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Biology Professor Stephen Davis Named Finalist for Cherry Award  

Dr. Stephen Davis, Distinguished Professor of Biology, has been selected as one of three finalists for the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching sponsored by Baylor University. 

The Cherry Award program is designed to honor great teachers, to stimulate discussion in the academy about the value of teaching, and to encourage departments and institutions to value their own great teachers.

The award was created by Robert Foster Cherry, a graduate of Baylor University (1929) and Baylor law school (1932). Through the gift, Cherry wished to show his deep appreciation for how his life had been changed by significant teachers.

The Cherry Award is a sizeable award given to honor outstanding professors in the English-speaking world who are distinguished for their ability to communicate as classroom teachers. Finalists—and the ultimate winner—are required to show a proven record as an extraordinary teacher with a positive, inspiring, and long-lasting effect on students, along with a record of distinguished scholarship.      

The selection committee is comprised of leading academics across Baylor’s campus.

As one of three finalists, Davis will receive a $25,000 stipend (plus travel expenses) and will be expected to make three presentations at Baylor in the fall of 2007. Davis will also make other presentations and participate in interviews while visiting the university. 

Because of Davis’ selection as a finalist, the Pepperdine Natural Science Division will host a special Cherry Award lecture in the 2007-2008 academic year. In addition, the division will receive a monetary award to advance pedagogical skills among its teachers. 

If Davis is selected as the recipient of the Cherry Award, he will spend a semester in residence at Baylor during the 2008-2009 academic year. Both Davis and the Natural Science Division will receive additional monetary awards if he is selected as the recipient of this prestigious award.

The award is a fitting tribute to Davis’s excellence as an educator and the leadership role he has taken in advancing undergraduate research and science education with the Natural Science Division.