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William Lehman, PhD<\/strong><\/h3>\nProfessor and Vice Chair of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics<\/em><\/h4>\nLehman, recognized as the GMS Educator of the Year for master\u2019s programs, has worked at BU since 1973. His research focuses on the regulation of muscle contraction, performing structural studies on the assembly and function of actin-containing thin filaments in muscle and non-muscle cells.<\/p>\n
Within GMS, Lehman works particularly closely with the Master of Science in Oral Health Sciences (OHS) program as director of its team-taught physiology course. Lehman\u2019s course lectures focus on muscle and gastrointestinal physiology, as well as endocrinology. He also teaches within the Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MAMS) physiology course and provides guidance to the directors of the program.<\/p>\n
Lehman, who thinks of himself \u201cas a researcher primarily,\u201d said he was surprised and gratified to receive this year\u2019s award recognition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think of my teaching both as a service and a vital responsibility as a faculty member,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a very important service.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lehman believes that education should be both challenging and entertaining. In his lectures, he tries to interject personal stories and humor to keep students engaged in the course content.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy role as an educator is partly advertising for the subject matter, so that [the students] want to learn, not just that they have to learn, the material,\u201d Lehman said.<\/p>\n
For Lehman, one of the most rewarding parts of being an educator is watching how students develop during the course. In addition to striving for the most effective delivery of course content, Lehman often works with students to develop good study habits, time management skills, and an overall grasp of the content.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have a sense of personal reward when you see students who may be struggling in the course, and finally, [the material] catches, and they\u2019re able to conceptualize difficult subjects,\u201d Lehman said. \u201cThat\u2019s very rewarding and impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n
To an important extent, Lehman\u2019s teaching philosophy is that \u201cless is more\u201d. Lehman believes that carefully tailoring course content to both the subject matter and the learning objectives of the students and the master\u2019s program itself may be the most important \u2013 and possibly the most difficult \u2013 parts of being course manager.<\/p>\n
Lehman feels honored and encouraged by the award to continue his efforts to advance the master\u2019s teaching program.<\/p>\n
Lehman was nominated enthusiastically by several students who commended his \u201ccommitment to excellence in teaching\u201d and \u201cprofound dedication to the growth of [his] students.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Lehman is a first-class professor who is immensely passionate about the education of his students and their success within the healthcare field,\u201d one student wrote. \u201cHis outstanding leadership of the DMD Physiology course has made each of his students exceptionally competent and knowledgeable.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Jeffrey Browning, PhD<\/strong><\/h3>\nResearch Professor of Virology, Immunology & Microbiology (VIM)<\/em><\/h4>\nBrowning, recognized as the GMS Educator of the Year for PhD programs, has been at BU since 2013. While his primary appointment is in VIM, Browning also has a secondary appointment in the Section of Rheumatology.<\/p>\n
Before coming to BU, Browning worked at Biogen, where his research focused on hormones that control the immune system. Toward his last few years at Biogen, he found himself wanting to work closer to human disease, a challenge he took on when he moved to BU to work on scleroderma and lupus research.<\/p>\n
Browning\u2019s current research at BU focuses on understanding how the immune system interacts with stromal elements to form specialized microenvironments particularly in the skin.<\/p>\n
To Browning, his move from biotech into teaching was a way of \u201cgiving back.\u201d He currently directs and teaches in the Comprehensive Immunology course, as well as in the Business of Science course. He also teaches immunology to some rheumatology fellows as they prepare for their board exams.<\/p>\n
\u201cScience is kind of like a video game,\u201d Browning said. \u201cIt\u2019s about making progress forward. Pharma allowed me to do that. Looking back, what I missed was teaching and interactions with young students.\u201d<\/p>\n
Upon arriving at BU, one of Browning\u2019s key challenges was updating the immunology course. Recognizing that many disciplines need at least a basic understanding of immunology, his goal was to make the class less granular and more focused on how immunology works as an ensemble of parts. \u00a0.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s precisely the hard part to teach,\u201d Browning said. \u201cIt\u2019s very easy to describe the tools in a toolbox, but how do you fix an engine? That\u2019s an entirely different beast.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his classes, Browning uses a didactic teaching style and tests that are open book. To Browning, using the tests as a learning opportunity and continuation of the lectures is more important than the metrics of earning an A or a B. He is always happy to speak with students who are struggling with the material and work with them to find a solution.<\/p>\n
The course now consistently maintains a student enrollment in the mid-20\u2019s, a significant increase from when Browning first joined the faculty.<\/p>\n
He reminds students that upon taking and leaving the course, they are now \u201cimmunology ambassadors,\u201d a role that is all the more important in such a fast-paced world of science and technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hardest thing you have to do is communicate immunology to the lay public,\u201d Browning said. \u201cYou guys can converse easily with a fellow scientist, but explaining science to your mother could be the hardest conversation you have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Browning\u2019s award nomination described him as \u201ca dedicated educator [\u2026] who consistently strives to impart his vast knowledge and excitement for immunology to students.\u201d<\/p>\n
Browning, who was \u201cpleased and flattered\u201d to earn this year\u2019s award, said that he is consistently learning more and more, even during lectures that he has taught several times.<\/p>\n
Browning\u2019s goal is to keep students on board and riveted by using examples and metaphors that resonate, with a reasonable amount of material that does not overwhelm them. Getting it right, Browning says, \u201cis a lifetime job.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of these things that go into making it fun to learn is hard,\u201d Browning said. \u201cAfter 10 years, I\u2019m just at the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Jeffrey Browning, PhD<\/strong><\/h3>\n