By: Neelah McCarthy
Journalism department Chair and associate professor Rodrigo Zamith has been honored with the student-nominated Distinguished Teaching Award, one of the university’s highest honors.
The award honors exemplary teaching at UMass Amherst and recipients are selected through a two-step process. Faculty recipients are awarded $3,500 and their name inscribed on the Distinguished Teaching Award memorial wall in the Integrative Learning Center. Zamith joins two other Journalism faculty members in the prestigious DTA club - Karen List (1992-93) and Nicholas McBride (2004-05) both won the award in previous years.
The award was particularly meaningful for Zamith this year - not only did he win the highly competitive award, but he did so while serving as the department Chair, where he also oversees the administrative functioning of the department in addition to teaching and doing research. It adds a significant amount of extra work to his plate and while he's handled the role admirably, his heart still lies in the classroom.
“It’s something that is really meaningful to me because I get the greatest satisfaction from my teaching,” Zamith said. “It’s really the best part of my job, and to have some recognition for that, indicates that I’m not the worst at it and makes me proud and honored.”
Graduate and undergraduate students can nominate any instructor they have previously taken a course with or are currently enrolled in a course with. Zamith noted that the student-nominated nature of the award makes the honor particularly special, as it shows how he has made a direct impact on his students.
“It’s students who are remarking on how you’ve impacted their lives,” he said. “And a lot of that happens in the classroom, but some of it also happens outside the classroom because a good bit of teaching happens there too.”
Zamith had previously been a finalist for the award, highlighting how he always strives to make a positive impact in his students' lives. His selection shines a light on his long-standing commitment to teaching, mentorship, and leadership within the journalism department.