Rebecca Dawson, Allegheny College assistant professor of biology and global health studies, has been named to NerdScholar’s list of “40 Under 40: Professors Who Inspire.”
According to NerdScholar, the professors were chosen based on “their ability to captivate and engage students in the classroom, their outstanding involvement on campus and in the community, and their overwhelming passion for their subject matter.” Nominations were collected through student, alumni and faculty recommendations following an open call to several hundred colleges and universities across the country.
“Receiving this award is such an honor,” says Dawson, a native of Allison Park, Pa. “It is so very special to me because my nomination came from my students. They are what make this job so great; to know the feeling is mutual is priceless.”
Senior Erica Bryson, one of Dawson’s students who nominated her for the award, says you can tell by Professor Dawson’s enthusiasm and energy in class that she loves the material she is teaching. “Professor Dawson is a practice-what-you-preach type of person as a result of her passion in epidemiology, and she encourages those around her to do the same,” Bryson says. “I know she puts 100 percent into everything she does, and I am honored to have her as a professor and mentor.”
Sophomore Matthew Zaborowski, another student who nominated her for the honor, agrees. “Being an Allegheny College alumna, Professor Dawson is very passionate about the liberal arts and the environment and atmosphere that each student displays while attending Allegheny. She is a true inspiration, a great role model and a wonderful professor who is caring, committed and passionate,” he says.
Professor Dawson received her bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Allegheny, her master of public health degree in environmental health from Emory University and her Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Her research interests have focused on topics related to environmental epidemiology, and she has made an impact on the local community through her work with the Community Health Needs Assessment in Meadville.
In August 2014, she collaborated with a professor at George Mason University to publish the first undergraduate textbook on epidemiology titled “Understanding Epidemiology: Concepts, Skills & Applications.”
To view Professor Dawson’s feature, go to www.nerdwallet.com/feature/40-Under-40-Professors-2015#Becky-Smullin-Dawson.
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