Yousif receives Pitt-Bradford Chairs' Faculty Teaching Award

Dr. HashimYousif, professor of physics at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, has received the 2010 Chairs’ Faculty Teaching Award for excellence in teaching.

“Part of what makes Professor Yousif an effective teacher is his ability to present class material in an organized fashion, his dedication in evaluating his students’ work fairly, his desire to maintain an environment conducive to learning and his steadfast commitment to be accessible to his students,” said Dr. Steven Hardin, vice president and dean of academic affairs, at the 2010 Honors Convocation, where Yousif was recognized.

“He is also not content to maintain the status quo in the classroom,” Hardin continued. “He incorporates all of the available technologies in his classroom, including video streaming his lectures and using animation and electronic data acquisition technology.”

Yousif was chosen for the award by the chairmen and chairwomen of Pitt-Bradford’s five academic divisions.

In choosing an award recipient, the chairpersons reviewed letters of recommendation, student evaluations of teaching, syllabi and grade distribution. They also considered the teachers’ knowledge of subject matter and their advising and dedication in working with students beyond the classroom in such activities as internships and research projects.

The award, which is in its ninth year, is open to any full-time faculty member who has taught at Pitt-Bradford for at least the last three consecutive academic years.

Yousif said, “I am honored by this award and want to thank the chairman of the Physical and Computation Sciences Division, who nominated me, and the chairs of the university divisions, who gave me their confidence.

“I also would like to acknowledge the support of my students who inspired me. In addition, the support and encouragement of the administration, staff, and the faculty of this university must be noted.”

Dr. Yong-Zhuo Chen, chairman of the division of physical and computational sciences, said, “Dr. Yousif sets high standards for himself and strives to constantly improve his teaching. He always goes extra miles beyond finishing his normal teaching duty and devotes extra times to help students. He is an energetic, well-versed and dedicated teacher.”

Yousif has been teaching at Pitt-Bradford since 1989. For the past 21 years, he has taught a variety of courses in several disciplines, including physics, mathematics, astronomy, engineering and computer science. He has also developed new courses in several of these disciplines.

Besides teaching, Yousif is also a noted researcher. He has had numerous articles published in scholarly journals on topics such as electromagnetic scattering, computing special functions and quantum statistical mechanics.

He has also extended his love of physics and his passion for teaching beyond the collegiate level. For several years, he hosted a workshop at Pitt-Bradford in conjunction with the American Association of Physics Teachers and National Science Foundation for middle and high school teachers of physics and physical sciences to help them become better teachers.

Yousif earned his doctoral degree at the University of Arizona, and his bachelor of science degree from the University of Baghdad.

He and his wife live in Bradford with their son. Yousif enjoys vegetable gardening for his family, listening to classical and Arabic music, and reading the newspaper. He also likes to explore the Internet for interesting material.

Past recipients of the Chairs’ Faculty Teaching Award are Dr. Jean Truman, Andrea Robbins, Dr. Helene Lawson, Dr. Joanne Burgert, Dr. Nancy McCabe, Donald Lewicki, Dr. Donald Ulin and Dr. Lauren Yaich.

Pictured, Dr. Steven Hardin, vice president and dean of academic affairs, at the podium reading a statement about Dr. Hashim Yousif, right, as Dr. Yousif received the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s Chairs’ Faculty Teaching Award.
Photo and information courtesy of Pitt-Bradford