Professor Brian White, UMass Boston’s first Provost Fellow for Teaching and Technology, will take on the new role on September 1, 2013. White will reach out to faculty and staff to offer opportunities for exploring technology-supported teaching strategy.
White received his PhD in biology from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has been an associate professor in the Biology Department at UMass Boston for 15 years.
The fellowship is a monetary award that recognizes White’s work with the UMass Boston community. In White’s words, “It recognizes that I have been doing interesting things here.” The recognition does not signal the end of his work, but rather the beginning of his new role. “I have the experience and the reputation as a guy who [loves to try] technology,” he said.
White has been the recipient of multiple awards honoring his work in teaching. In 2000, he received a College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Achievement Award for Teaching. In 2008, he won the UMass Boston Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Teaching. In 2012, the American Academy for the Advancement of Science gave him the Science Prize for Inquiry-based Instruction. He has received grants from the National Science Foundation, The Davis Foundation, and other funders in support of his pedagogical scholarship and initiatives. In addition, White is the author of A Problems Approach to Introductory Biology.
Winston Langley, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, in an email to University Community,expressed joy at appointing professor White. “I am delighted to announce that I have appointed Brian White,” he wrote.
Langley explained that UMass Boston must provide its faculty and staff with opportunities to learn about and experiment with technologies that are well-suited to their disciplines, course types, and learning objectives.
“My role is to get people connected and help them use the resources that are available,” White stated. He points out that some faculty need to learn use these resources, and get connected with one another in order to share their knowledge. Professor White will work in collaboration with Educational Technology Services, the Office of Faculty Development, and other offices.
“The challenge will be about getting people to consider changing,” White said. He explained that his hope, if he does his job right, is that people will become more self-reliant when it comes to using technology. “My presence will not be needed; the system will run itself.”