PSU Magazine Winter 2005

her Veronica Dujon wins an unprecedented third teaching award. By John Kirkland Top students have honored this sociology professor again and again and again. • ne of the proudest moments of Veronica Dujon's career occurred when she received an email from Christopher "CJ " Martin '99, who had been a studen t in Dujon's globa lization class. Martin's first job out of college was as an intern for U.S. Rep. Peter Defazio, and a fairly low-level intern, Dujon recalls. Defazio had a lot of staff, most of whom were more experi– enced than Manin. But as the staff scrambled for research materials to help Defazio on a global trade issue, Martin suddenly found his groove. "His email said, 'You wouldn't believe this , but l have more informa– tion about global trade than half the people in the office,"' she says. This was high praise indeed for Dujon , whose claim to fame since she joined P U' ociology Department in 1995 is her ability to boil down complicated issues to their essence. Now she has a new distinction , ln June , she became the only instructor to have won the annual John Eliot Allen Outstanding Teacher Award three times. 10 PSU MAGAZI L WI TER 2005 As is fitting for any award for teach– ing exce llence, nominees are chosen by students. Each department in the College of Liberal Ans and Sciences chooses at least 15 outstanding stu– dents who list their nominees and rate them on characteristics such as their ability to challenge students and moti– vate them to learn , their enthusiasm, communication skills, and organiza– tion. This year's winners-all 21 of them-received $500 and a plaque at a ceremony in June. I ujon, 40, grew up on the island of St. Lucia in the Caribbean, where she spoke both English and French Creole. Her parents owned a small farm where they grew bananas for export. "Not surprisingly, my view of world development is different from those of many of my students," says Du_jon, who tea hes the sociology of how peo– ple relate to land and resources. That difference turns out to be a great teaching tool, because it helps her stu– dents think of the global economy from a Third World point of view. "It's important for students to step PHOTO BY STl'\'E DIPAOLA back and analyze issues from some– thing other than an 'us vs. them' atti– tude. As a teacher, l want them to look at issues from all different angles so they can become critical thinkers. " Dujon attended rigorous Roman Catholic schools in St. Lu ia and earned a merit scholarship that allowed her to attend University of the West Indies. Her college experience gave her a strong sense of Caribbean identity, but also helped her adopt a broader global perspective than she could have gotten in St. Lucia because her teachers were from all over the world. A great education was important to the rest of her family as well: her two brothers are engineers and her sister is a computer programmer. hen Dujon came to PSU in 1995, she quickly gained a reputation that drew even nonsociology students to her. "She was one of the reasons l wanted to come into this program," says graduate student Kerry Greer, whose sights originall y were set on an