April 9, 2024
Tung receives teaching award from international organization
Shirley Tung, associate professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, has received a 2024 Teaching Prize from the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, or BSECS.
The society recognized Tung for her advanced literature course on "The Cult of Celebrity: From the Eighteenth Century to the Present Day," first taught in 2019 and updated with each offering.
The international competition encourages "developments in teaching methods and approaches to 18th-century studies" and recognizes "excellent teaching across fine art, music, history, and more," according to the society, which has been offering the award since 2011.
Tung will be honored at the society's annual conference in January 2025.
In the course, Tung and her students explore concepts of celebrity and fame, grounding their study in Joseph Roach's book "It" and its scholarship showing how our contemporary understanding of celebrity emerged in the eighteenth century.
In their remarks recognizing Tung's achievement, the judges stated that the course "was timely, incorporated a range of innovative teaching practices, showed clear evidence of providing a positive student experience, and made a series of connections that built upon Roach's work in interesting ways."
"The BSECS Teaching Prize adds international acclaim for Shirley Tung's innovative pedagogy, joining her previous teaching awards from the department, the College of Arts and Sciences and the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies," said Karin Westman, department head of English. "We are grateful to have her course recognized by BSECS, an organization which values, as we do, the intersection of teaching and research."
More information about Tung's research is available from Tung's faculty page.