Kosinski Named Alumni Master Teacher
Monday, April 16, 2007Clemson University students have selected Robert Kosinski, professor of biological sciences, as the 2007 Alumni Master Teacher. The award is presented, for outstanding undergraduate classroom instruction, to a faculty member nominated by the student body and selected by the Student Alumni Council. Kosinski receives a $2,500 stipend and a plaque. He will be honored at commencement May 11. Kosinski joined the Clemson faculty in 1984. He earned his B.S. in biology from Seton Hall University in 1972 and his Ph.D. in ecology from Rutgers University in 1977. He teaches the freshman biology course for biology majors. Nominators said Kosinski’s enthusiasm for biology and extensive knowledge of the subject helped them get excited about learning. “Dr. Kosinski does amazing demonstrations during class, which is usually a highlight to my day,” wrote one student nominator. Another wrote, “He is always excited in class and makes even some of the most dull topics seem interesting and fun.” Many of the students who nominated Kosinski said he was their favorite professor at Clemson. 'This was a tremendous surprise for me,' Kosinski said. “I had no idea that 'Alumni Master Teacher' and my name would ever be mentioned in the same sentence.” The professor said his job is to ease the transition for freshmen from high school to college. “I have to get students ready for upper division biology classes. I help them learn to succeed in a fairly rigorous and demanding course,” he said.
