UMSL Chancellor Tom George (left) surprises Associate Professor of History Fred Fausz with the Chancellor's Award for Excellence.
University of Missouri–St. Louis Chancellor Tom George surprised Fred Fausz last week when he presented the associate professor of history with the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
The award honors tenured, full-time faculty for outstanding achievement in teaching. A plaque and honorarium of $1,000 is presented at the Chancellor’s State of the University Address in the fall.
Fausz, a resident of north St. Louis County, teaches courses on American Indians, colonial America, the fur trade, the Lewis & Clark expedition and era, French Creole culture in the Mississippi Valley and research methods. He has been with UMSL since 1991.
“I was truly speechless when my colleagues surprised me with a secret
reception,” Fausz said. “Only two previous historians had won it, the last time in 1998, and I know how steep the competition is among all of the great departments on campus. The award is most gratifying and much appreciated.”
Fausz has designed and delivered 22 distinct courses. Six of these courses were taught for the Pierre Laclede Honors College where he served as dean until 1996. The remaining 16 were taught in the history department across all levels of the curriculum from introductory undergraduate survey courses to advanced graduate seminars.
Andrew Hurley, chair of the Department of History, recently wrote that Fausz’s student evaluation scores are among the highest in the department, and his classes are among the most popular.
“As any student who has taken a course with Fred can attest, popular does not mean easy. He is a tough grader and his courses are considered among the most demanding in the department,” Hurley said.
Fausz earned his master’s degree and doctorate in early American history from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. He earned his bachelor’s degree in European history from Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Ky.
More information:
umsl.edu/~umslhistory
umsl.edu/~umslhistory/faculty/fausz.html
