PULLMAN, Wash.–Stephen A. Hines, associate professor of veterinary microbiology and pathology in the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, has been awarded the 1997 Basic Sciences Teaching Award from the American Veterinary Medical Association.
The award was presented at the AVMA’s national convention held in July in Reno, Nev. It is given to a veterinary teacher by the Student AVMA in recognition of excellence, innovation, and enthusiasm in the field of basic veterinary science and education. Hines teaches veterinary pathology to second-year veterinary students at WSU. He also advises post-DVM graduate students, senior veterinary students, and veterinary student research fellows.
“This award is most special to me because it comes from the students,” said Hines during his acceptance speech. “But I feel I have an unfair advantage because I work with the best veterinary students in North America.” Hines has been honored as a runner-up for the national award twice before.
Hines is no stranger to national accolades for his teaching abilities. In 1996, he was the recipient of the 1996 Excellence in College and University Teaching in the Food and Agricultural Sciences Award sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.
Also in 1996, he received WSU’s Marian E. Smith Faculty Achievement Award. He has been named Sophomore Teacher of the Year three times, Jerry Newbrey Teaching Scholar twice, and was the 1996 Norden Distinguished Teacher in the college.
In addition to his faculty responsibilities, Hines coordinates the Diagnostic Challenges program—honored with the 1995 National Award for Creativity in Teaching in veterinary medicine by the Merck Corporation. Hines also received the national Carl J. Norden Award from the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges as the 1996 Teacher of the Year.
“I am lucky to work in an environment where teaching is truly valued by both faculty and administrators,” said Hines. “In particular, I collaborate with a group of outstanding educators whom I admire and continue to learn from. This award once again recognizes the efforts of this group of WSU veterinary faculty including Guy Palmer, Inge Eriks, Diana Stone, Jane Wardrop, Don Knowles, Bob Wilson, Patricia Talcott, and Tim Crawford.”
Maintaining an active research program, Hines is also studying the molecular biology and immunology of infectious disease in domestic animals. His research has received funding from the USDA, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.
In recognizing this year’s award, the Student AVMA said of Hines, “The cornerstone of Dr. Hines’ teaching is respect for students. This sense of respect drives him to be creative, to expand his understanding of how students learn, to design teaching strategies that bring out the best in students and to seek excellence.”
“Dr. Hines and the entire Diagnostic Challenges Team are the most valuable teaching resource in veterinary medicine today,” said Warwick Bayly, acting dean of the college. “It’s something all of us at WSU are quite proud of.”
cp123
