Matthew Basso

Associate Professor, History & Gender Studies

Associate Professor Matthew Basso was recognized as a 2020 University of Utah Distinguished Teaching Award recipient, which honors contributions to the U’s teaching mission and acknowledges outstanding teaching performance and innovative teaching methods. One student shared, “I have learned from his [Matt Basso’s] teaching expertise, admired his innovative contributions to curriculum, and marveled at his capacity to teach the radically different student groups that come to classes in those two academic units (history and Gender Studies). Dr. Basso’s contributions extend from innovative programmatic and curriculum design to the individual student, attesting to the breadth and integral nature of his vision of learning.” As one of the highest teaching honors presented at the University of Utah, we are proud to boast such a talented instructor.

Darius Bost

Associate Professor, Ethnic Studies

Associate Professor Darius Bost was awarded the prestigious William Sanders Scarborough Prize by the Modern Language Association of America (MLA) for his book Evidence of Being: The Black Gay Cultural Renaissance and the Politics of Violence, published by the University of Chicago Press. In their press release, the selection committee noted Bost’s “innovative, mixed-genre analyses that recover the role of the black body, sexuality, and black gay social life in the 1980s and 1990s when few critics were taking note.” The award recognizes outstanding scholarly study of black American literature or culture, and we couldn’t agree more.

Shaniah Morning Star Chee

Class of 2020, Anthropology BS & American Indian Studies Minor

Shaniah was selected as one of the recipients of the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award. Shaniah utilized both her Anthropology major and American Indian Studies minor in research on the significance of firewood. “From the experience I’ve had these past 2 years, almost 3, I have gained a level of confidence to go out of comfort zone, as well as take notice to the importance of harvesting wood on the Navajo Nation, my home. My goal is to continue to educate those who don’t know the importance of harvesting wood is more than just for warmth, it has the ability to provide my people with shelter and for ceremonial purposes, and the process it takes to get it isn’t an easy task.”

Christine Martinez

Class of 2020, Ethnic Studies & Sociology BS

Christine was awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award by the Office of Undergraduate Research. This award recognizes an outstanding undergraduate researcher with active participation of research-relate activities on campus and positive contributions to the research culture of their relevant departments and Schools. As an Ethnic Studies and Sociology major, Christine was selected as the Transform Undergraduate Researcher of Year.

Ella Myers

Associate Professor, Gender Studies & Political Science

Each year, the College of Social and Behavioral Science (CSBS) recognizes distinguished faculty and staff within the college who have performed above and beyond their call of duty. This year, CSBS honors and recognizes Dr. Myers’, professor of Gender Studies and Political Science, superior talent and innovation in the classroom with the College of Social and Behavioral Science Superior Teaching Award.

William Smith

Professor, Ethnic Studies & Education, Culture & Society

The Graduate School recognizes faculty who stand out for effectively guiding graduate students and postdoctoral scholars throughout their professional training in a continuing, multifaceted partnership sustained by mutual respect and concern. Dr. Smith, Ethnic Studies professor and department chair and professor of Education, Culture and Society, is one of the co-founders of the African American Doctoral Scholars Initiative Program, which seeks to nurture, mentor, and graduate more Black scholars from every graduate program at the university. He was also selected to be the recipient of this year’s Spencer Mentor Award from the Spencer Foundation, which will be presented at the American Educational Research Association national conference.