UA Alumni Association Announces Teaching Award Winners

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama National Alumni Association has announced the four recipients of its 2001 Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award (OCTA), the University’s highest honor for excellence in teaching.

The 2001 winners are Cornelius Carter, associate professor of dance in the College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Silas C. Blackstock, associate professor of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Wythe W. Holt Jr., University Research Professor of Law in the UA School of Law; and Dr. Amilcar Shabazz, assistant professor of American Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Established in 1976, the OCTA recognizes dedication to the teaching profession and the positive impact professors have on their students.

Carter earned his bachelor’s degree at Webster University and his master’s degree at the University of Hawaii. He joined the faculty of the UA department of theatre and dance in 1992.

Carter teaches several UA courses, including Intro to Dance Style, Jazz, Modern, and Choreography. He also teaches and choreographs dance throughout the country. For summer 2001, he taught at the Ailey School in conjunction with Fordham University at the Lincoln Center in New York City. Since 1988, Carter has choreographed 52 dances. Twenty-eight of the works were produced and performed by professional companies or other university companies, including Harvard University, Tulane University, the American Dance Festival, American Ballet Theatre and Bates College.

In a recommendation letter, a colleague praised Carter’s contributions to UA’s campus: “Cornelius Carter brings life to this campus in a way that no one else does. His passions enliven, inspire and transform this environment. His passion for the Arts is exceeded only by his passion for justice, and since he acts so devotedly, competently and generously on these passions, the campus is a richer place.”

Blackstock joined the chemistry department in 1996 after teaching for a number of years at Vanderbilt University. He received his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin. He also did postdoctoral work at the University of Houston and at Yale University.

Blackstock heads a National Science Foundation funded research program in which undergraduates, graduates and postdoctoral fellows participate. His research focuses on crystal engineering and the preparation of molecules for control of electron transport and magnetism in organic materials.

In a letter recommending him for the OCTA award, one student said Blackstock’s class was among the best courses she’s taken. “Dr. Blackstock made organic chemistry interesting and one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had at the University. He always treated the class with respect and was overall very fair with his exam questions,” the student said. “He made his course a learning experience rather than one designed to ‘weed out’ students.”

Holt joined the law school in 1966 and became University Research Professor in 1987. His research and publications as a legal historian have been primarily in the fields of our national court system’s history and the U.S. labor law’s history. He is nationally known for his research on the origins of the federal courts.

At the University, Holt also has taught classes in the history, American Studies, and criminal justice departments of the College of Arts and Sciences, in the African American Studies Program, in the Honors Program, and as Professor-in-Residence in the Mallet Men’s Honors Program.

Teaching is Holt’s first love-he regularly invites students to critique him and has introduced innovative teaching techniques into his legal history classes.

“I found myself in a stimulating class, taught by a charismatic instructor who encouraged his students to think outside the box, to challenge assumptions, and to question truths we had all been taught…and bought,” one of Holt’s students said in a letter of recommendation.

Holt received his bachelor’s from Amherst College and his J.D. and doctorate from the University of Virginia. He was a Fellow in Law and Humanities at Harvard Law School.

Shabazz is the first director of the University’s African American Studies Program. He arrived in 1997 after a year as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Office of Academic Programs and Faculty Affairs at The University of Houston.

Shabazz is currently finishing work on a book entitled Saving the Race and Advancing the Cause of Democracy: African Americans and the Struggle for Access and Equity in Higher Education. His previous publications include an edited book, several book chapters and journal articles. He has presented scholarly papers, taught and conducted research across the United States and abroad, including Japan, Cuba, Mali, France, Nicaragua and Jamaica.

He teaches a variety of classes, including African American Religion and Culture, Drugs and American Society: A Cultural History, and Black Masculinity and the American Dream.

Many teachers and students praise Shabazz’s classes.

“Perhaps the greatest indicator of his pedagogical effectiveness is seen in how his students display such vibrant and unrestrained enthusiasm for learning and critical reflection. Dr. Shabazz’ pedagogy enables his students to become not only better and more insightful students but also thoughtful and responsible members of society,” a colleague said of Shabazz.

Shabazz received his bachelor’s from The University of Texas at Austin, his master’s from Lamar University and his doctorate from The University of Houston.

The UA National Alumni Association, which gives the annual OCTA awards, is made up of more than 30,000 active alumni and friends of the University, organized into more than 100 local chapters nationwide. The association stimulates interest in and supports the betterment of the University, with member contributions accounting for more than $2 million per year in academic scholarships.

For more information or to join, call 205/348-1551 or write the UA National Alumni Association, P.O. Box 861928, Tuscaloosa, AL 35486-0017.