The Presidential Teaching Fellowship “promotes excellence in teaching by establishing a core group of faculty who are given the highest recognition for their effective teaching,” according to UNM’s Center for Teaching Excellence website.
The award, given each year, carries a responsibility for ensuring teaching excellence by sharing their expertise with the UNM community. Nominations for the award are made by colleagues, students or alumni. Each fellow serves for a term of two years.
Milstein said she feels fortunate to receive the award.
“I’m just very honored and also hopeful, because my teaching is not conventional. I’m very focused on turning the conventional classroom inside out. So knowing that our university is not just supportive of that but is celebrating that makes me feel both fortunate and hopeful.”
As a fellow, Milstein said she is given the exciting opportunity to give back.
Milstein said she plans to give back to the UNM community by mentoring and leading workshops on changing the structure of the classroom.
“It’s about connecting inner and outer relevance, helping students understand that their interests, concerns and passions are all very relevant to their learning,” she said.
Ailesha Ringer, a doctoral student and an instructor, said it came as no surprise Milstein won the Teaching Fellow award.
“(Milstein’s) teaching style is authentic, refreshingly unconventional and practice-based,” Ringer said. “(She) finds the time, patience and sincerity to listen to students and help facilitate their growth as scholars and beings.”
Milstein said during her courses she takes students on a lot of field studies. In these endeavors Milstein often works with individuals she refers to as “community teachers,” such as farmers or other people working on eco-social aspects in and around the community.
“We learn through being with people who have deep wisdom. Deep wisdom of place, deep wisdom of areas of our community that you’re not generally exposed to if you stay on campus,” she said.
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Recently, Ringer took Milstein’s seminar in eco-cultural communication. On one overnight field study in Northern New Mexico, they navigated Chimayo, Taos, Taos Pueblo, the Earthships, Ojo Caliente and even a cave dug by cave digger Ra Paulette.
“(Milstein) guided our class through understanding and making connections between theories and concepts learned in the classroom to everyday eco-cultural lives of Northern New Mexicans,” Ringer said. “All while discussing, reflecting and pushing our intellectual understandings forward.”
Ringer finds Milstein’s approach refreshing and useful, she said. Milstein is always trying to help students think unconventionally about the world around us.
Milstein has worked for numerous publications during her career and got her start in reporting at the Daily Lobo, she said. She served as staff reporter and the “Arts & Features” editor until she graduated from UNM in 1992. She also won the reporter of the year award that year.
“I love the Lobo. I think of it as my undergrad education, working at the Lobo,” Milstein said. “Another thing that’s great about the Lobo is it puts you in that place of capability and responsibility that I think most other things don’t. I think it’s just awesome.”
In addition to the prestigious fellowship award, Milstein received the pre-tenure Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award at UNM. She got her doctorate in Seattle and has been a professor at UNM for eight years.
As a communications student, Ringer said Milstein’s instruction was instrumental in her own development as a scholar and that Milstein is a true asset to the communication department.
“Her reputation precedes her and is deserved. I am proud of her accomplishments,” Ringer said. “Our campus community will greatly benefit from her leadership and vision.”
Matthew Reisen is a staff reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
