Andrew Crosby and Michael Follert headshots

Andrew Crosby is a contract instructor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology who is passionate about student well-being and success. His experience as a student, teaching assistant and contract instructor during the pandemic helped him understand the intricacies of online learning and related challenges and opportunities. He used that experience to shape and reshape his classroom during the pandemic, adapting to evolving student needs. He also experimented with different online learning tools to engage his students and improve their critical thinking and writing skills, earning him the 2022 Excellence in Blended and Online Teaching Award.  

Michael Follert is a contract instructor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology who has been teaching several large online asynchronous courses since 2020-21. He has integrated several teaching tools and techniques in these courses to engage his students, including an online scavenger hunt, drawing from popular culture to help explain key concepts, and engaging students with different media while they work through course themes. In recognition of his exceptional impact on student learning in an online environment, Michael has received a 2022 Excellence in Blended and Online Teaching Award.