Todd Jennings, a professor of education at Cal State San Bernardino, has been named the university’s Outstanding Professor for 2011-2012.
Todd Jennings (l), a professor in CSUSB's College of Education, congratulated by university President Albert K. Karnig, students and faculty after being named the 2011-2012 Outstanding Professor on Thursday. The announcement came at a surprise "ambush" during his class. Photo: Robert A. Whitehead/CSUSB
Jennings, who has taught at Cal State San Bernardino since 1990, “has established himself as one of the most popular, albeit challenging, professors in the College of Education,” wrote professor Stephen Tibbetts, who led the outstanding professor selection committee that recommended Jennings to receive the award.
“Jennings stood out from the other nominees due to his exemplary teaching and instructional activities, his consistent publishing record, as well as his stellar service record to his department, his college, many other colleges/organizations at the university, and to the local community,” Tibbetts wrote.
Jennings learned of the award while teaching his class on Tuesday, Feb. 21, when CSUSB President Albert Karnig “stormed in,” accompanied by a group of 25 people, which included previous winners of the outstanding professor award, along with colleagues and administration officials who were all there to offer congratulations to Jennings on winning the university’s top faculty award.
Karnig embraced a surprised Jennings and then explained to Jennings’s students why their professor was being honored.
“The outstanding professor is somebody that combines excellence in teaching, excellence in scholarship and excellence in being a good public servant—helping others, and this year, it’s Todd Jennings,” Karnig said. “He’s been an extraordinary colleague.”
Karnig also told the students, “It’s because of you, your comments, your impressions of him and his teaching. It’s the principal reason we don’t call or send a letter about the award. You’re the ones we want to celebrate his excellence with.”
A sheepish Jennings, still surprised at the award, thanked everyone.
Todd Jennings is congratulated by CSUSB President Albert Karnig when the president announced that Jennings was the 2011-2012 Outstanding Professor.
“I’ve been able to do something I really love and I’ve been able to do something that is really fun where I’ve had the opportunity to be with amazing people, whether it’s my students or my colleagues,” Jennings said. “I’ve also had a real rare luxury. I’ve never gone to bed at night having to wonder if what I was doing mattered. That’s a tremendous luxury.”
As the Outstanding Professor, Jennings will receive $1,000 along with $3,000 in professional development support. He will also be recognized at the March 29 Mayor’s Golden Apple Awards banquet, along with Amanda Wilcox-Herzog, an associate professor of psychology, who was named winner of the 2011-2012 Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching.
Within the Cal State San Bernardino College of Education, Jennings teaches courses in developmental psychology, educational psychology and diversity issues within educational contexts. He also teaches undergraduate courses related to gender and sexuality. He is the current director of the CSUSB Gender and Sexuality Studies Program.
In the area of teaching, Jennings recently taught eight different courses, including courses in other departments, such as psychology. He also teaches in the CSUSB educational leadership doctorate program.
Jennings’ students give him high marks as well.
Todd Jennings
In an evaluation of Jennings, one student wrote, “He not only teaches the material but helps us apply this knowledge to our life and career. Through his teaching you can see his passion for teaching and you can see that he wants all of his students to succeed. Another reason why I like Dr. Jennings so much is he brings up topics and scenarios that would happen in our future classrooms that I would never have thought about. He helps us understand the broader context of teaching.”
Another student wrote, Jennings “tells his students like it is, not to scare us, but to make sure we are prepared when we go out in the classroom … I think that he is one of those rare professors that genuinely cares about his students and puts time and investment in us.”
Another key area that is considered for the award is in professional development. In that area, Jennings has published at least 25 scholarly pieces, one edited book, five book chapters and encyclopedia entries, and presented 37 papers at various professional meetings or conferences across the country. His work has also been cited hundreds of times in scientific and academic literature.
