Laws receives UGA Creative Teaching Award

Carol Britton Laws, clinical professor and executive director of the UGA Destination Dawgs program, has received a Creative Teaching Award from the UGA Office of Instruction.

The awards are presented annually to recognize UGA faculty for excellence in developing and implementing creative teaching methods to improve student learning.

Laws was honored for her work in creating IHDD 2050S: Principles of Person-Centered Practices. IHDD 2050S was intentionally created to promote active, experiential learning within the Disability Studies curriculum to improve critical thinking, problem-solving and professional communication, all skills required of clinical professionals.

"I am very honored to have my work recognized through this award," Laws said. "Students often report that the course provides them with service-learning experiences that are the most important and valuable aspects of their university education. They learn critical skills that they will apply in professional settings and form lasting relationships with Destination Dawgs students and with other peer mentors. It is a joy to facilitate this learning." 

Laws also coordinates the Disability Studies Certificate program at the undergraduate and graduate levels and instructs multiple service-learning courses that focus on disability issues across the lifespan. 

The announcement was made Monday by Marisa Anne Pagnattaro, vice president for instruction and senior vice provost for Academic Planning, who was joined by several other faculty in surprising Laws at the college's executive committee meeting.