Dr. EJ Yoder, who occasionally teaches the INTS Capstone course, has earned the 2021 Excellence in Teaching Award from the College of Liberal Arts and Science.
Continuing the INTS program's tradition of exposing students to award-winning teachers and scholars, INTS Director, Hamilton Bean, notes below his respect and admiration for Dr. Yoder's teaching:
"I first met Dr. Yoder in 2009 when I joined the Department of Communication as a new Assistant Professor. Back then, Dr. Yoder already had the reputation of being an excellent teacher. I was humbled to find out how many courses Dr. Yoder, an Instructor, taught each year compared to the TTF faculty. That she had earned her excellent reputation while teaching so many sections and students (both in Denver and abroad during multiple Global Study courses each year) further increased my respect and admiration for her. In fact, her teaching abilities and reputation struck me as a little intimidating. I have stood at Dr. Yoder’s office door innumerable times over the last 12 years, seeking her advice on some aspect of teaching, study abroad, or classroom technology. Like dozens of other faculty members in our Department over the years, I have benefited immensely from Dr. Yoder’s expertise, experience, and wisdom. For me, Dr. Yoder embodies Parker J. Palmer’s maxim that good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher and cannot be reduced to technique. Dr. Yoder is an excellent teacher because that is who she is. I have been so impressed and inspired by Dr. Yoder that, as Director of the International Studies program for CU Denver, I invited (begged) Dr. Yoder to teach our International Studies Capstone course. She is doing so now, and we are so confident in her abilities that we already have her on the schedule for fall 2021."