Marcus Johnson receives “Excellence in Teaching Award”

IAS alum Marcus Johnson received his bachelor's in Global Studies ('13), and a master's in Cultural Studies (’16). As a Cultural Studies student, he worked with IAS faculty member Ben Gardner on “The Multi Dimensions of Blackness: Cultural Hegemony in the United States and Abroad.” Johnson’s research stems from a “disquieting” encounter he had while visiting family in the Dominican Republic that catalyzed his interest in different formations of “blackness” in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the United States.

Currently a Ph.D. candidate in the UW Department of Communication, Johnson was selected to receive a 2022 UW Excellence in Teaching Award. The Excellence in Teaching Awards were created to recognize the contributions of graduate student instructors to the scholarship of teaching and learning. Graduate instructors enrich the classroom through meaningful and creative teaching approaches.

The award recognizes exceptional teachers who demonstrate 1) extraordinary effectiveness as a UW instructor; 2) extensive knowledge and mastery of the subject matter; 3) effectiveness at engaging students, closing gaps between teaching and learning and supporting student success; 4) innovation in course and curriculum design; 5) ability to inspire, guide, and mentor students through independent and creative thinking; and 6) service as a mentor, collaborator, and consultant to other teaching assistants and students by helping to enrich the scholarship of teaching and learning