Merril Silverstein, professor of sociology and inaugural recipient of the Marjorie Cantor Endowed Professorship in Aging Studies, and Junko Takeda, professor of history and inaugural Daicoff Faculty Scholar, were among the eight faculty members who received 2023 Syracuse University Graduate School Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Awards.

The honor is presented to faculty members who have a significant, positive influence on graduate education through their commitment to superior graduate teaching, dedication to departmental and community presence and work in research initiatives.

Silverstein, principal investigator of the Longitudinal Study of Generations, says his method of mentoring graduate students “involves shepherding them through their graduate programs and integrating their course requirements with product-oriented goals.” He encourages students to attend and present at conferences, introducing them to notables in the field and professionally socializing them to the norms, procedures and logic of scientific inquiry as well as to hone their critical thinking skills.

Takeda specializes in early modern European history, France, Mediterranean, economic globalization, state-building and revolutions, migration, history of medicine and disease and Asian-American history. She says she “tries to provide as many opportunities as possible for my students to start learning professional skills and to develop their own confidence early in their careers.” She and a colleague helped develop the CNY Humanities Corridor working group and provide an inclusive and friendly venue for Ph.D. students to share their research.

Read the full article via the SU News website.

By Diane Stirling