Marion campus professors Tracy Tylka and Bishun Pandey are now among a small but select group of faculty members university-wide named as recipients of the Ohio State Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching.
The award, which was established in 1959, is given annually to ten full-time faculty members at The Ohio State University. Considered the highest university honor for a faculty member, the award is presented in recognition of those who have done a superior job of teaching.
Recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award are nominated by students and colleagues, and chosen by a committee of alumni, students and faculty. They receive a cash award and an increase in base salary. Teaching Award recipients also are inducted into the Academy of Teaching, which provides leadership on improving teaching at Ohio State. Funding for the awards is provided by private donations to the university and by The Ohio State University Alumni Association.
The announcement of the two Marion campus faculty winners was made on March 3 in Tylka’s Psychology 331 class during a visit by Dr. E. Gordon Gee, president of The Ohio State University. Two-time Heisman Trophy winner and president of the OSU Alumni Association Archie Griffin, Ohio State Marion Dean & Director Gregory S. Rose, faculty and staff, students, and a small media contingent were on hand to witness the awards presentation to the two deserving professors.
Pandey, who serves as associate dean of Ohio State Marion was part of the entourage who gathered to congratulate Tylka on her award and was surprised to learn their was a second distinguished teaching award being presented that morning, and he was the recipient.
A resident of Delaware, Ohio, Tylka began her teaching career as and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State Marion in 2001. She attended The University of Akron for her undergraduate and graduate studies, earning her B.A. in 1995, her M.A. in 1998, and her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology in 2001.
Now an associate professor, Tylka teaches classes in abnormal psychology, psychology of women, personality, adjustment, counseling psychology, and theory. She also conducts research on eating behavior, and general psychology. Within the field of counseling psychology, Dr. Tylka holds particular interest in body image and eating behavior.
Bishun Pandey is a current resident of Lewis Center, Ohio, and former Marion, Ohio, resident for 18 years. He has taught mathematics courses at Ohio State Marion since 1986 and was recently named the campus’s associate dean.
Pandey was educated at Allahabad University, India, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He later earned a Ph.D. from Banaras Hindu University Institute of Technology, India.
Pandey began his collegiate teaching career as an instructor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, in 1983. He began his work at The Ohio State University at Marion in 1986 as an assistant professor. Now a full professor for The Ohio State University in the Department of Mathematics, he has served the Marion campus and the university in a number of roles. In addition to his 21 years teaching both lower and upper level mathematics courses and advising students, Pandey has conducted significant research in the area of gas dynamics.
The professor’s research and scholarly work has been referenced in over thirty scientific and mathematic journals and publications. He has also presented over 40 talks and symposiums in his particular area of research.
With the previous two awards in 2008, The Ohio State University at Marion is home to sixteen Alumni Awards for Distinguished Teaching, more than any other Ohio State regional campus.
Other past recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award from the Marion campus include: Anne Bower (English), Dan Christie (2 time winner in psychology), David Citino (English), Scott Dewitt (English), Stuart Lishan (English), Teresa Mensing (geology), Tim McNiven (art history), Terry Pettijohn (3 time winner in psychology), Professor Franklin Proaño (2 time winner in comparative studies & Spanish), Vladimir Steffel (history), as Distinguished Teaching Award recipients.
An awards dinner honoring all 2008 recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award will be held on Wednesday, April 9, 6 p.m. at the Wexner Center on Columbus campus.
