Dr. Abebe receives Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching

Kesha Williams
May 26, 2014

On May 10, Elizabeth City State University recognized Eyualem B. Abebe, an associate professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, as the university’s recipient of the 2014 Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching. The Board of Governors of the 17-campus University of North Carolina selects some of the University’s most outstanding faculty to receive its 2014 Awards for Excellence in Teaching. Henry Hinton, a member of the UNC Board of Governors, announced to the audience attending ECSU’s 158th Commencement that Abebe was the local honoree. Each award winner receives a commemorative bronze medallion and a $12,500 cash prize. The awards were presented by Board of Governors members during each UNC campus’ spring graduation ceremonies. Abebe’s area of expertise is organismal biology with a focus on nematode biology. Nematodes are microscopic round worms that one can find anywhere, in any soil including home garden, intensive farms, natural forests, river and ocean sediments, including the coldest polar areas and warmest hot springs. Nematodes impact agriculture with a current global estimate of $345 billion a year. Abebe, a native of Ethiopia, said he is humbled to receive this recognition in response to his research. His research area of expertise has allowed him to mentor 27 undergraduate students over seven years. &quotMy efforts have not [centered around] class room instruction but with mentorship through research, which requires financial backing from federal funding agencies,&quot Abebe said. &quotThe award is in some form a confirmatory stamp from my students, colleagues and the institution for helping students realize their fullest potential. It is important such recognitions continue because teaching is not a privileged profession in terms of financial reward.&quot Abebe can reassure parents that ECSU instructors value the diverse student population here. &quotECSU’s students come with diverse economic, social and educational backgrounds. I am focused on bridging that gap caused primarily by differences in the level of preparedness and economic backgrounds.&quot &quotMy focus is student learning with a goal of career-oriented success. I fully recognize that if there is little student learning in any educational process, instruction loses its value in achieving its goal.&quot See the following link for a list of additional award winners and their photos: http://www.northcarolina.edu/?q=board-governors-awards/teaching-awards-2014http://www.northcarolina.edu/?q=board-governors-awards/teaching-awards-2014