Claude Goldenberg, professor of education, and Maren Aukerman, assistant professor of education, are among nine individuals who were honored for their outstanding contributions to the Graduate School of Education at the first-ever GSE Awards Luncheon.

The event gave some 150 students, faculty and staff a chance to celebrate the completion of the school year and to recognize those who have made exemplary contributions to the intellectual, professional, and community life at GSE this past year. The GSE Student Guild and the Office of the Dean sponsored the gathering, which took place on May 28.

Goldenberg was honored with the 2013 Faculty Advising Award for outstanding mentorship and advising. In presenting the award, doctoral student Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica, one of Goldenberg’s advisees told the audience: “His expectations for the quality of our research and writing are incredibly high, and he’ll settle for nothing less than the best work each of us can do. But—and here’s the key—he provides the necessary scaffolds for each of us to reach those expectations.” Katie Stokes-Guinan, another advisee, added, “Claude is a true intellectual, eager to explore and hone ideas. A true teacher, eager to support students so they’ll succeed. A true human being: kind, generous, positive, and thoughtful.”

Goldenberg’s expertise centers on promoting academic achievement among language minority children and youth. His current projects focus on improving literacy achievement among English learners in elementary and middle school, language and literacy development among Mexican children in Mexico, and the development of a measure of classroom quality for English learners. He serves as chair of GSE’s Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education.

Aukerman won the 2013 Faculty Teaching Award for outstanding teaching. For doctoral student Erin Raab, she is “someone who really models the empathy, humility, and understanding it takes to truly learn from your students and your experiences, and to empower your students to do the same.” Aukerman’s advisee, Lorien Chambers Schuldt, added, “‘The Discourses of Teaching Reading’ and the ‘Literacy Theory’ classes that I have taken with her have given me a basis for thinking about education differently. They have changed the way that I listen to others. They have taught me to read more carefully, pay closer attention to my own ideas, and my struggle to understand what is being said. They have really changed the way I think about teaching and learning.”

Aukerman studies the relationship between classroom discourse and reading comprehension, with emphasis on children’s talk surrounding literature and their talk about nonfiction texts. She examines the pedagogical possibilities engendered by classrooms that allow ample opportunity for children to explore their own and each other’s textual interpretation. In one current project, funded by a National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship, she is examining how children in bilingual classroom settings make use of social and textual resources to make sense of first- and second-language text.

In addition to the faculty awards, Student Guild representatives presented awards in two new areas: the Student Recognition Awards and the Friend of the GSE Awards. Student Recognition Awards were given to students in the categories of excellence in teaching and mentoring, and enriching the student community. Friend of the GSE Awards were presented to staff or supporters who have made extraordinary efforts on behalf of GSE students or the larger GSE community this past year. The award recipients are:

• Judy Hicks, a doctoral student in the Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education program: The Student Recognition Award for Teaching and Mentoring
• Eric Taylor, a doctoral student in the Economics of Education program: The Student Recognition Award for Teaching and Mentoring
• Shannon Brady, a doctoral student in the Developmental and Psychological Sciences program and community chair of the GSE Student Guild, as well as its next president: The Student Recognition Award for Enriching the GSE Student Community
• Renee Lizcano, a doctoral student in the Developmental and Psychological Sciences program and the outgoing president of the GSE Student Guild: The Student Recognition Award for Enriching the GSE Student Community
• Priscilla Fiden, assistant dean for academic services: The Friend of the GSE Award
• Steve Olson, senior associate dean for finance and administration: The Friend of the GSE Award
• Melissa Scheve, secondary English clinical associate for Stanford Teacher Education Program: The Friend of the GSE Award

More than 80 members of the GSE community were nominated for this year’s awards. Graduate students and undergraduate students who have taken a class in the GSE were eligible to nominate for the Faculty Advising or Faculty Teaching awards. GSE students, faculty and staff were able to nominate for the Student Recognition and Friend of the GSE awards.

Amy Yuen writes frequently for the Graduate School of Education.