Each semester, first-year writing students have the opportunity to nominate their LANG 120 instructor for the Outstanding First-Year Writing Instructor Award. This award acknowledges the important work of teaching first-year writing and celebrates faculty who engage in that work. Each semester, nominations are reviewed by members of the English department, and one outstanding instructor is recognized.
Please join us in congratulating Ayelet Even-Nur, our Spring 2024 Outstanding First-Year Writing Instructor!
Spring 2024, Ayelet Even-Nur, Adjunct Instructor
From Even-Nur’s students:
“She is amazing because she makes her passion for teaching this subject known. She is timely when it comes to responding to emails, she makes the class discussions lively, and utilizes all the time in the class to enhance our learning and create insightful conversations.”
“She encourages us to grow as writers and incorporate our authentic voices into our writings.”
“You can just feel her enthusiasm every time she steps into the classroom. She genuinely cares about her students’ success and goes the extra mile to ensure we understand the material. But what really sets her apart is her caring nature. She’s always there to lend a helping hand or offer guidance when we need it. She takes the time to get to know each of us individually and creates a supportive and inclusive environment where we feel comfortable expressing ourselves. Another thing I love about her is how she builds a sense of community in the classroom. She encourages us to collaborate and engage in open discussions. It’s like we’re all part of a big family, supporting and learning from each other. And let me tell you, she’s always looking for ways to improve. She actively seeks feedback from us and tries out new teaching methods to keep things fresh and exciting. It’s clear that she’s dedicated to our growth and development as students.”
“By far the best LANG teacher I have ever had.”
Fall 2023, Ellen Perry, Lecturer
From Perry’s students:
“She is incredible! Not only has she taught us an immense amount of information, but she really makes us feel like we belong at UNC Asheville. Ms. P recognizes the hardships that come with our first semester at college and ensures that her students know they have her full support. She has encouraged me and so many others to put forth our best effort and keep trying, even when school and life get hard! She is so intelligent, kind, and welcoming.”
“I look forward to every class I have with her. She’s always extremely encouraging and supportive, making me feel more confident in my writing and thought processes.”
“She is very personable and makes you feel seen. She pushes you to do what you may not necessarily want to do but what needs to be done in a way that does not make you feel like a lesser person or defeated. Her smile and personalized greeting every time you enter the room is truly something that can make a bad day turn around and having a professor that you are not intimidated by makes it easier to go to them to talk one on one and seek for help.”
“[She is] always looking for a new way to explain the material and help us grow as writers. She is always willing to help a student when they need it. She really deserves credit for all that she does.”
Spring 2023, Evan Gurney, Associate Professor of English
From Gurney’s students:
“Dr. Gurney is the best at keeping a 2 hour lecture upbeat and FUN. There is never a dull moment and he is able to use his professing expertise to combine laughter and education in the same room which is a hard thing to do.”
“They teach the subject matter in an engaging way and give us real-world like assignment to help prepare us for life. They are also very passionate about what they teach and always have lots of energy, so class is never boring.”
“Professor Gurney is such a kind and understanding professor! You can tell he really cares about his students and wants them to succeed. On top of that, he is very thorough with his lectures and always ensures that we understand the material. He also finds ways to make the classroom more fun and gives us assignments that aren’t stereotypical. All of these qualities make him outstanding to me and I believe he deserves the award!”
Fall 2022: Kristin Shepard, Lecturer
From Shepard’s students:
“Professor Shepard has shown a tremendous amount of care and considers action for my classmates and my learning, our thoughts, our feelings, and our well-being. She is understanding, kind, and thoughtful. I have never had a professor who has helped me so much in a course and been there for me. Every lesson is curated to our class’ understanding, fitting to what connects with our projects, and all fit together so seamlessly. I could truly go on and on about how above and beyond amazing Professor Shepard goes for us all.”
“My whole life I have struggled having a good connection with any teachers mainly English/lang teachers, my whole life there has only been one teacher that made me feel accepted and understood but I can officially say there are now two teachers that I will always remember. I am a student with a hearing disability which causes issues with my learning, most teachers never understood that or tried to understand my issues but Shepard does and they help me work with my disability. They wan’t me to voice my issues and struggles with my disability and grow from it. I have been unable to get accommodations for it through the school but I don’t even need one for lang 120 as Shepard made sure I was comfortable and did anything they could to make sure I was getting the information and help I needed. …I love how Shepard teaches they try to work with everyone learning skills. we start with two minutes of clearing our mind, a screen break where we just sit in silence and think about whatever you would like or clear your head of all the stress from the classes before. I really appreciate that time because it makes the class so much more relaxed and helps people focus. out of all my years of education I feel like lang 120 with Shepard has been the most helpful class so far, I actually have learned from this class and will continue to keep growing because of Shepard. I think they deserve it because they NEED to be recognized for their work and the support they give.”
“Ms. Shepard is such a considerate and caring instructor. Their energy is so calming and inviting. She always takes the time to talk to and help each student in their journey in LANG 120, and in college.”
Spring 2022: Anne Jansen, Associate Professor of English
From Jansen’s students:
“Dr. Jansen is genuine and really wants her students to do well in her class. She forms connections with her students and takes the time to help each student with their specific needs. Dr. Jansen has helped me understand what specifically I need to improve on with my writing and given me an overall better understanding of literature/writing in general. I look forward to going to her class every Tuesday and Thursday!”
