|
 George
Bey, Professor of Anthropology and the Associate Dean
of Sciences, has been awarded the AAA/McGraw-Hill Award for
Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching of Anthropology by the
American Anthropological Association.
The award will be presented to Dr. Bey at the AAA's annual
meeting in San Jose, Calif., in November.
In
their recommending letter to the AAA, Professors Michael Galaty
and Julian Murchinson and Dean of Millsaps College Richard Smith
said of Bey: "George is famous on the Millsaps campus for
being a 'master' teacher... For George, the classroom is an extension
of the field, and vice versa. Students
react
strongly
and positively
to this approach. They sense George's genuine excitement about
anthropology and recognize that he is a respected, experienced
scholar... many students describe wandering into one of George's
classes by accident and leaving an anthropology major."
Upon
learning of the award, Galaty added: "George Bey is an excellent
scholar and a great colleague. More than that, he is a fantastic
teacher and that is why he deserves this award. Former students
from all over the country sent letters of support. All of them
praised George’s efforts in the classroom as well as in
the field; many described how he had ‘changed their lives.’
He is truly one of the best teachers of anthropology in the country."
Dean
Smith added: “This
award confirms something that we have long known at Millsaps: George
is one of the finest teachers on campus and also in all of anthropology.
In fact, in my thirty years in higher education, I’ve never
seen any faculty member combine his research and teaching so creatively
and effectively and, in the process, excite so many students. He
is a role model for all of us in higher education.”
The
AAA says of the award: "This award was established in 1997
to recognize teachers who have contributed to and encouraged
the
study of anthropology. The successful teaching of anthropology
is at the core of producing successful anthropologists. By transferring
knowledge and encouraging interest and study, the teacher is
able to contribute significantly to the increasing success of
the field of anthropology. Without such people the growth of
anthropology would be stifled." Past winners include Richard
H. Robbins and Scott A. Lukas (SUNY-Plattsburgh, 2005), Mathew
Richard (Valdosta State, 2004), and Russell H. Tuttle (University
of Chicago, 2003).
Professor Bey
teaches a broad range of
archaeology and anthropology courses, from the Archaeology of Ancient
Egypt to American Popular Culture. His area of research interest
is Mesoamerican Archaeology, the analysis of prehistoric pottery
and the evolution of complex societies, such as the Maya and Toltecs.
Since 1984, he has directed field projects in Yucatan, first
at the Maya site of Ek Balam and, since 2000, at the site of Kiuic.
Kiuic sits amidst a 4000-acre biocultural reserve created with
the support of Millsaps College, offering students unique opportunities
to study Maya archaeology, as well as the flora and fauna of the
tropical forests of Yucatan.
Bey wrote to acknowledge his award from the jungle in Yucatan
where he and a group of present and former Millsaps students are
excavating the remains of an ancient Maya Palace at the archaeological
site of Kiuic:
This
award is an important validation of not just my efforts,
but also those of my
mentors and students. They have provided
me with
the ideas and energy I needed in order to learn how to teach.
I believe in offering the highest quality
of
intellectual
experiences for undergraduate students; too many of our research
and learning resources are often focused on graduate education,
especially in disciplines like anthropology. To provide undergraduates
with significant research opportunities and to bring the world
of “the field” into the classroom helps students
to see the richness and importance of anthropological knowledge.
I want students
to realize that thinking anthropologically is more valuable
then ever
before, no matter what career paths they might choose. I
also try and show them that, if someone like me can find happiness
and success
as an anthropologist, then they can too if they work hard enough.
Links:
George Bey's
website
American Anthropological
Association Calendar
of events
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