Kurtis Cornish, Ph.D., professor of cellular and integrative physiology, will be honored for receiving the University of Nebraska’s Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award (OTICA) for 2011 at today’s Annual Faculty meeting.
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Kurtis Cornish, Ph.D., right, received the universitywide Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award. |
Dr. Cornish co-invented a computerized cardiovascular dog lab, which is used in several medical schools around the world.
For the classroom, he created the “J-term” at UNMC, an intense, three-day June workshop during which medical students learn key diagnostic and treatment skills they need to transition from medical school to the clinical years.
Below, Dr. Cornish reflects on the art of teaching:
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Watching students learn to think and apply what they learn. However, the long term joy is getting to know my students as people.
What are the biggest challenges you face as a teacher?
The students today are very bright. It is always a challenge to keep up with them. Even though I have been teaching the material for years, it is important to stay current in the areas I teach. Teaching is like taking an oral exam every time you stand before the class.
How do you know when you’ve been successful as a teacher?
When I see that the students can actually apply what they have been taught. Another test is talking to my previous students who tell me that they “still remember” what I taught them and that they use it in their practice of medicine.
List three things few people know about you.
- I love to be in the out of doors, mountains are great as are the deserts.
- I build and fly control line model airplanes.
- I am a romantic at heart. I usually enjoy “chick flicks” as much or more than my wife.
Congratulations. Well deserved honor. Dr. Cornish is a dedicated and caring instructor.