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Westminster College Announces Distinguished Faculty Award

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Posted on Thursday, May 14, 2015

Last week, Westminster College announced the 2015 Westminster College Distinguished Faculty Award recipient, Dr. A. Dwight Castro, professor of classics.

Award nominations came from students, faculty, and alumni, citing Dr. Castro’s “genuine dedication to learning as fun.”

“As I read letters of support for this year’s distinguished faculty recipient, the idea of teaching in a manner that respects and cares for every level of student learning echoed,” said Dr. Jane Wood, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College. “Many faculty and administrators have relied on Dr. Castro’s wisdom and council over the years, appreciating the professor’s vast mental library of general and institutional knowledge. Students often speak about how his courses fed a love of discovery and prepared them for career success.”

Dr. Castro, who served Westminster College for 45 years, received a bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College and a master’s and Ph.D. from Indiana University. 

“Both students and faculty members alike wrote that this professor knew how to make courses engaging and educational through the use of humor,” said Wood. “Indeed, one cannot walk by Dr. Castro’s classroom without hearing infectious laughter shared between professor and student. And if you have taught near this professor, you have probably wondered what the inside jokes were about, as one colleague mentioned, or just how loud students and a professor could laugh.”

The distinguished faculty award is presented to a tenured faculty member who has, over a sustained period of time, demonstrated characteristics of the most outstanding faculty - intellectual vitality, effective communication skills, the ability to motivate or inspire compassion and concern for student success, collegiality, and leadership.

For more information about the distinguished faculty award, contact Gabriella Budai at 724-946-7122.