2012 Kenneth G. Elzinga Distinguished Teaching Awards

The Kenneth G. Elzinga Distinguished Teaching Award from the Southern Economic Association annually honors one or more faculty members for outstanding contributions to economics education. Nominations for the 2013 awards will be solicited from economics department heads, from each institution in the southern part of the United States, in the spring of 2013. Nominees who are not selected are automatically placed in the pool of nominees for the subsequent year for a period of three years.

Ken Elzinga, Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics at the University of Virginia,--first recipient of the Cavaliers’ Distinguished Teaching Professorship--is widely recognized as one of the most accomplished, effective, and influential educators in the economics profession during a distinguished teaching and research career at the University of Virginia, that has spanned over 35 years. Ken is creative and versatile in the classroom sharing his thoughts effectively with large groups of students studying the principles of economics, and using the Socratic Method, when working with students in a more advanced setting. He is a pioneer in the use of literature to explore economic reasoning which led to his writing murder mysteries that can be solved by careful economic analysis. Ken’s style of instruction and commitment to helping students develop an understanding of and appreciation for economic reasoning and insights serve as an inspiration for economic educators, so it is fitting for exemplary economic educators to be honored with an award in his name.

The winner for 2012 is:

Michael K. Salemi (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

The winner was announced at the 2012 meeting of the Southern Economic Association in New Orleans, Louisiana on Saturday, November 17, and was awarded a plaque and a cash award.

Citation for the 2012 recipient

Michael K. Salemi

Michael K. Salemi's contributions to distinguished teaching have been realized through three interrelated professional activities: (1) masterful classroom performance; (2) teaching other professors how to become better teachers; and (3) publishing research on effective teaching methods. In the classroom, Dr. Salemi uses strategic questioning and discussion to engage students in active learning. He perfected an approach to promoting active learning in principles classes though use of strategic questions and clicker technology. Dr. Salemi's distinguished pedagogy has been officially recognized with a long series of awards. As a teacher of peers, Dr. Salemi has led the Teaching Innovations Program that provided academic economists from across the country with training in the use of active learning strategies in their own classrooms. This program has had a broad and long lasting effect on improving teaching of economics by its many participants. Dr. Salemi has published two books and a 35-year-long stream of journal articles and book chapters on economics education and teaching innovations.

Past Recipients

2011 Richard V. Butler (Trinity University)

2010 Paul Grimes (Mississippi State University)
Jill Caviglia Harris (Salisbury University)

2009 KimMarie McGoldrick (University of Richmond)

2008 Julie Heath (The University of Memphis)
Charles Holt (University of Virginia)

2007 Richard J. Cebula (Atlantic Armstrong State University)

2006   Sheryl Ball (Virginia Tech)
           Stephen Buckles (Vanderbilt University)
           Russell Sobel (West Virginia University)

2005 Steven L. Cobb (University of North Texas)
Tom McCaleb (Florida State University)

2004   Thomas J. Nechyba (Duke University)
           L. Wayne Plumly, Jr. (Valdosta State University)

2003   Craufurd Goodwin (Duke University)
           Dennis O'Toole (Virginia Commonwealth University)
           Jason White (Northwest Missouri State University)

2002 William Darity, Jr. (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
William C. Wood (James Madison University)