Jennings has served on many CSUSB committees, and his record of service to the university has also been extensive. It includes:
- acting chair, department of educational psychology and counseling;
- chair, College Education Evaluation Committee;
- faculty adviser: CSUSB Amnesty International Student Group;
- faculty adviser: CSUSB Equality Coalition;
- Women’s Studies Program Advisory Committee;
- Facilities/University Planning Committee; and
- CSUSB Faculty Senate
His service off campus is also extensive and shows his commitment to human rights. Since 1992, Jennings has been a member of the Regional Planning Group for Amnesty International and also serves on the Human Rights Education Steering Committee for Amnesty International. For the past three years, he has served as a volunteer consultant in Human Rights Education for Human Rights Watch.
Prior to joining the CSUSB faculty, Jennings taught throughout Asia, Central America and South America.
Jennings holds a bachelor’s degree in humanities from Biola University, a master’s degree in landscape architecture (2002) from Cal Poly Pomona, a master’s degree in education and doctorate degree in developmental and educational psychology from Claremont Graduate University.
For more information, contact the university’s Office of Public Affairs at (909) 537-5007 and visit the CSUSB news web site at news.csusb.edu.
Congratulations Todd! It is great to see you recieve this well-deserved recognition. As is befitting of this teaching award, you have earned a reputation for sharing your knowledge and enthusiam not only in your classroom, but pretty much everywhere you go. The University Honors Program remains indebted to you for contributing to our annual colloquium series on diversity by addressing the serious issue of homophobia and discrimination against the LGBT community. Your presentations and class discussions of the challenges facing the gay and lesbian community are always extremely well-received by the class. Your ability to lead the class discussion so effectively was quite impressive, especially given the sensitive and highly personal nature of this talk. I share the honors students’ enthusiasm for your colloquium presentations, which are always informative, insightful, and valuable. The issue of tolerance and acceptance of others is as pressing as ever today, both on our campus and across the nation. You have done our institution and the University Honors Program a valuable service in focusing attention on the rights of all people, regardless of sexual preference, to live without the burden of prejudice, oppression, and hatred. It is clear from working with the Honors students that your presentations have a strong, positive impact on their development as students and as members of the larger community. Thanks again for participating in the University Honors Program colloquium series, for sharing your expertise, and for enriching the academic lives of our students.
Best regards, Allen
Dr. Allen Butt, Director
University Honors Program
Well deserved. The best of the best. I was one of the lucky few to have him as a professor.
Congrats Jennings!
Excellent news! Keep up the great work professor! May many more professors follow in your foot steps.
Dear Dr. Jennings,
Hey, Professor Todd, I was absolutely thrilled to receive an e-mail from Dorothy with this article on your selection as CSUSB’s 2011-2012 Outstanding Professor! Congratulations on your distinguished achievements, which do not surprise me at all! I know I speak for everyone in my family, when I say how very, very proud we are of you! It’s so good to see someone as multi-talented, committed, and passionate about life as you, be recognized and selected for such high honors. You are much too humble, cousin; if I hadn’t read the entire article (by the way, good job, PAO), I would have never known all you’ve been up to the past how-many years, now? I’m so happy for you, and no one deserves it more than you. I hope your Mom and Dwight knew about it and were able to be there to witness the “ambush!” See, I told you back when we were taking those “Hustle” and “Salsa” dance lessons, that you’d do a better job teaching than the guy in the plaid pants with the thin mustache! Love you, Todd. Let me hear from you!
First-Cousin Elizabeth Wellborn Eggleton, Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. Army, 74-01.
“Do the Hustle!”
Dr. Jennings: Todd, I was absolutely thrilled to receive the news article on your selection as CSUSB’s 2011-2012 Outstanding Professor! I know I speak
))
for everyone in our family, when I say how VERY, VERY PROUD we are of you! Congratulations on your distinguished achievement!! I hope your Mom and Dwight were able to see your ambush! I’m dying to post this on my Facebook page; with your permission, of course. It’s so rewarding to see someone as talented, committed, and passionate about life given such well-deserved recognition. I’ve known how special you are since we were kids, but you have surpassed even my wildest expectations! Way to go, cousin, (See, I told you back when we took those “Hustle” dance lessons, that I thought YOU should be teaching the class, instead of that jerk with the Fu Mamchu moustache!). Love, Elizabeth.