Press Releases

April 6, 2001
Practices What He Preaches: Education Professor Wins Top Teaching Award

Southampton College Faculty Takes Four University Awards

Contact:
Darren Johnson
(631) 287 8313
Fax: (631) 283 4081

Comments in a recent student survey said Southampton College Education Division Director and Professor Dr. Larry McCann "walks the walk." His bosses agreed. So it came as little surprise when McCann won Long Island University's top teaching honor, the Newton Award, at ceremonies on Wednesday, April 4, in Duke Lecture Hall. Three other Southampton College professors were also honored.

"Student comments regularly report that Dr. McCann is a superb teacher and his classes are among the best they've ever taken," said Dean Maggie Madden upon presenting McCann with his award, "and many of these comments come from graduate students who are teachers themselves and well trained to critique quality of instruction."

Faculty members from throughout the Long Island University system were honored Wednesday, with Southampton College taking the most awards. Also presented were Trustees Awards for Scholarly Achievement, given to Southampton College's Marc Fasanella, Associate Professor of Design and Visual Communication; Sandra Shumway, Professor of Biology and Marine Science; and Phyllis Kudder-Sullivan, Associate Professor of Art. Fasanella and Shumway are from Hampton Bays. Kudder-Sullivan is from Shoreham.

McCann, a resident of East Hampton, is an expert in interactive video technology and has published numerous papers on updating pedagogy for the 21st century. After attending SUNY-Plattsburgh and Hofstra University, Dr. McCann received his Ed.D in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University. He began his career at Long Island University's CW Post campus in 1968 as Assistant Professor of Education, after a six-year stint as an intermediate grade school teacher in Roslyn. He moved to Southampton College in 1986, and has served as Division Director of Education since 1992.

Winners of the Newton Award are selected by a committee of their peers following nomination and support from faculty, students and alumni. The award is named for David Newton, a former executive vice president of Long Island University.