Dr. Don Gagnon wins First Provost’s Award for Teaching, 2017

Dr. Don Gagnon

The first recipient of the Provost’s Award for Teaching, Dr. Don Gagnon of the English Department.

Evidence of Don’s vibrancy as a teacher, scholar, and member of the WCSU community can be seen almost everywhere. Whether he is teaching Introduction to Drama or African American Literature or the History of Musical Theatre, his students report being excited to enter into conversations that explore meaning, culture, and the role literature plays in sharpening one’s sense of self. He has long served as a mentor to student scholars, regularly helping them prepare for conferences, and he routinely invites outstanding speakers and groups to campus in support of the diverse perspectives that make up our community. He has served as graduate director for the MA in English, co-director of the American Studies degree, associate chair of the English Department, and faculty liaison for the English Education degree. His contributions extend to organizing trips for students to the theatre, collaborating with colleagues to travel to New York for museum tours, theatre, talks and more. In sum, he seems to have boundless energy and enthusiasm for creating and contributing to a community of learners.