Two faculty members of the College of Letters and Science are among those honored by this year's Distinguished Teaching Awards —UC Berkeley's most prestigious award for teaching. The L&S honorees are:
 

Mitchell Breitwieser
Professor of English
At Berkeley: Since 1979

Words of wisdom: "A teacher's conclusions can seem to have arrived effortlessly, but such facility can reinforce students' feelings that, because they are struggling, there must be some personal deficiency, and such feelings reduce the chance that the intellectual problem will be solved, because academic success depends upon properly understanding the encounter with difficulty."

Breitwieser's teaching ranges over the four centuries of American literature, from the Puritans to contemporary science fiction. "For range and variety, this is an extraordinary record," observes Susan Schweik, chair of the English department's teaching-evaluations committee, who also points out that Breitwieser has taught an impressive 20 courses over the past four years: four freshman seminars, three lower-division lecture courses, five upper-division lecture courses, five upper-division seminars, and three graduate courses.

Students praise him for his eloquence and passion as well as for such traits as "approachability," "sincerity," "patience," and "respect for student views." Wrote one: "When [he] lectured, my mind would buzz all day and night with ideas, and my fingers would not stop hurting from the ferocious note-taking."

Andrew Stewart
Nicholas C. Petris Professor of Greek Studies, History of Art and Classics
At Berkeley: Since 1979

Words of wisdom: "I try to foster a number of key elements essential to the learning process: enthusiasm; engagement; effective research techniques; ability to communicate complex ideas both orally and in writing; and, perhaps most importantly, analytical and critical processes that challenge received wisdom."

Characterized by his department chair as "among the finest, most dedicated, and most beloved teachers on the Berkeley campus," Stewart garners praise for his teaching from students past and present, peers and colleagues, and academic observers. One supporter of his nomination, a former GSI in one of Stewart's undergraduate courses, wrote, "I can say from substantial experience that the greatness of his achievements as a scholar is matched by his talent for teaching....He breathes life into the ancient world and makes it relevant in a manner all his own."

Stewart's role as an adviser and mentor to graduate students in "perhaps the most innovative Art History department in America" (so judged in a letter of support from a colleague at the University of Chicago) was cited by supporters as enthusiastically as his classroom skills. One current Ph.D. candidate wrote that he is "generous, funny, and extremely kind, willing to give professional and practical advice and ready to welcome graduate students into the world of academia as valued contributors."