The Teaching Center would like to congratulate Isis Duncan, instructional media technician, Buck Knauer, assistant manager of academic digital media, and Lindsay Onufer, program manager and teaching consultant, for earning a 2021 Teaching Center award!

Lindsay and Buck both earned the Center’s Advancing Educational Excellence Award; and Isis earned the inaugural Early Impact Award. These annual awards are peer-driven and recognize staff who exemplify the values of the center, demonstrate a positive attitude and commitment to responsibilities, and make above-and-beyond contributions to the University. The new Early Impact recognition will become a regular category moving forward to acknowledge those who are early in their careers, have made a positive impact in a short amount of time, and whose commitment to service has truly impressed their colleagues.

In spearheading the assessment of teaching initiative, Lindsay Onufer has dedicated herself to advancing one of the Teaching Center’s most important recent efforts. She has worked with numerous department chairs, deans, faculty, and members of the office of the provost to craft assessment plans that will be implemented across the University. Additionally, Lindsay is moving the needle of Pitt’s DEI growth by supporting marginalized members of the Pitt community through workshops, panels, presentations, and online resources that promote inclusive teaching, difficult classroom conversations, and student belonging.

As assistant manager of academic digital media, Buck Knauer empowers his colleagues through a calm and professional demeanor, and his impact at the University goes well beyond the usual activities associated with teaching, learning, and digital media. His flawless delivery of the livestreamed memorial services for both Dr. Freddie Fu and for Mr. Tom Richards of the board of trustees allowed their friends and families to participate in the University’s memorial services from afar. When it comes to collaboration, Buck is a regular go-to for colleagues within the Teaching Center; and is a familiar face for Pitt constituents like the University Senate and Institute of Politics.

Having joined Classroom Services just this past February, one of Isis Duncan’s first undertakings was to create an immersive virtual reality tour for the Department of Studio Arts’ Senior Exhibition Gallery, where she learned 360 degree imagery that incorporated sound, video, and a dynamic walk-through of the space. She went on to create a VR tour of Hillman Library to help students navigate through active construction zones; then digitized Scaife Hall’s anatomy lab collection so that it could be used by all of the health sciences programs. Her work ethic is exceptional: she has modernized classroom services documentation to be more mindful of pronoun use and seeks feedback from an inclusive, multi-disciplinary group when writing instructional content.

Please join us in congratulating Lindsay, Buck, and Isis for earning a 2021 Teaching Center award!