Associate Professor and Chair of the Classics Department at Gustavus Adolphus College Matt Panciera, received the 2014 Edgar M. Carlson Award for Distinguished Teaching during the College’s commencement exercises on Sunday, June 1. Panciera was presented the award by the 2013 recipient, Associate Professor of English Rebecca Fremo.
“I feel lucky to have been hired at Gustavus. First, and most important to me, the students here are the best I have ever had. They combined a very good work ethic with a serious interest in learning, but also a sense of humor that makes it easy to come to work every day,” Panciera writes on his Gustavus profile page. “Gustavus, as a small liberal arts institution, suits my talents and interests quite well. I get to teach a wide variety of courses at all levels and several aspects of particular importance in a liberal arts education—skills such as speaking, writing, and critical thinking; the development of the whole person, mind, body, and soul; the constant emphasis on the interconnected nature of all knowledge—are a perfect fit for a classicist.”
Panciera joined the Gustavus faculty in 2002 after completing his Ph.D. in classical philology at the University of North Carolina. He also earned a master’s degree in Latin from UNC and his bachelor’s degree in Latin from the University of Toronto. He has taught at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, and served as an associate professor of classics at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Sicily. At Gustavus, Panciera directed the Three Crowns Curriculum from 2009 to 2012 and has chaired the Classics Department since 2011.
Students who nominated Panciera for the Carlson Award made the following comments about him:
“Professor Panciera makes Gustavus a special place, where students not only feel compelled to strive for excellence, but also enjoy the work they do in the process of achieving it.”
“Professor Panciera exemplifies the commitment to education and excellence that I would always wish for in an instructor and advisor.”
“Professor Panciera encourages students to read with their heads and with their hearts, which forces us to shift away from the perspective of unconcerned bystanders toward one of personal and emotional investment in the stories…and their characters.”
The Edgar M. Carlson Award was established by the Gustavus Board of Trustees in 1971 to honor former President Edgar Carlson for his years of distinguished leadership and in recognition of his commitment to academic excellence. Gustavus faculty, staff, administrators, and students nominate professors for this award, and each year at commencement a faculty member, selected by the Provost based on the recommendations of previous Carlson recipients, is awarded for their exceptional skill and effectiveness as an instructor.
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