“Professor Jansen has provided me with an engaging learning environment online, often reaching out to students’ questions and concerns. Having an online class makes it harder to get students engaged…. However, students are still pushed to actively participate through group dissections, and class discussions every class. Prof. Jansen always stays after class to answer students’ questions and/or concerns. Overall a perfect professor :)”
Fall 2021: Amanda Wray, Associate Professor of English
From Wray’s students:
“Amanda makes each class enjoyable. We relate our studies to real subject matter that affects our everyday lives and educates all of us. Im very grateful for this class as its one of my favorites this semester.”
“She has gone above and beyond in ensuring that the students know what is happening in class, and providing various opportunities to reach out to her if we are struggling. She’s super understanding and has made an effort to connect with her students while enriching them with an education that challenges them with new beliefs.”
“Dr. Wray deserves this award because she isn’t just a professor, she’s our mentor, sometimes our therapist, and mostly our friend. She’s the sweetest and she actually cares about her students. She actually listens to us and takes in consideration that we’re college students still trying to figure out life. She’s really patient, with a heart of gold. I hope to have more professors like her moving forward in my college journey.”
Spring 2021: Craig Hawley, Adjunct Instructor
From Hawley’s students:
“[He] has gone above and beyond on a daily and weekly basis to make class interesting and lively. Even when seemingly no one wants to attend class or participate he finds a way to make it exciting and engaging. On top of that this being my first semester of college and this being the class I was most afraid of, and Mr. Hawley has made sure that I and anyone else that needs help, gets the help they need. I’m extremely grateful to have received a professor like him.”
“He’s an understanding professor. He tries his best to engage his students in the online environment which I know can be hard. His theme for our LANG120 class is Monsters, and he loves to talk about monster theories and movies, and the things he teaches us are things that could be applied to our generation’s culture very easily, making it an enjoyable class.”
“He listens to us as students and asks how he can help us be successful or truly cares when we say we are struggling with an assignments. He also makes his class interesting and uses examples that hold attention. His class is fun and actually enjoyable, English can be a very slow and normal class and he find way to challenge us academically speaking while still giving assignments that are enjoyable that we learn from. When things are not correct or maybe need work he tells us what is wrong and how to correct it moving forward so we can learn from the things we are doing incorrectly. Professor Hawley is a professor that understand it is college and it will not be easy but gives assignments that are actually needed and does not waist our time with pointless assignments. He makes sure everything we cover is a learning opportunity and makes sure we are not covering things that we do not need to focus on if we all are making it through the unit he does not slow down and he gives time when we are having a harder time with something.”
Fall 2020: Rick Chess, Roy Carroll Professor of Honors Arts and Sciences, Professor of English
From Chess’s students:
“Dr. Chess is a treasure. His gifts as a teacher go far beyond what one would expect from a Professor. He brings people together. He helps students feel seen, heard, honored and appreciated. Dr. Chess has opened my eyes to what is possible as a writer and inspires me to keep my heart open every day. It’s been incredible to see each student’s enthusiasm for his class. It’s the only class I’ve ever been in that nobody wants it to end. Dr. Chess exemplifies what it means to be a Teacher/Mentor/Guide, and he changes lives in a powerfully meaningful way.”
“My praise and appreciation for Dr. Chess are boundless; I’ve been so privileged to have been able to learn from and with him in LANG120 in one of his final semsters at UNCA. I am certain he’s brought so much to this community over the years. Even in this short, unconventional semester, with a class entirely over Zoom, I know our whole class has gained so much from his presence in this chapter of our journey. Words alone simply cannot express the profound impact that Dr. Chess has made on our newfound family of LANG120 first years. I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to UNCA and certainly given the times, I wouldn’t have thought it possible to learn, grow, and connect so much to a group of students and our beloved professor in just these few short months of remote learning.”
“Dr. Chess is the most compassionate, devoted, and personable teacher that has ever instructed me. Each day he greets each and every one of us, and encourages open discussion. I am always surprised by his self-accountability and humility, and I feel respected and expected to grow in his class.”
Spring 2020: Leslee Johnson, Lecturer
From Johnson’s students:
” she conducts class and herself with so much grace and kindness. she makes everyone feel welcome and celebrated. she makes the class feel like a family and makes 8am not suck by always being bright and positive. she makes the work easy to understand what is expected of us and everything is a open conversation.”
“I have been very inspired by Professor Johnson this semester, as she leads by example by being a peaceful, loving, patient, kind, diligent, and dedicated teacher. I have felt very encouraged by her to pursue my degree in English, and she has inspired me to dig deeper, think differently, explore different research and writing strategies, and go farther as a writer.”
“…since online school has started, Professor Johnson has worked tirelessly to make sure we still have the highest quality education possible by continuously contacting us and asking for feedback and then some.”
Fall 2019: Brian Graves, Lecturer and Associate Writing Program Coordinator
From Graves’s students:
“Before taking my LANG 120 class to be honest I did not like writing at all. Through this class, though, I learned so much more about my own theory of writing. Professor Graves is always very helpful and patient with all the students when they need assistance on assignments.”
“Professor Graves is absolutely the best professor of writing I have ever come across. … He does a brilliant job of challenging us to write outside of the norm while also giving us the freedom to define what writing means to us. He is engaging and vastly knowledgeable. I could not appreciate more how he has helped me grow and develop as a writer. He beyond deserves this award.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to survive Lang 120 or my first semester, for that fact, if I didn’t have Professor Graves.”
Spring 2019: Jennifer McGaha, Lecturer
From McGaha’s students:
“Professor McGaha is amazing. She understands the everyday stress of a college students. She bases her hard but doable assignments on the class[’s] needs for development. Through her assignments we learn about ourselves, classmates and our surroundings.”
“Overall, she shows us that it’s okay to make mistakes because she’ll be there to pick us back up. Lastly, she tries to get to know you, which is nice in the sense that she knows how you write and what writing style works best for you.”