January 15, 2015
Jennifer Royston has been selected to receive an MSU Excellence-in-Teaching Citation. Royston is a PhD student in the Department of English specializing in Renaissance Literature and Early Modern Visual Culture. She earned her M.A. in ‘Shakespeare in History’ from University College London, UK.
“Aside from my research,” Royston says, “my passion lies in teaching, and some of the most rewarding moments come from interactions with my students.”
Up to six Excellence-In-Teaching Citations are awarded annually to outstanding graduate teaching assistants who have distinguished themselves by the dedication and skill they show in meeting their classroom responsibilities. Award recipients receive a $1,000 stipend, and are selected based on the following criteria (listed in order of importance):
1. Instructional effectiveness; impact on the student.
2. Use of innovative techniques and/or approaches in teaching.
3. Scholarly promise.
To be nominated for an MSU Excellence-In-Teaching Citation, the teaching assistant must have held at least a quarter-time graduate teaching assistantship for a minimum of one semester at time of nomination. In addition, the nominee must have assumed a significant measure of responsibility for the conduct of undergraduate courses, whether in lecture, recitation or laboratory sections.
At MSU, Royston has taught: WRA 150: Evolution of American Thought; IAH 202 (Online): European Interactions with the Rest of the World Since 1492; IAH 207: Michigan Literature; and IAH 207: Dangerous Art.
Royston is currently researching the relationship between visual design and art in early modern drama, masques, and prose. She has presented papers on the use of portraiture in Shakespeare’s works, and papers that explore the aesthetic significance of early modern husbandry manuals.
MSU Excellence-in-Teaching Citation recipients will be recognized at the annual Awards Convocation, Tuesday, February 9, 2016, 3:30-4:30 p.m., in the Pasant Theatre, Wharton Center. The ceremony includes the President’s State of the University remarks, and a reception that follows.
