Katherine Allen

Katherine Allen of Human Development "treats teaching and learning as a living laboratory," according to nominator Dr. Michael J. Sporakowski. "She provides examples of informed reflexive consciousness in teaching and scholarship toward the creation of a more inclusive, balanced, and invigorated family studies, using examples from her teaching at Virginia Tech and her life experience and research on family diversity." Allen supervises graduate students who teach large undergraduate courses in Human Development, and has organized teaching symposia for these GTA's to "spotlight" their skills in teaching around multicultural, controversial, and sensitive subjects in family studies and human development.

Professor Allen's interdisciplinary work includes collaborations with the Women's Studies Program in CIS and the Center for Gerontology; currently she team teaches a course for Interdisciplinary Studies with Professors Stacey-Floyd Thomas and Laura Gorfkle. Her many awards include selection as a Fellow by the National Council of Family Relationships, the Ernest Osborne Award for Excellence in Teaching from the National Council on Family Relations, an Excellence in Instruction Award from the Department of Family and Child Development at Virginia Tech, a University Wine Award, and a Certificate of Teaching Excellence in the College of Human Resources. Students consistently describe her teaching as "the best" and even "awesome!" Her colleagues find her a compassionate and learned mentor with seemingly boundless energy for self-questioning, boundary challenging, and professional achievement. Her Diggs interview energized and inspired the group as she argued convincingly against burnout and cynicism, and for continuous high level achievement and great pleasure in teaching. For the Fall Roundtable, Allen will discuss ideas about diversity and offer strategies that are relevant for students' and teachers' experiences.