develop a core of courses in companion animal biology for which students were clamoring. Enrollment in these courses has skyrocketed and is limited by the size of available lecture halls. Anita was also recognized for her mentorship and guidance of graduate students.

Anita joins several Animal Science colleagues as recent recipients of this prestigious, campuswide award. Dr. Ed DePeters won the award in 1998, Dr. Tom Famula in 1999 and Dr. Tom Adams in 2000. Dr. Gary Anderson, department chair, was awarded this prize in 1991 as well as the UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement in 1997.

This year, Dana Van Liew received the Academic Federation's Award for Excellence in Teaching. In addition to serving as manager of the campus sheep facility, Dana teaches several undergraduate animal evaluation courses. Outside the classroom he coaches the livestock judging team, allowing him to meet many future agricultural leaders across the state and entice them to enroll at UC Davis. Dana has long lived his belief that students matter, and we are proud to have him recognized as another distinguished teacher in the Department of Animal Science. In 1998, Alida Morzenti, also from this department, received this award.

Our students also excel in campuswide teaching. Animal Science graduate student Jeffrey Mason received the 2001-2002 Distinguished Graduate Teaching Award. Presented in June by Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, these awards are given annually to graduate student teaching assistants who have demonstrated outstanding teaching skills and dedication to their students. Jeff is working on his doctorate in reproductive physiology with Professor Anderson.

No other campus department has had faculty receive the Academic Senate Award three years in a row nor has another department won the Senate, Federation and graduate student teaching awards in the same year. These awards demonstrate the department's true dedication to delivering the highest quality instruction to our students.