Fairfield's Alpha Sigma Nu Chapter Announces Teacher of the Year Awards

Aaron Q. Weinstein, PhD, and Dilani Perera, PhD, have been recognized by the Fairfield University chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit honor society, as the 2024 undergraduate and graduate teachers of the year.

Annually, the Fairfield University chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu honors two faculty members with Teacher of the Year awards — one undergraduate and one graduate — for their dedication to the teaching profession and for their support of students. This year's Teacher of the Year awards ceremony took place on May 16 at Alumni House.

Nominations are made by students only and are based on scholarship, loyalty, and service: the three pillars of the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit honor society. The Excellence in Teaching Awards for adjunct faculty were also celebrated at the end-of-semester celebration.

Aaron Q. Weinstein, PhD, assistant professor of politics and director of pre-law advising in the College of Arts and Sciences, was named the undergraduate Alpha Sigma Nu Teacher of the Year.

“I am truly honored to have received this award,” said Dr. Weinstein. “It’s a recognition that is all the more meaningful because it comes from the students. To be sure, I love what I do and work hard at it: but the students should never forget that they are as much responsible for a successful classroom environment as I am.”

Dilani Perera, PhD, department chair and professor of the counselor education department in the School of Education and Human Development, was also recognized as the graduate Alpha Sigma Nu Teacher of the Year.

Interim Dean of the School of Education and Human Development Evelyn Bilias Lolis, PhD, commended Dr. Perera at the ceremony for having a “relentless commitment to her students, a reverence for the field of clinical mental health, and a dedication to preparing mental health clinicians with the highest caliber of professionalism, ethics, and sensitivity to the needs of a complex society.” 

“I felt humbled and honored that a student took time out of their busy schedule to nominate me,” said Dr. Perera.

The Excellence in Teaching Awards for adjunct faculty were also celebrated at the May 16 celebration. Peggy Delfino, adjunct professor in the Sociology & Anthropology Department of the College of Arts and Sciences was awarded the undergraduate Excellence in Teaching Award.

A nominating student described Delfino as “ a fearless professor who encouraged her class to not only learn, but also unlearn societal stigmas to discover the inner workings of society and people.”

Milo Peck III, JD, adjunct professor of state and local tax in the Accounting Department of the Charles F.  Dolan School of Business, was awarded the graduate Excellence in Teaching Award.

“His [Milo’s] passion for teaching is not what makes him exceptional. Rather, it is that passion combined with his commitment to academic excellence and the greater good, which he exemplifies through his work with Fairfield University students, the Accounting Department and Dolan faculty,” said Kathi Mettler, program director of graduate accounting programs in the Dolan School of Business.

Congratulations to the Alpha Sigma Nu awardees and Excellence in Teaching for Adjunct Faculty Awardees on this achievement.

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