Whitney Womack receives teaching excellence award

May 12, 2004

For the second time this year, Whitney Womack, assistant professor of English at Miami University Hamilton, received recognition for teaching excellence. The first time she was honored was in the fall from the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities. The second time was during Miami Hamilton’s Graduate Recognition and Award’s Dessert this spring from her peers.
Womack specializes in 19th century women’s literature. What she enjoys most, however, is teaching. ‘I come into the classroom enthusiastic and show students how excited I am about the subject,” she said after winning her first award. “I like to get the student involved and invested. I show them how absolutely relevant this (literature) is and that it is not just old.” Credited for introducing the first women’s studies course to the Hamilton campus, Womack is known for her emphasis on class discussions. “Students must come prepared to discuss the readings. Students find it gives them freedom to express their own ideas and their own passions. Most of them enjoy that,” she said.