Dr. Lori West, professor of biology and assistant chair in the Department of Natural Sciences, has been selected as the winner of Lee University’s 2022 Excellence in Teaching Award. Lee President Dr. Mark L. Walker recognized Dr. West for this honor during spring commencement.
The Excellence Awards are the highest honors presented to Lee faculty members and recognize advising, scholarship, and teaching. The Excellence in Teaching is the oldest award and considered to be superior among the three. The winner of this award is chosen by a special committee which includes representatives of six different academic departments.
“Teaching excellence is one of the highest honors a Lee University faculty member can receive, because it is what we value most from our faculty,” said Dr. Walker. “Dr. Lori West has demonstrated that value at the highest level. She is well-deserving of this recognition.”
Dr. West joined Lee’s faculty in 2006 and teaches courses in molecular biology, cell biology, and genetics, among others. She has served as program director for four recently-funded Tennessee Higher Education Committee (THEC) grants and as a mentor for many student research projects at Lee. Dr. West has served on multiple committees, including serving as the chair of the Faculty Council. She is also the faculty sponsor of the Women’s Track and Field Team. In 2017, West was the recipient of the Excellence in Scholarship Award.
Dr. West coordinated the annual local Science Olympiad tournaments for three years, a competition for middle and high school students, and will continue to assist in the future. Prior to her arrival at Lee, Dr. West conducted post-doctoral research in the nutrition department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and served as a visiting lecturer at Maryville College.
“I have the pleasure of teaching alongside outstanding faculty,” said Dr. West. “I am very honored to have been selected as a recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award.”